Amini shares his insights in Cinematography

Amini Kassim dur-ing a workshop at the Zanzibar International Film Festival 2018.

What you need to know:

  • I a m a filmmaker by profession and I specialise in cinematography, a department that deals majorly in creating the images for the film with camera and lighting but I also teach. All I do is impart the experience that I gain in the work that I do and the things that I know to the students in my class. I also mentor them throughout the making of the film, so we worked together to ensure we create a beautiful and powerful documentary.

Briefly explain how your career contributed to the win at ZIFF 2018.

I a m a filmmaker by profession and I specialise in cinematography, a department that deals majorly in creating the images for the film with camera and lighting but I also teach. All I do is impart the experience that I gain in the work that I do and the things that I know to the students in my class. I also mentor them throughout the making of the film, so we worked together to ensure we create a beautiful and powerful documentary.

What is ‘The Pearly Boxer’ all about?

The story follows a female boxer in her late-20’s who has been boxing for more than half a decade. In this documentary we go through her journey as a female boxer in Tanzania where boxing is male dominated. We also go through her challenges and hardships that she has to overcome to pursue boxing. The aim of the documentary is to break stereotypes and give a voice to women not only in boxing but those trying to break the glass ceiling in all fields within the country.

Why did you choose to become a cinematographer?

I chose to become a cinematographer because I did not want to take the same route everyone took after school, the usual options being medicine, engineering or IT related studies for a PCB student. But another very important factor is the talks we had with our teachers on careers at my A-levels (Feza Boys’), they encouraged us to be different and venture out to things that may not be particularly common but are needed within our country. I was advised to venture into the creative arts and especially in to film making as I had an interest for films.

You specialised in camera and lighting. How does it work in film making?

So a cinematographer basically is the right-hand person for the director of a film. His main purpose is to translate the director’s vision and the script into images in collaboration with other key members of the film crew – mostly what we call the art department, which deals with creating the look of the film from sets, to costume and make up. The cinematographer comes in as the painter, who uses the camera and lights to create an image that will tell a visual story to the audience.

What challenges did you encounter during the shooting of the film and how did you overcome them?

We had very little challenges to be honest, the hardest thing was to wake up super early (around 4 am in the morning) because we had early call times. So we had to motivate the students to accept that psychologically and to make sure we come together before shooting time considering that people came from different places around Dar es Salaam. But it worked out, those were two amazing days.

What does the recent award mean to you and your students?

The award is a motivation to do more, to be better, to make better films. I also hope it will be the big break for the institute and that people will notice its importance for the growth of the film industry in Tanzania.

What are your roles as a cinematographer?

The main roles of a cinematographer apart from leading the camera and lighting departments is to protect the vision of the director, to make sure the film doesn’t exceed schedule or budget. But also a cinematographer should understand the needs of other departments such as sound and work together with and not against them.

Is it a well-paid/highly appreciated job?

In Tanzania, not really, yet we’re far from where we came from. Most of the time people think one person can do everything. The pressures of making a film are high so having different people for different tasks really helps strengthen the core of the film and gives people more time and space to do one specific thing they are good at. With the globalized world we are in, people have started noticing the need for different departments in film making, it is a matter of time I believe that things will grow for the better.

What does it take to be a good a cinematographer?

A good cinematographer is like a good painter, sculptor and photographer at the same time. He has to shape images with light, color and camera techniques. It takes immense discipline and practice. A good cinematographer should be a good learner, always learning from other forms of art, from nature, from the people around him, observing light, observing movement, observing people. A good cinematographer should understand art, psychology, philosophy, architecture. It’s not just about setting up a camera and putting up lights.

What are some of the emerging issues and challenges you are facing as a cinematographer?

The biggest issue is getting work or might I say good work, and also the right work that will also pay you well to sustain a living.

Another issue is getting recognised, it takes time, a lot of networking and self-marketing and a lot of creating too. It also takes time to find the right collaborators, those that fit your values and artistic vision. Another issue is keeping up with the ever increasing technology, everyday we see a new camera, a new light, a new gadget. With little money to invest in equipment it is hard to have such high-end gadgets in your arsenal, yet in reality these gadgets shape the cinema landscape in an international level.

Does the job affect your social/family life?

Yes, the job does affect my social life. I currently do a lot of traveling because my job requires me to do so for things like workshops, trainings and film work as well. So, you end up having to leave home for a big chunk of time.

How many big films have you been involved in? If yes, which ones have been the most interesting?

I haven’t been involved in any big films yet. But I’m hoping to tell my own stories going forward.

What is the most challenging aspect about your career?

The greatest challenge is to be a good storyteller, with camera, lights, sound, editing, directing, script writing, design and every other aspect. Whatever budget you have, whatever equipment, whatever crew size, if you are not a good storyteller, the film will fall short.

Where can one train?

A film school like our Institute is a good place to start. It gives you time and also people to collaborate with. School is a safe space to network and learn. Another method is to ask for mentorship from a master, participate in workshops and master classes, learn from Youtube and online resources. The world has become smaller

If someone wants to take up this career, what would you advise them?

I would say, have passion, love what you do but also lock away your ego and always be a student. A student of art, nature and all forms of knowledge that will help shape you as a filmmaker but also as a person. No one wants to work with a person who has a big ego, humbleness is key.

Be a better person than you are a filmmaker. Read, read, read, then watch films, then read again. I read and watch films a lot and I advise my students to do the same. A good filmmaker needs to be aware, to be knowledgeable and have a wide scope of information. To be an artist is to be burdened with a tool of shaping society, so it is important that the artist be awake.