CORNERSTONE's award-winning DP Jan Köhler This past weekend was spent screening CORNERSTONE at The African Film Festival in Dallas Texas. It is always an honor to be accepted at a film festival, but this one really means a lot. The film festival focuses on African films and independent filmmakers. I was really worried about attendance to the screening because it was being held over a holiday weekend. However, that was all for not. Our screening was well attended. Even with all technical issues with the projector, the audience loved CORNERSTONE. Of course they are going to love the Nyaka story, Jackson, the children, the Mukaakas. How could they not? But, this time, people took notice of something. They noticed the cinematography. They noticed how carefully CORNERSTONE was shot. The audience GOT IT!!! THEY GOT IT!! This is something every filmmaker hopes for. Will they get the nuances of the film? The nuances of the sound, the lighting, the framing, the texture of the film. the editing, which are all so important to craft the story. Yes, they did. And they rewarded us for it. They gave us the award for Best Cinematography. The film was also nominated for Best Documentary
Feature, which was a great honor as two other Uganda films were also in the category.
Feature, which was a great honor as two other Uganda films were also in the category.
Jan Köhler in 2007 with Cape CARES during Return To San Marcos shoot in Honduras If you remember, I brought Jan Köhler on as my Director of Photography for this project. Jan is the young man I have been mentoring since he was in high school. We met way back in 2007 or 2008 on one of my earliest films Return To San Marcos, which I was shooting in Honduras. He was a young teen at the time and his role was as a translator for Cape CARES. I may have details fuzzy as it was so long ago, but I recall Jan observing the production and his curiosity about photography. The following year, he returned as a translator during the production of Behind The Lines in Los Encintos. Jan approached me carrying a small camera and asked me if would mind critiquing photographs he planned to take during the week. He explained he was not experienced at all and just wanted to learn. I rarely saw him that week, but when I did, I observed his method of shooting. No staging, non-intrusive, patient and intuitive, especially with regards to light. That is my kind of photographer.
At the end of the week, I took a look and I knew this kid had talent. However, I did not shower him with compliments. I told him something was there and maybe he should explore it. I did a quick interview with him about his photos just in case he did pursue it. A few months later, I pulled out the interview and his stills and assembled a photo essay. I submitted it to a festival and it won! He even beat my entry.
Fast forward a few years, Jan lets me know he has decided to become a filmmaker and would like me to mentor him. Off he goes to college and begins his journey.
Fast forward a few years, Jan lets me know he has decided to become a filmmaker and would like me to mentor him. Off he goes to college and begins his journey.
Director Debi Lang with DP Jan Köhler in Uganda shooting CORNERSTONE In 2015, when the Nyaka AIDS Orphans story came along, I felt he was ready to join me on a project. You can read about this experience here “Letting Go of The Reigns”
So here we are in 2017. We have come full circle. Ten years after meeting Jan, he has won his first award for his very first film. It is quite an accomplishment, which I know he won’t take for granted. Jan could not have done his job without the help of our crew-Emily, Dylan, Anna and of course the local talent who assisted. He also had a great story to work with, beautiful Ugandan landscapes, wonderful and very patient people in the villages who were extremely helpful and generous with their time to allow our cameras in to capture the powerful and moving images. The post production finishing by our colorist/grader Tim Werner brought it all together. So as you can see, this award was hard earned by all.
I am so proud of my entire team. There are no words than can express my feelings about Jan's recognition as I know the effort he put into this film. I also know he wanted to make his family and me proud. But he also wanted to make Jackson, the Mukaakas and the children-especially…the children of Nyaka proud of his work. He did this for them.
Congratulations Jan. You deserve it!
So here we are in 2017. We have come full circle. Ten years after meeting Jan, he has won his first award for his very first film. It is quite an accomplishment, which I know he won’t take for granted. Jan could not have done his job without the help of our crew-Emily, Dylan, Anna and of course the local talent who assisted. He also had a great story to work with, beautiful Ugandan landscapes, wonderful and very patient people in the villages who were extremely helpful and generous with their time to allow our cameras in to capture the powerful and moving images. The post production finishing by our colorist/grader Tim Werner brought it all together. So as you can see, this award was hard earned by all.
I am so proud of my entire team. There are no words than can express my feelings about Jan's recognition as I know the effort he put into this film. I also know he wanted to make his family and me proud. But he also wanted to make Jackson, the Mukaakas and the children-especially…the children of Nyaka proud of his work. He did this for them.
Congratulations Jan. You deserve it!
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