Benny Safdie said his film, The Acquaintances of a Lonely John, never made it into any Boston University film festivals.
As such, Safdie said he was in ‘disbelief’ when he traveled in May to the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival just days after graduating from the College of Communication last year to present his film, which Cannes officials chose for the Directors’ Fortnight, a portion of the high-profile festival that celebrates independent films.
Accompanying Safdie down the red carpet was his brother, COM 2007 alumnus Josh Safdie, whose film, The Pleasure of Being Robbed, also made its debut at the festival.
The Safdies returned to a considerably bigger audience at BU Thursday night when the showed their films to 67 attendees at the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. After the screening, they spoke about their experiences climbing up in the film industry. BU Cinematheq’ugrave;e hosted the films as part of the program’s weekly screenings of innovative films and videos.
‘I got a little choked up to see these people so close to the department show their films,’ film and television department Chairman Charles Merzbacher said. ‘I learned from working with them just as much as they did from me.’
Benny Safdie said his time at BU taught him everything he knows about making film, but that future filmmakers should not be afraid to experiment.
‘Film became a script for us to realize how we tell stories,’ he said. ‘The idea of noticing moments around that we see and take to fictionalize, make your life more interesting by just noticing them.’
The Safdies spoke about their experiences, which included working together as well as separately.
‘There’s a level of closeness in part of the way we grew up,’ Benny Safdie said. ‘Our dad loved filming. When we were growing up, he filmed everything. Our passion was always there.’
The Safdies screened two films in which they collaborated their efforts. There’s Nothing You Can Do About It documents people’s reactions on a New York City bus after Benny Safdie complains about a crying infant, and Buttons features everyday moments captured with a pocket video camera.
College of Fine Arts sophomore Wendy Zhao said their films are very different from the subject matter people usually see in mainstream movies.
‘Sometimes I walk down the street thinking ‘I wish I captured that,’ and that’s exactly what they did,’ she said. ‘The film feels much more realistic, almost as if you’re there. They are not making statements, but it’s all up to you to make the narrative.’
New York City was the setting for many of the Safdies’ films, including the films they screened at the Cannes Festival.
Josh Safdie’s feature, The Pleasure of Being Robbed, describes a woman’s journey as she steals identities and searches through strangers’ possessions. The Acquaintances of a Lonely John tells the story of a man who tries to connect with other people while living alone.
‘Every filmmaking process is interlaced with everyday life encounters with somebody,’ Josh Safdie said.
School of Management sophomore Brent Sugay said he appreciated the brothers’ use of cinematography.
‘It was very intimate and personal,’ he said. ‘You find moments that you can hold onto.’
