Florida Film Festival 2019 – The English Teecher
If you’re an immigrant to the United States, you’re going to need to learn English as a second language. And what better place than Englishtopia? Conveniently located in West New York, New Jersey, right through the Lincoln Tunnel. As “The English Teecher”, Danny Dresden finds his calling, finds his people and finds out that Utopia isn’t all it's cracked up to be.
Interview with Writer/Director/Animator Andy London
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In this film, I wanted to celebrate immigrant culture and diversity. I've been teaching people from diverse multi-cultural backgrounds since the early nineties. I love my students. They have enriched my life and have made me who I am. This film is also a homage to the craft of teaching. Teaching is more than just making a living. It's a big part of my identity.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The world needs to know that not every American thinks like our current administration. Immigrants are people and share the same hopes, dreams and desires we all do. They're not some evil plague of zombies coming to destroy our country. They are our country. The US has always been a society made up of immigrants. And I hope this film reflects this sentiment.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The English Teecher is largely autobiographical. Much of it is true. I did have roommates who openly had sex in front of me. And I did work for a school in West New York New Jersey with video cameras in every room and a toilet you weren't allowed to flush toilet paper in. And yes, the owner actually did go around crushing people's hands and shouting, "How's your energy?" I've had a man-crush on that owner since 1997. I knew one day I would make a film about him. One important theme The English Teecher explores is discovery. The school owner discovered something in me that I didn't know about myself. I had a gift for teaching. And in turn, I discovered something about my students. They weren’t just a way to make a buck. We shared the same dreams and hopes but they weren't as lucky as me. The film is also about manipulation. As talented and passionate as the owner was about teaching, he still brainwashed everyone in his path including me.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
This film was a wild ride. It took me 2.5 years to make. During the process, my wife and I broke up as a directing team. In the beginning, we directed it together like all our previous films that go all the way back to 1999. But during the process of making this film, we got fed up with working with one another and moved on to doing our own separate projects. I think it was a good move. We've both been creatively much happier ever since.
Another challenging part of the process was recording the voices. Normally, I record the entire voice track first and then animate to that track. But this project had so many voices, it wasn’t possible or affordable to do a casting call and record everybody first. So I recorded my students one by one for about two years and pieced the film together one shot at a time. Due to this process, I had to reanimate characters talking numerous times.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Audiences seem to really like it. I notice they laugh a lot. However, The English Teecher has gotten a lot of rejections, more than most of our films. I think it's largely because of length. It has to be a pain in the neck for a festival director to program a 19-minute film. because it's only been in a handful of festivals so far, I haven't received a lot of critical feedback. The only real negative thing I’ve heard so far was from Short of the Week. Somebody in submissions told me it was too long and needed considerable editing.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I'm not sure if I fully agree with that criticism. I wanted to make something long because I’m a little bored of making 3-5 minute narrative pieces. And this was my chance to try something narratively longer. Maybe I could have cut a few of the gags but it's hard to kill your favorite bits, especially when you’re the animator in addition to being the director.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm looking for more screening opportunities and to reach a larger audience. A larger online audience would also be great.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love to have more festival directors program it. I know it's a lot to ask to program a 19-minute film in a 90-minute block of shorts. I also would like to have more educators/colleges see this, too. I think educators could really relate to the film's take on teaching.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like the film to have a positive impact. I want audiences to walk away with more appreciation for diversity and education.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Who was your favorite teacher and what was your favorite lesson?
Would you like to add anything else?
I think that's it.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
This film has inspired me to write a book about my 27 years of teaching. The book will be a reflection on the experiences I had with some of my most memorable students.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The English Teecher
If you’re an immigrant to the United States, you’re going to need to learn English as a second language. And what better place than Englishtopia? Conveniently located in West New York, New Jersey, right through the Lincoln Tunnel. As “The English Teecher”, Danny Dresden finds his calling, finds his people and finds out that Utopia isn’t all it's cracked up to be.
Length: 18:56
Director: Andy London
Producer: Carolyn London
Writer: Andy and Carolyn London
About the writer, director and producer:
ANDY LONDON is a writer, director, animator and co-founder of London Squared. Since 1999, he’s been creating films, music videos and animated content. His award-winning films include Subway Salvation, The Backbrace and A Letter to Colleen and have screened in hundreds of festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, Annecy and the Ottawa International Animation Festival. His film, The Lost Tribes of New York City was featured in the MoMA show Talk to Me.
Looking for: film festival directors, journalists, distributors
Instagram: @andysaullondon
Hashtags used: #ESL, #Immigrant, #Teacher
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Florida Film Festival - Maitland, Florida April 17 and 19; Anifilm - Czech Republic May 7-12.