Otto Buj: Innovator and Rising, Young Genius

This is suttwa, a. k. a. Terrill S. Wyche for OpenAir. Today independent filmmakers seem to be everywhere. Their stories range from the mundane to the sublime. What makes a filmmaker distinctive? Is it the manner in which he develops a character or a plot? Is in his plot twists? Dialog? Every now and then, not often though, one comes along who makes great work with modest resources, manages to develop his storys characters while simultaneously developing his storys plot. The really special ones even manage to support a philosophical theme also. Such a man is Otto Buj.

The following two paragraphs are from the Media release of his acclaimed film, The Eternal Present.


Film Synopsis

Shortly after taking a job processing obituaries, a young man becomes inadvertently involved in the death of an old woman that he stops to help. Only when he reads about the accident in his own newspaper days later, does he com to realize that he was critical detail in the turn of events that led to her demise. After encountering another person who presumably goes missing, he is convinced that he has been wound into a plot for which he has been cast as an agent of Fate.


About the Filmmaker

Born in Toronto on March 12, 1969, Otto Buj is an art school dropout and self-invented filmmaker currently based in Windsor, Ontario. He established and programmed the Kinotek Film Society from 1991 to 1997, a respected showcase that screened rarely-seen foreign and independent films. he recently curated Representing Cinema and the Art of the Film Poster, an exhibition of rare and original film posters from his personal collection, which is currently traveling to twelve venues across Canada (with a recent stop at Wayne State University in Detroit). The exhibition will be expanding in late 2006, circulated to larger international venues, and accompanied by an extensive publication.

I found Mr. Buj to be a very approachable person, generous with his time and space neither of which he has in great supply. He is introspective and seems to draw inspiration from his own view of the world, not from other artists and filmmakers per se. This is another trait of brilliant artists and people. They dont imitate anyone and dont remind you of anyone either. We met about two weeks ago outside the Phog Lounge. He generously took me around the corner to a small, intimate coffee shop and even bought me a chai latt.

Now Im not a completely naive, though a substantially inexperienced journalist. I realize that act may have been to butter me up. However, I didnt sense that. Mr. Buj is sincere. The manner in which he speaks to his colleagues and friends doesnt suggest that he has grown too big for his britches. He is realistic about his chances at Hollywood discovery, but he remains undaunted. He pushes ahead, realizing that his friends and family may doubt him and some fair-weather companions may abandon him. Even after we (GCL, Phoenix, and I) attended the premiere, Mr. Buj took at least 20 minutes to answer questions and hosted an affair celebrating the event at a nearby restaurant. Filmmaker, public relations agent, director, and creator are just some of the many hats Mr. Buj has had to wear. Lets, however, converse with the Mr. Otto Buj.

TW: This is Terrill Wyche for OpenAir, and we have...

OB: Otto Buj from Windsor here to talk to him about a film I just did called The Eternal Present, premiered in Windsor November 14, 2004.

TW: Lets get started. Tell us how you got started in film making. There are many people that Ive met in the poetry community, in the art community, that desire to do film even on the level of music videos. So, how is it that you got started in film?

OB: I got into the video arts about 10 years ago. Within that time, I ran a repertory theater here in Windsor called the Kinotek Film Society. They used to show a lot of American independent films, older films, foreign films, films that normally people wouldnt see. In all that time the private ambition was to write and shoot. What it is I think is with shooting a film. I wont say its not difficult. Its difficult from the standpoint of managing the production, but its a very simple process. Its just the process itself. Theres a lot of organization, and a lot of responsibilities that you cant get slack on. You really have to keep it up; once you start. Because that attitude I think is film.

TW: OK, well when you were coming up, as a child, who were some of your favorite filmmakers?

OB: I really dont have a big interest in film. When I was younger, I had a big interest in horror movies. Even my interest in horror movies were the ones that had a different psychological element. Influences are certainly European 1960s cinema in particular directors like Godard, Bergman, and a later film like Performance by Nicholas Roeg with co-director Donald Cammell. I dont have an active interest in contemporary film making.

TW: How did you start collecting rare film posters?

OB: That kind of reconciles many areas of interest. One is certainly an interest in cinema as an art form. The second one is that I have an academic background in visual arts.

TW: Where did you study?

OB: I studied at the University of Windsor. The third one is that Ive worked for many years as a graphic designer. The exhibition encompasses all of those areas. The exhibition is based upon the premise of film poster design that transcends advertising conventions.
In plainer English, they are film posters that dont look like traditional film posters, often influenced by the fine arts in their design.

TW: Give us an example of that.

OB: The Soviet constructionist period of the 1920s and 30s or expressionist influenced German posters of the same period, or lets say Polish film poster design after
WW II. The work Saul Bass in the United States.

TW: What would be an example of his?

OB: An example of it would be Man with the Golden Arm or Anatomy of a Murder. Those films were mid-to-late 50s. These are four areas that would be relevant to the exhibition.

TW: So, when you filmed The Eternal Present, were you consciously trying to capture an artistic effect reminiscent of some of those posters?

OB: With the film, I approached it so that you had to visually deal with the subject in a dramatic fashion. Thats why cinematography was so important to the film. Shots were very carefully considered. A lot of compositional considerations went into it. No matter how low- budget your film is, it doesnt have to look poorly-conceived. Theres no reason for it not to look good with a little craftsmanship and care.

TW: How did you find the actors for the film?

OB: Most of them responded to casting calls that were publicly advertised. The lead actor was someone I personally asked to consider doing it, and he accepted. Everybody were from theater groups, drama students or first-timers.

TW: Tell us about your graphic design career.

OB: It has certainly influenced my appreciation for the value of style, not just the style but the value developing a style.

TW: Explain that a little.

OB: For more sophisticated graphic design, you actually have to develop a language or code of system that you develop to carry the information that youre designing. Its how the information is presented. You actually consider carefully. In much the same way with a film, its not the story that necessarily matters most, but how the story is told.

TW: Have you had any experiences with film festivals?

OB: One acceptance so far, Victoria Independence Film and Video Festival in Victoria, B.C.

TW: What do you think about Canne?

OB: I think one thing about most major festivals is that they cater to the established film industry. Theres not much room for true independence because the industry does not have a lot at stake in the success or failure of these films.

TW: What are some future goals that you have?

OB: The main goal is to finish a first film such that you can make a second film. The momentum of one should facilitate the following one.

TW: This is mainly a financial concern.

OB: Financial is a fact that we wish we could ignore. Creative energy is valuable but costs nothing. Money is hard to get but can be found anywhere. Its this weird paradox. Its there. Its a matter of getting it, but without the idea theres no film, no art, no product, nothing.

This has been Terrill S. Wyche for OpenAir.