Grant Sheehan: Light, Ghost & Dreams makes its World Premiere at Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2023. We ask the film’s director Robin Greenberg a couple of questions about the homegrown portrait.
Describe your movie in exactly eight words.
Experimental film on avant-garde photographer/publisher Grant Sheehan.
How did you first come across Grant Sheehan and what drove you to tell his story?
I first met Grant Sheehan in 2003, when I rented a corner of his stunning studio in central Wellington. Over the years, I became a huge admirer of his magnificent imagery, work ethic and innovations as a photographer and a prolific publisher. The idea for the film was initially inspired by his award-winning black and white photographic book ‘Ghosts in the Landscape’, which, all these years later, also inspired the title of the film.
What was his initial response to having a movie made about him?
Happily, Grant was enthusiastic from the start about a prospective film collaboration, which has been superb.
Given the breadth of his work, did you ever feel like a feature film might not be long enough to capture his career?
Yes indeed. In fact, it’s similar for the central characters in all my films—the deeper one delves into someone’s life stories and passions, the more utterly fascinating and multi-faceted one sees they are. I feel it’s both a privilege and a responsibility to try to capture and convey their essence within the constraints of a film.
Encapsulating the extraordinary breadth of Grant’s images, career and artistry in Grant Sheehan: Light, Ghosts & Dreams has been a fantastic creative challenge. For me, every film calls for its own unique style, and this has been a special opportunity for me to get back to my roots in experimental filmmaking. Grant’s soulful photographs, creative journey and spirit of innovation are a constant source of inspiration for me, which I hope translates to the audience. If it weren’t for the near-impossible funding landscape for independent feature documentaries in Aotearoa, I’d foresee a sequel—I believe Grant’s artistry and our creative collaboration merit this. I look forward to our next collaboration.
During production, what was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome?
As director, the biggest hurdle, or challenge, was striving to ensure that the look and quality of our footage would stand up to the incredibly high standard of excellence of Grant’s hauntingly beautiful photographs—and especially on a bare-bones budget over five years of filming. When I expressed this out loud on one occasion, my child’s wise response was astounding: “That’s why you’re making the film, Mum!” With the generosity of our film/arts community and cinematographer John Chrisstoffel’s magic, we’re pleased to have persevered and realised this experimental kaleidoscopic film in celebration of Grant’s creative genius.
For you, what was the most memorable part of this whole experience?
Our skeletal crew’s travels alongside Grant throughout Aotearoa, and amidst the pandemic, were an indescribably special experience. The sense of artistic camaraderie and adventure we all shared was uplifting. So much so, that we felt saddened when the filming came to an end. We were out of money, time and favours. Yet, I always hold fast to the reassuring words of my dear mentor, the late master weaver Erenora Puketapu-Hetet, “You have what you need.”
What was the last great film you saw?
I hope I can mention two recent films here, which really affected me deeply:
After Yang – Kogonada
Once Within a Time – Godfrey Reggio
