Kindergarten Crazy 8s Memories
Once upon a time, my parents lived in Germany and I didn’t attend Kindergarten. This experience inspired me to make Kindergarten, Da Bin Ich Wieder as part of the Crazy 8s Film Event last year.
With the 2016 Crazy 8s season underway recently upon us, I wanted to share some of my own memories about my Crazy 8s experience!
The Crazy 8s goes like this. There’s a video pitching stage, a live pitching stage, a story editing session, and then a selection of final winners who have only a week to make their films!
The 2015 event received 196 video pitches, 40 live pitches, and finally 12 were invited to the story editing session and then 6 films were chosen to be made! The Crazy 8s Film Event is a wonderful reminder of how generous and unbelievably talented the film community in Vancouver really is!
So what was it like to make Kindergarten, Da Bin Ich Wieder?
Well, first things first. NEVER name a film something this long and in a language other than English. One – no one can remember it and two- most film festivals ask you for your English title…..
In a word, the experience was amazing. We were privileged to work with so many pros and in Crazy 8s tradition, that included some who were experiencing their first time on set.
My own childhood experience shaped the idea of the film, but at heart, it’s a fantastical look at the importance of life’s simple lessons – a fable with a sweet moral. I had the privilege of co-directing with Kalyn Miles and working with superstar DOP Will Minsky. We all worked with a cast of 11 of the cutest and most talented little 5 year-olds you ever did meet!
I have many favourite parts of this project but my most favourite would be working with children. Everyone says never works with kids or animals. I disagree! I am allergic to almost all animals, but thankfully I am not allergic to children. I love working with them because they bring such perspective and joy to set. They are in the moment and honest. In between takes, it was more effective for me to tell them stories than to have the wrangler take them on and off set. I loved letting my imagination run wild telling stories and they were with me every step of the way. Not to mention they had more energy at the end of a long day than any of us!
Since its premiere at Crazy 8s last year, the film has been selected for screenings by the Vancouver Short Film Festival, the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival, and the Providence Children’s Film Festival.
We will be holding more screenings, so stay tuned for new festival dates in the future!
In the meantime, check out this year’s Crazy 8s films and support an amazing event!
