DOCUMENTARIES

HAPPY ANDROID MAKES SERIOUS IMPACT

Published

5 years ago

May 5, 2019

Sometimes when you go to film festivals, short films make a bigger impact. This holds true for the film Happy Android by director Jaina Kalifa which screened recently at Toronto’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival. The short documentary follows street performer Paul Cooper who plays at festivals as a robot called Tubby. As Paul puts his mask on to be Tubby who is so lovable especially to children, he takes it off to face his darkest demons. Happy Android is a documentary that is not to be missed so we can have a serious conversation about anxiety and depression. FERNTV spoke to director Jaina Kalifa who effectively uses the short film platform to have that honest and much needed long conversation.

FERNTV: How did you discover Paul Cooper?

Jaina: I actually have a past life as a street performer and I met Paul around 15 years ago through performance projects and we’re still friends to this day.

FERNTV: You were also a street performer as well. Can you tell us what you did and can you point out the similarities you had with Tubby?

Jaina: I did a mix of performances work but mostly roving character acts, like Paul’s robot Tubby. One of the acts was Matilda the Pig, which was a three-person act and we were a family of pig-lovers. The illusion was that the two brothers were riding a giant pig and the sister was the pig tamer/trainer. We would get the pig to dance and do tricks, we sang pig songs and knew a lot of pig facts. It was pretty silly stuff but a lot of fun.

FERNTV: What were some of the challenges you had in making this film?

Jaina: Paul and I are old friends and we knew there was a risk that making the film together could damage our friendship but neither of us wanted that to happen. But by communicating honestly and managing our expectations, we collaborated really well together and so the film has actually strengthened our friendship. Another challenge was that Paul made himself really vulnerable by sharing his mental illness in such an open way. I had to be careful about how I used this content. While his openness is part of the film’s appeal, I had to make sure this didn’t leave him exposed in a negative way.

FERNTV: How where you able to film some of Paul’s darkest moments in the film and tell us your experience with that?

Jaina: The filming was actually a fairly scripted process. In the development stages, I worked collaboratively with Paul to find the best way to tell his story. I then came up with a list of shots and Paul agreed in advance to share his darkest moments with the camera. Having Paul involved in the planning was crucial because it gave him time to prepare himself. However, once we got to the filming I had to make sure he was comfortable going ahead with what we had planned as I didn’t want the film to negatively impact his mental health. Because Paul and I have known each other so long, there’s a lot of trust there so I think this allowed him to feel comfortable sharing those moments with me.

FERNTV: What are your thoughts about Paul after you have made this film?

Jaina: Making the film has strengthened my friendship with Paul. I understand him better. I think he’s incredibly brave to share his story in such an open and honest way and I’ve got a lot of respect for that.

FERNTV: Has this film been therapeutic for Paul?

Jaina: The film hasn’t suddenly ‘fixed’ him but overall it has been a positive process. Planning the film with me and working out how to tell his story was a chance for Paul to reflect on his life and to process the challenges he’s faced. In a way, being so open in the film about his mental illness and making it public has been a kind of letting go for him and that has been therapeutic.

FERNTV: Do you think that film is the best medium to relay the message in regards to anxiety and depression?

Jaina: I think that film is an incredibly impactful medium and that it really allows audiences to be transported into another world. In this instance, the film allows the audience to be immersed in Paul’s world and to relate to him in an emotionally engaging way that creates compassion for what it’s like to experience anxiety and depression.

FERNTV: How does it feel to be part of Hot Docs this year?

Jaina: It’s absolutely fantastic to be back at Hot Docs. I was here in 2016 for the premiere of my short Strudel Sisters and it’s so good to come back again. It’s such a well-organized festival and brings together the international documentary community. It’s a chance to connect with filmmakers, broadcasters and distributors, but also a wonderful opportunity to be inspired by the amazing films that are screened here.

http://www.jainakalifa.com/happy-android

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Fernando Fernandez

Fernando Fernandez is a graduate of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto. He became interested in entertainment journalism in the late 2000s writing for online startups. He founded FERNTV in 2009 and focused mainly on the film industry. With over a thousand interviews conducted with all walks of life in film, he is still learning as if every day is day one.