Natalie Johns was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in South Africa, and moved to London in 1997 to begin a career specializing in live entertainment television and documentary film. In 2013, she moved to Los Angeles, where she now resides. As her bio details, she was drawn to documentary filmmaking by stories of journalists who were instrumental in ending the war in Vietnam and Apartheid in South Africa. Johns has directed and produced music for film projects around the world and large-scale international campaigns for the likes of Amnesty International including “Electric Burma,” a film for television and live concert event honoring Aung San Suu Kyi with Bono, and “Bring Human Rights Home,” a campaign staged to coincide with Pussy Riot’s release from Russian prison.
“I Am Thalente” will be released digitally in the U.S. and Canada through Seed&Spark on May 13 across digital platforms. Check out theater listings here.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
NJ: The film is the story of a young man’s journey from life on streets of Durban, South Africa, to conquering the streets of Los Angeles, California, on a skateboard. It captures intimately just what it takes to rise up out of circumstance and find your place in this world.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
NJ: I knew about Thalente’s story, and was close to people who wanted to help him get off the streets — but I didn’t know what it would take. He was unable to read and write at that time, which severely limited his ability to even look for a job, let alone find a place to live. It was hard to know where he would even begin.
What did it really take to rise up out of such dire circumstance? This question was on a playback loop in my head after our first meeting. I was first approached to help make him a little profile video to share with potential sponsors, and it was in our first interview with him that I caught a glimpse of his unique worldview, resilience, and deep understanding of our humanity, in spite of his lack of formal education. He was 17 years old, yet he embodied the concept of unconditional understanding and love.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
NJ: People have left the theater thus far humbled by his journey and reminded of their own potential. That has been rewarding.
We all have our struggles in this world. And we are all looking to carve out a life for ourselves. Unconsciously, we tend to underestimate what it really takes because of our own modest privilege. Though we imagine what it is like to walk a mile in someone’s shoes, until we have, we will truly never know. I would love for people to question their judgement and expectations of others.
I also want people to leave thinking about how much potential we all have to play a part in someone’s lives. We need to care for one another. This film was only possible because a community of people pulled together to help this young man. The age old saying “it takes a village” has never been truer than now. We need to love each other.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
NJ: There were practical challenges, like traditional fundraising for a project that had no guarantee of outcome or end product. With hindsight, I was naive to expect a corporation to take such a gamble on the strength of the story. Without an Olympic event or record breaking athlete, it was hard for folks to understand why this would be an inspirational film.
It was a risk for me too. I was making a film about a young person who might not have been able to take advantage of the opportunities we were lining up for him. And ultimately, there might not be a film if he didn’t want there to be. I had to stay true to my motivation for making the film in the first place and decide what my personal measures of success were.
I only ever wanted to make the film as a tool to help Thalente find a way off the streets. I knew in helping him, it might open people’s minds and give him a platform to help others with his unique perspective. My measures of success were always his small achievements in life. If the film came together — that was icing on the cake. But Thalente learning to read and write, building confidence in himself, and connecting with the world — those were all milestones that had me celebrating. In my mind, we took home the gold when he got his first job.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
NJ: The film was primarily self-financed and I raise finishing funds at the end to complete filming and post production.
As I said before, it was difficult for corporations to get behind an unknown athlete and story with no clear cut path to success.
It was, however, a no brainer to get behind the powerful humanity of this story, and it was a global community that came together to ensure the film was made and completed. We underestimate the collective power we have when we come together.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
NJ: The best advice came from Thalente himself — “Just do you.” Don’t look left or right or compare yourself to another. Speak your own truth. Your art is an expression of who you are. This is a piece of advice we have to remind each other of regularly.
Worst advice: Take the money. (I didn’t take it.)
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
NJ: All of the above applies. We are all unique and bring our individual perspective to the table, but we are stronger as a community. If we stand up and support one another more, we’re a force to be reckoned with. And our humanity, humility, and heart are what the world really needs right now. But our work will only come to the surface if we demand it.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
NJ: I love the French movie “Girlhood,” a coming-of-age story directed by Celine Sciamma. I realized at some point that as we succumb to the demands of adult life, we start to forget what it is like to be young.
My favorite woman-directed documentary has to be “Can You Dig This” by Delila Vallot — our films premiered at LAFF 2015 together. I watched hers wishing I had made something like that! Beautiful character portraits that allow us to see ourselves in one another.
