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Tomer Shushan talks about his new film White Eye
The film, based on a true story, is one of the 10 entries shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short.
ATLANTA - If watching Tomer Shushan’s acclaimed short film "White Eye" is already a tense and unsettling experience, it becomes even more so with the knowledge that it’s based on a true story.
"This story actually happened to me while I was on the way to meet with my writing mentor," says Israeli filmmaker Shushan. "It was so, like, tragic and crazy and intense. After it ended I met her and I told her why I was late, and she told me, ‘Wow. You understand you have a great story to tell.’"
Less than an hour later, Shushan had the script for "White Eye", a 20-minute film revolving around a man attempting to retrieve his stolen bicycle and the way his phone call to the police spirals out of control. The short film has swept up awards at festivals over the past year, and screens as part of this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival starting tomorrow.
If writing the script came easily to Shushan, filming it was much more of a challenge. The writer-director made the decision to shoot the film in one fluid take, following the character played by Daniel Gad.
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"We didn’t have lots of money and we only could afford to make it in one night," Shushan says. "We just did lots of rehearsals, and not just with the actors, also with the crew members … because the camera is going 360 all the time, so you have to avoid shadows of crew members, and everyone should know where he goes. And it was like [building] a dance for everyone on the set."
Along with screening at dozens of film festivals, "White Eye" is now on the shortlist of 10 films being considered for a Live Action Short Film Academy Award. Nominations for the Oscars will be announced next month, but even news of making the shortlist got a big reaction from the filmmaker — not to mention the authorities.
"I screamed so hard," he laughs. "And police came over. And they knocked on the door, and they were like, ‘What happened here?’ They thought, like, some big tragic thing happened here. And I’m like, ‘No, you don’t understand!’ and I tried to explain…but they were like, ’Congratulations, but you get a ticket.’ And they gave me a ticket! But I told them, ‘You know what, I don’t care.’ It was worth it to pay it because I felt so great."
"White Eye" will be available to screen at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival starting Friday, Feb. 26 at noon — for tickets and information, click here.
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