Sarah Kerruish’s films have been distributed worldwide and won awards including a Peabody, and an Emmy nomination. In 2017, she made a short film about the last few days of the tech team at the White House under President Obama. In 1993, she worked with a documentary crew filming the team at General Magic.
“General Magic” will premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20. The film is co-directed by Matt Maude.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
SK: General Magic is a feature documentary about how great vision and epic failure changed the world as we now know it — from the smartphones that sit in our pockets to an array of technologies we now take for granted today.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
SK: The making of “General Magic” was a very personal journey for me. Not only had I filmed the early days of that company but I also experienced the catastrophic failure of a startup that I had been very involved in. So often we hear about the great success stories in Silicon Valley but what about all those people who don’t make it?
This was my way of understanding the role of failure in any creative endeavor, and what it takes to bring important ideas to life.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
SK: I’d like to think that people leaving the theater will think differently about their own so-called failures and see them in a different light: not as endings but as stepping stones along the path of life. I also hope people feel inspired and encouraged to bring their own ideas into the world.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
SK: Making a film while having a full-time job at a health-tech startup, and being Mum to three teenagers. Remind me never to make a film while having a full-time job again. Seriously.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
SK: We structured our film like a start-up. We have investors, and everyone who invested in or who worked on the film owns part of any proceeds.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Tribeca Film Festival?
SK: Every time I fly on United, which is a lot, I make a beeline for the Tribeca Film Festival films because they are always so original, and captivating. Never in a million miles did I imagine that, one day, “General Magic” would be showing at Tribeca, or on one of my United flights to London.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
SK: Best advice was that I should focus on directing, not producing.
The worst advice is anytime someone has told me that something is not possible. That never goes down well.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
SK: Be yourself. Be the things you really care about — the things you find funny and the things that make you cry. Follow these clues, and tell the stories that make your heart soar or shatter. And most of all, never ever give up on your dream to make a film.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
SK: “Speed & Angels” by Peyton Wilson. This story about a female fighter pilot is one hell of a ride, and told with such heart.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women — and some men — in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?
SK: Our time is now. Let’s make the most of it.
