Allie Humenuk is an award-winning filmmaker and Emmy-nominated cinematographer. Humenuk made her directorial debut with “Shadow of the House,” a documentary about the photographer Abelardo Morell. She received an Emmy nomination for her camera work on the PBS series “Design Squad.” “The Guys Next Door” is Humenuk’s second feature film.
Amy Geller has been producer and line producer on numerous commercials, shorts, and documentaries, including the PBS/BBC broadcast docudrama “Murder at Harvard.” Geller has also produced the Sundance Institute-supported narrative “Stay Until Tomorrow,” “The War That Made America,” a 2006 PBS miniseries, and the feature documentary “For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism.” Most recently, she served as the Artistic Director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival. “The Guys Next Door” is Geller’s feature directorial debut.
“The Guys Next Door” will premiere at the 2016 DOC NYC film festival on November 13.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
AH: “The Guys Next Door” is an intimate portrait of a modern American family. Rachel, in her mid-40s, is married to Tony, and they have three teenagers. Having children and creating a family has expanded and enriched Rachel’s life. After seeing a program on television about the difficulties and costs for same sex couples to have children, Rachel offers to be a surrogate for her gay friends Erik and Sandro, not once but twice in 17 months.
Following this extended family for over three years, we explore the struggles and possibilities that creating a family brings. The film tackles some of the most pertinent issues of our time: gay marriage and parenting, surrogacy as a path for gays and lesbians to have children, and the extension and redefinition of what it means to be “an American family.” Told with candor and humor, this inspiring story of family and friendship brings to light the humanity that connects us all.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
AG: I went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and read in my alumni magazine about this amazing gift that another Bates alum was giving to her gay friends. Erik, one of the dads, had been friends with Rachel and her husband, Tony, back in college. The article reported that she already had one baby for Erik and his husband, Sandro. At the very bottom of the print story, I read, “she’s doing it a second time.”
I couldn’t shake the question: What would compel a woman in her 40s with three children of her own to have multiple children for someone else? I guess that curiosity drove me to find out. I discovered that it’s more complicated than I imagined!
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
AH: I’d like people to feel like they have just been on a journey with this family. I’d like people to see that, while this is a portrait of a specific family, self-acceptance is at the root of the film and that is something we all face. I would also like people to walk away feeling lifted by some of the humor in the film.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
AH: The biggest challenge was editing the film. I loved the shooting. I trusted that we had a story. Intuitively, I think we even knew what the story was. But trying to bring the story to the surface in the editing room was really hard. Put two directors and an editor together — all of whom have strong opinions — and try to craft a story from footage that doesn’t have a built-in dramatic arc. That is a challenge.
Also, our approach to editing is different. I like to review all of the footage and identify the scenes that I like the best. It doesn’t matter why I like them. I then cut those scenes and ask myself, “What does the vérité footage tell me? What story can be told with this footage?” I then explore the interviews to help fill out the narrative. Both Amy and our editor, Rachel Clark, like to start by finding the arc through the interviews. Of course, they think about the footage and that informs the arc, but I think they initially work more with the words. I work very intuitively and that can be hard in a group.
I don’t think one approach is better than the other. But they are fundamentally different and we needed to find a way to bridge what felt like a pretty big divide. In the end, what made the editing successful was that we all felt like we were trying to get to the same place; we had a similar vision for the film. So if one scene or sequence of scenes didn’t work for one person, we worked until we found something that we all liked. Usually what we all liked was stronger than what we had before.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
AG: We are a truly independent film, which basically means we raised the money ourselves in order to earn the right to make our own editorial decisions. Of course, we took advice from others. But, ultimately, what’s on-screen is our creative vision.
In terms of the nuts-and-bolts fundraising, both Allie and I put in some development funds to get the project started. But the bulk of the money came over the course of the project from the LEF Foundation’s Moving Image Fund, several private family foundations, and over 470 Kickstarter backers. The project is also supported by the Independent Filmmakers Project and the Center for Independent Documentary, the film’s non-profit fiscal sponsor.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at DOC NYC?
AG: There’s no one in the business that has a better eye for non-fiction films than DOC NYC Artistic Director Thom Powers. Thom and his team, headed by Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos, showcase the most important and timely documentaries during their week-long festival. We are honored to be chosen for their 2016 lineup. And, what’s more, this is our New York premiere! So we’re bringing our full cast and key members of our crew to celebrate with us.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
AH: The best advice I remember getting was to trust [my] instincts and to be open. I am not sure what the worst advice was.
AG: The best advice I received was to diversify. For me, this means not becoming too obsessed with one project or one job. That way, if something doesn’t work out or, for that matter, fails completely, I have other projects, job opportunities, or experiences to fall back on. For a Type A perfectionist like myself, it’s not always easy to follow. And it often means that I’m juggling a lot of things at once. But I’ve been lucky to have many different opportunities and experiences, which allow me to grow professionally and ultimately make me a more fulfilled person.
The worst advice: that perfection — in one’s work and in one’s self — is attainable. Not only is this impossible, it’s not worth pursuing. I’ve learned that it’s the flaws and the “cracks” that make people interesting, and life in general more exhilarating.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
AH: I am not sure my advice for female directors would be any different than [my advice] for male directors. Filmmaking is really hard. It is hard to get your work funded. It is hard to get your work seen. It is hard to sell your work. If you want to make a film, make it because you have a story you really want to tell and you love filmmaking.
AG: I agree with Allie. But I’d also add that it’s key to find your own creative voice. I’m not saying that I always have to be right. But I’ve learned when to stand up and make the case for my ideas, and when to compromise. This is especially hard to do when you’re working with smart people who seemingly strongly disagree with you. But speaking up can start a dialogue that leads to a solution that no one might have considered.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
AG: I was recently asked this question for a piece in The Boston Globe. My answer hasn’t changed: documentary filmmaker Pamela Yates [is one of my favorite directors, and I especially appreciate] her film “Granito.” Yates uses filmmaking as a tool for justice.
Throughout her work, but especially with “Granito,” one sees an unrelenting commitment to human rights. Her footage served as evidence in the genocide trial of General Efraín Ríos Montt in Guatemala. She and her team will to go to any length to uncover the story, including taking a death defying helicopter ride with the self-obsessed dictator and testifying on camera at his trial. And she’s damn good at crafting a story, too!
W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?
AH: As a director of photography, I have noticed that some female directors often like the idea of having a female crew. As a director, I hire women who are good and I might choose a woman over a man because women don’t have as many opportunities. Maybe a “new girls’ network” like Film Fatales can help to infuse the industry with more women.
AG: As the former president of Women in Film & Video New England and a current member of the Film Fatales Boston chapter, I can’t say that I’ve really seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase that much over the last year. What I have seen is an increased consciousness throughout the industry.
Because so many powerful women in media have been speaking out, including [Melissa Silverstein, the founder] of this blog, people are starting to realize how few women directors, cinematographers, and technicians are breaking the glass ceiling, how women are paid less than men for doing the same job, and how much sexual harassment and outright abuse women must endure in order to get ahead.
What I love about the mission of Film Fatales, founded in NYC in 2013 by director Leah Meyerhoff, is that they not only create an inspired space for women filmmakers to network and share resources, they also advocate for films by women directors in the marketplace — to be screened at festivals and in theaters. When films directed by women draw audiences and make money, then we’ll see more opportunities for women in the director’s chair.
