LAFF ‘08 INTERVIEW | “Paper or Plastic?” Co-Directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva by indieWIRE (June 24, 2008)
A scene from Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva's "Paper or Plastic?" Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Film Festival.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva‘s “Paper or Plastic?” follows eight state champions heading to the National Grocers Association’s annual bagging competition in Las Vegas. The contestants, ranging from rural housewives to ambitious immigrants to awkward teens, each have significant motivations to claim the “Best Bagger” title. Both of the film’s directors talked to indieWIRE about their experience and the film’s screening at LAFF. What initially attracted you to filmmaking? Justine Jacob: I’ve always loved watching movies and especially in theaters - I love the feeling of being immersed in and transported to another world for a few hours. And I’ve always loved good stories whether told, read or watched. In fourth grade, when schools still had resources, I had the opportunity to learn how to make videos and made my own. It left a huge impact on me and I can still remember the details of the shooting, the editing and how it felt to show what I had created. But, I never thought I could make a living making films so I became an attorney. Although I soon realized this was not the career for me, what I did like about it was the challenge of communicating ideas effectively and efficiently and the ability to make a difference in people’s lives. I discovered that filmmaking would allow me to do this to an even greater extent as well as develop a creative side I had ignored. So, eight years ago, with an incredibly supportive and collaborative husband behind me, I took the plunge and hope to continue this wonderful journey. Alex D. da Silva: My father was a painter and journalist, so I grew up surrounded by artists. I remember spending hours listening to him talking about art. As a young man, I became interested in photography and obsessed by cinema. I used to watch 2 movies a day during my summer vacation. It was the way I found to expand my world. From there to starting a career was more about making ends meet than the opportunities presented. I spent some time in France assisting professional photographers, but back in Brazil this kind of work didn’t pay much so I got involved with filmmaking. After film school I worked for 10 years with commercials, music videos and short films and in 1999 I moved to the US looking for work on documentaries.
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