FOCUS ON AFI Conservatory - Sausage Film
Condemned to a diet of nothing but salad, a man with critically clogged arteries must decide whether life is worth living without sausage.
Interview with Producer/Cinematographer Jonas Fischer
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’m very passionate about food so I just decided to make this film about it. I love exploring what food means culturally and personally. It’s a huge and ever present part of our lives. I wanted to talk about the joy of food and the duality between the choice of what we feed our bodies and the possible health implications that that can have. And on top of that, throw in the question: Is any of that even important? Any individual might choose to favor different parts of that equation.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you love consuming things that might eventually kill you and you’re in the mood for an absurdist comedy, you should watch this film. It’s dark, strange and funny, set in a surreal world. First and foremost, it’s a comedy, but there are some important things being discussed as well.
The film is for all audiences really. Possibly even kids! Who knows?
Even though we keep it short with just over 3 minutes, I think we managed to give room to all those elements.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film riffs on the universal themes of health and personal life choices but in a fun and quirky way. I feel like those themes are omnipresent in America and all over the world and those questions are always up for discussion. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer to any of them, which makes it all the more interesting.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I’m a Cinematographer by trade and I had never written a film before, so I got together with director and writer Neil Ferron to pitch my ideas to him and invite him to co-write and direct the film. Our imaginations went wild and we thought of anything and everything. The story went through numerous crazy iterations. The only thing that really was a constant was the element of the food. We finally arrived at our main character after which everything started to fall into place.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Audiences respond really well to the funny and strange world the film puts them in. It’s a bit nightmarish but fun. Many people also love our main character, brilliantly played by Bob Sherer who conveys so much comedy and emotion without any words.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has been interesting to see the different reactions to the dark comedy. Sometimes audiences will laugh in different moments than I would have expected to or interpret the ending in a totally different way.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I think the platform could definitely widen our base! I want to expand the online presence of our little piece as best as possible and wearemovingstories will definitely help us to do that.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We’re mainly looking to play the film at festivals right now to get it to film-interested audiences. After that it would be awesome to get it out there on all kinds of different platforms!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I think the film should ideally be a fun ride, while also throwing up some questions that will make the audience think and even challenge some ideas. You might agree or completely disagree with anything we’re saying in the film, both of which are a good thing!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Should you indulge in your favorite food even if it might end up killing you? Or should you maybe change your ways to lead a healthier life? Which will make you happier?
Would you like to add anything else?
I’d like to thank all the involved crew and cast for making the film possible. First and foremost director and co-writer Neil Ferron, producer Esmé Jackson, production designer Shi Min Yong and editor Yu York Fu.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m working on all kinds of projects in the LA area as a Cinematographer, both in the commercial and narrative feature world.
Later this year 3 new short films I worked on will be released to festivals, one of which is called MASS AVE. It’s a heartfelt story about the relationship between an immigrant African father and his American born son.
Neil Ferron on the other hand will be shooting his AFI thesis this fall, a supernatural dark comedy called FISHMONGER. The short film tells the story of a pathetic Irish fishmonger who must survive a sex pact with an ancient sea creature in order to save his mother’s soul from burning in hell.
Interview: July 2021
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
Sausage Film
Length:
3:35
Cinematographer/Producer
Jonas Fischer
Key cast:
Bob Sherer (Hans)
Looking for:
film festival directors
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jonas.b.fischer/
Hashtags used:
#food #comedy #35mm #shotonfilm #panavision
More info:
https://www.jonasbfischer.com/a-sausage-film
Made in association with:
AFI Conservatory