An interview with Lucy Gaffy – writer and film director.
Q: Your short films are beautifully shot. The subjects are compelling. As a writer who writes for film and who will also be the director of that film, what most attracts you about a subject?
A: For me it is something that is a curiosity – a person, a character or a story – and I keep asking questions about it. If it stays in my spirit for a while it is something that attracts me as a writer and if there is something that I don’t understand about a situation or a character I want to understand that better.
Q: Tell me a bit about your subjects? Do you get involved with your subjects? Do they take over your life?
A: As a fiction writer a lot of the people I write about are based on experience but I create entirely new characters. Generally my actors stay in my life and I stay friends with them. For instance, in my film about Cambodian refugees the actors were all refugees and I became part of that community. Also non-actors need a lot more personal support. For instance some of them still struggle with English and to this day they ring me if they have to buy something or negotiate with a government agency, hire some furniture, or something like that. With professional actors I always make a personal connection and they stay in my life as co-creators of the work. As characters they do haunt me as well. I’ve noticed that I tend to write about the same type of women – women who are faced with choices and while they are initially possessed with fear they always make the brave choice.
Q: When did you first know that you wanted to write and direct films?
A: There are two parts to my answer. I knew I wanted to do this from when I was very small but I did not have the language to express it. At 5 I saw a video of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ but was more captivated by the documentary ‘That’s Entertainment’, which was a behind the scenes documentary about the MGM studio. This first introduced me to the concept of film making and while I didn’t know how to do it I knew that is what I wanted to do. I have a vivid memory of saying to my mother that I wanted to do this kind of thing and she replied maybe it would be much better if I became a barrister. I did study law initially and it took a little bit of courage to find a way into film making. Once I did I found my tribe and have never looked back.
Q: A day in the life of Lucy Gaffy. What is a normal working day for you?
A: There is no normal day because I am a writer/director. On a film set it starts at 5 or 6 in the morning and in Australia we work 12 hour days on set. On a writing day I will be working in my studio in Chippendale which I share with a directors’ collective, GOONO.
Q: What do you like to do on your days off?
A: I cannot remember a day off. I am always working on the next project. The thing about being a writer is that you are never not working on something. It is a 7 day job. I do like reading and watching films, of course.
Q: What are your favourite books/films?
A: That is a Sophie’s Choice kind of question. It is impossible to pick my favourites.
Thank you Lucy. We are really looking forward to meeting you at the St Albans Writers’ Festival and hearing you speak about your dual role of writer/film director and where we will also be able to view a couple of your short films.