The United States of America Embassy in Ashgabat will sponsor its annual screenings of independent documentary films on Saturday, October 26, and Sunday, October 27, at the Ashgabat Cinema, featuring three critically-acclaimed movies, and followed by a Q&A with American film experts. 

The correspondent of Turkmenportal was able to communicate with the American filmmakers Cole Sax and Phil Hessler got an exclusive interview.

- Phil, could you tell us briefly about your movies, about your passion to make a documentary movie?

- So, I produce directing documentary film shorts, documentary features, as well as unscripted episodic series and how I got into film making, was through really love for skateboarding – popular sports in the US. Doing this sport and filming your friends a lot and filming each other and that’s how I got exposed to film making and then when I was in university I made film about my adopted brother and his quest becoming of first African to snowboard in winter Olympic; and this film became pretty popular in the world of action sports and ended up getting bought by the company that’s based in America; and that really launched my career to do a lot more branded short films, as well as series with a lot of focus on unlikely athletes stories, so we started working together after that project. We did series of followed six athletes to the Winter Olympics – all from countries without snow. So, following their journey, overcoming the obstacles that they faced to participate in the biggest stage, in the world for their sports. We are doing a lot more in that space now, focusing on this unlikely sports stories.

-Would you like to make some documentary movies in Turkmenistan?   

- I read the story about the women’s judo team and that you have an athlete, who is going to be competing in 2022 or 2020 Olympics for Judo and that’s sound as a fascinating story to be able to follow and understand how she was able to progress to this point in her career and now to be in the Olympics.

- Could you briefly explain or tell me about your movie called “Far from Home”? 

- Yes, “Far from home” – is a six parts Tv series that we made, followed six athletes to winter Olympics from countries without snow. But the film, that we are going to show tomorrow night focuses on the Malaysian figure skater, who became the first Malaysian to make it to the Winter Olympics. He grew up in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, where there is no snow it’s very hard; he learned how to figure skate in the shopping mall. Call directed that episode and he can speak very well on that too.

- Cole, please what can you tell about the Indian Winter Olympics?                 

- Well, India – is a very special place, that’s for sure. It’s petty incredible working with Shiva Keshavan, I mean going to that I had no idea that India has been a participant in one Olympic sport. Learning about Shiva’s story, watching him that he become six-time Olympian represented India – that was a very special experience. Truly watching someone’s that from unlikely country and getting to that point – was really inspirational to watch and see him starting at very young age, he learned how to louche just by putting together the pieces of wood and putting the wheels on it and loosing down to the roads, so to see him starting from that point and exceed the place that his now in his career – that’s was really cool. 

- Cole, you have been the main Tv station in Turkmenistan and I hope that you have already been familiarized with Turkmenistan’s movie industry. What are your opinions or impressions about Turkmenistan’s movie industry?

- I think the TV station, I mean the building itself is very beautiful that I’ve never seen anything like this before. One thing that I have noticed that people I have met have a passion for making a film here. People do have an appreciation for the art of cinema. People are interested and eager learning about the crafts and want to tell stories. So, I think that’s the first start- you need that and it’s very important. 

- Now you are young film producers and what kind of opportunities the American Film Showcase provided you for your career development?

- It is provided kind of wealthy bulk of opportunities. In the Film Showcase, there are incredible filmmakers as a part of it, some Oscar-winning filmmakers. So, that mentorship that exposure to filmmakers about caliber is really hard to combine, you know. 

What would you like to say about the American Film Showcase program? And how long you have been working with that program?

- The American Film Showcase - it is an incredible program, where they find film directors, producers, film experts and professionals and sending them all around the world to different embassies to do this cultural exchange program, spilled around themes for their films; there are certain teachings. Work here for 8 days during the program, when we are sharing our process around a lot of films that we make in the documentary space. We are doing three days of production workshop with students right now. We are hoping they can take away some of the lessons that we have learned over our journey and meeting as well with a lot of professionals and experts here in the film industry in order to understand how the film industry works here – the similarities and differences between the US and how we can collaborate more in the future.

- What could you tell about screening movies on weekend in Ashgabat? 

- These films are the part of the American film showcase and filmmakers could not be here, unfortunately. So, we will be introducing those films, one of the documentaries is focused on NASA’s version of the space and the advances that they have had in the last 20 years exploring space. Another film is focused on the national parks in public lands in the US, which are something very unique, these vast landscapes and they were protected about a hundred years ago initiated by Robert Redford – a very famous actor in the States. The last film is a documentary that follows five-horse trainers as they prepared for one of the biggest competitions in the US, as it relates to equestrian and skills. 

- Everybody should come and watch it in Turkmenistan. 

- Call, if there is anything that would you like to say or to send a message to the readers of Turkmenportal?

- I want to say thank you, it’s been a pleasure to visit Turkmenistan and encourage people to stay curious and ask questions, check out the American synergy I mean this is such a cool place to be able to see and to trans in general in film making that taken place in the world. So, have some fun.

- What would recommend or advise to improve the movie industry in Turkmenistan?

- I think what really will help the movie industry is to step away from the more scripted aspects I would say move towards asking thought-provoking questions. Don’t be afraid to talk about emotion and how people are feeling and what they are going through their life. That would be my feedback.

- Yeah, I would agree with that for sure, just for in terms what documentary is becoming I think there is a lot more blending between what’s a documentary film and narrative film. At least for a lot of work that we do, so being able to apply those elements to documentary storytelling where you are creating more revision, but you also give them space to the character to really be honest about how they feel and with what they going through and creating the art to the peace versus just reading the scripts and saying something that has been scripted. 

- Now you are young film producers and what kind of opportunities the American Film Showcase provided you for your career development?

- It is provided kind of wealthy bulk of opportunities. In the Film Showcase, there are incredible filmmakers as a part of it, some Oscar-winning filmmakers. So, that mentorship that exposure to filmmakers about caliber is hard to combine, you know. 

- What would you like to say about the American Film Showcase program? And how long you have been working with that program?

- The American Film Showcase - it is an incredible program, where they find film directors, producers, film experts and professionals and sending them all around the world to different embassies to do this cultural exchange program, spilled around themes for their films; there are certain teachings. Work here for 8 days during the program, when we are sharing our process around a lot of films that we make in the documentary space. We are doing three days of production workshop with students right now. We are hoping they can take away some of the lessons that we have learned over our journey and meeting as well with a lot of professionals and experts here in the film industry in order to understand how the film industry works here – the similarities and differences between the US and how we can collaborate more in the future.