Meditations on a Film Festival

In 2006, Sydney based cinematographer Bonnie Elliott attended the Berlinale Talent Campus, a series of workshops and industry developments for up and coming filmmakers. Two years later, she is back in Berlin with a film of her own selected and screening in the shorts competition. 'Meditations of a Name' is the story of Wattle and her hippie father, having it out about her name on hot summer road trip…. Ruby Boukabou meets Bonnie at the 'Generation' festival reception party in Berlin.

What does being involved in the Berlinale mean for you as a director?

I suppose the most exciting thing about having my film screen at Berlin is the feeling of being part of such a large global cinema event. Just within the shorts session I am programmed in, there are films from Sweden, Korea, Brazil and Africa. It is good to see the film screen in such an international forum and to know that its themes translate beyond Australia. This is especially important to me because the film is very personal and specific, and so I did make it with as much authenticity to the experience of my family as possible, but always hoped the universal nature of the father-daughter relationship would make it appeal beyond Australia. So even though the German audience don't necessarily get that wattle (the name of the girl in the film) is a flower, and all the cultural resonances of that, the conflict in the relationship is honest and real enough for the film to work regardless.

What you have been doing and what's the vibe like at the Berlinale?

I have been seeing a lot of films. It is rare in life to get the chance to go to a whole film festival and have time out from work and so on, and so I am making the most of that. The programme is just enormous and it is often very hard to choose, but so far, I have seen a lot of interesting and somewhat political docos, and quite a few of the Australian features screening here. It is really wonderful to see such packed cinemas, to hear such intelligent questions at the q&a's and to feel how very engaged people are by the idea of collective cinema experience still. Thank goodness!

What specifically have you seen/loved/learnt so far?

My highlights so far are a doco on the mexican border migrants, and the incredible risks these brave people take in the hope of a better life, and the dignity of the execution by the filmmaker in letting the characters, and their faces, really speak for themselves. Also a very beautiful short experimental film on trees made by using a digital stills camera in a really innovative way. I'm not sure exactly what I've learnt specifically, but I do feel encouraged by the risky and personal cinema I've seen here.

Inspirations for next works?

I will be getting back to my regular job of being a cinematographer when I get back to Sydney, so I certainly feel invigorated creatively by seeing so many films and such strong images. And I do feel encouraged enough by the experience of screening here to consider making another short at some stage in the future.

More coverage of the Berlinale and links by Ruby Boukabou on http://rubyimages.googlepages.com/home