When opportunity knocks, answer the door! So when I was given the opportunity to write a piece on local producer, director, and writer, Brad Bernstein, I got right to it. With the Miami International Film Festival going on this week, I couldn’t be more excited to speak with Brad and discuss his documentary, Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story which is currently in the running for MIFF’s Knight Documentary Competition.
Brad, a Miami-based filmmaker, is co founder of Corner of the Cave Media which was founded in Miami’s Art and Design District. He has been working on documentaries for over fifteen years, and is currently a writer for VH1’s Emmy Award Winning documentary series Behind the Music. He was also supervising producer for Animal Planet’s documentary series Saved, and Coordinating producer for ESPN’s documentary series, Rites of Autumn: The Story of College Football.
Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story, one of Brad’s most recent productions, has played at Toronto, DocNY, Palm Springs, Haifa, Warsaw film festivals, and will now be playing at the Miami International Film Festival 2013.
Depicting Tomi’s life long personal and artistic journey Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story, is filled with inspiration and creativity and offers a “feature-length retrospective of Ungerer’s life and art, pondering the complexities and contradictions of a man who, armed with an acerbic wit, an accusing finger and a razor sharp pencil, gave visual representation to the revolutionary voices during one of the most tantalizing and dramatic periods in American history.(http://www.faroutthemovie.com/)”
Well, I was able to speak one on one with Brad himself, and he gave our Flair Miami readers a look at who he is, and what to expect from the film:
What was your favorite part about working with Tomi Ungerer and why?
“Tomi is such a character. You don’t know whether he is being perverse or blasphemous, but whatever he says is interesting. You never know what you’re going to get, but you know you’re going to be entertained.”
As producer, screenwriter, and director, what message did you want the documentary to portray?
“It was really Tomi’s own story and words and we really wanted to make sure Tomi got the chance to express himself. There was no preconceived notion… the film wrote itself as we were putting it together, and the unintended message is about finding your sense of identity. A lot of people go throughout life not really knowing who they are, where they are from, or where they belong, and for Tomi, it took him 80 years to realize where he belongs.”
How do you perceive Tomi Ungerer?
“He is hyper-childish and hyper-intellectual all at the same time. We’ve come to realize though, through many interviews, that a lot of children’s book authors and illustrators are very similar in that sense.”
How long did it take to work on this production?
“It took us almost 4 years from the time that I learned about Tomi in an article that I read in the New York Times in 2008 to the production being featured at the Toronto Film Festival in 2012. Those four years were a big learning curve for me and my team.”
Where do you find inspirations to make films?
“Well, our ideas come from newspapers and really just being in environments where ideas are present. We like to surround ourselves with groups of creative people who are willing to try new things and use different materials.”
What advice would you give to someone trying to make it in this industry?
“The days of film have changed. Anyone who wants to get into television and film can do it. It is easy to get your hands on a decent camera and software…if you have an idea and you are a driven individual, just go for it, create it, and get it out there.”
I personally loved the film. There was never a dull moment, and Tomi’s creative abilities truly changed the path for children’s literature. Although Tomi went through circumstances that many of us could not fathom, he still faced the challenge that most of us face today, and that’s finding what we truly love and where we truly belong. Tomi Ungerer’s story is inspiring and strangely relatable, and I think we can all find a little piece of Tomi in us.
Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story will be screening on March 6th at the Miami Beach Cinematheque and March 8th at the Regal South Beach Cinema and tickets can be purchased here.
Photo Credit: Corner of the Cave Media / Photo by Sam Norval
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