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Why did you choose to do documentaries over narratives?I actually wanted to do narratives when I was younger. I started as a production assistant at MTV and was given opportunities to go into many different areas. I loved the challenges the job presented: create a story, find the talents, shoot on location and it’s done. But ultimately it wasn’t super fulfilling. Volunteering on creating public service announcements was much more rewarding because they were for a cause. The first documentary I produced was actually An Inconvenient Truth after I saw the slide show on global warming by Al Gore. I caught the bug after that and delved into documentary-making.

How do you decide on a subject to work on?Sometimes you find it, sometimes it finds you. For A Small Section of the World, it found me. The coffee company Illy approached me to do this story and after learning more about it, I decided that it was a story I wanted to tell. A lot of times you stumble upon things. Every day I find millions of ideas for documentaries and the people I meet tell me theirs. Everyone does it differently but for me, I like to do a lot of research in order to have a foundation to work on. But it is also important to leave your mind open when making a documentary. You have to listen to what people say and look out for the story that emerges.

Now everyone can be filmmakers or documentarians. Do you think professionals should be worried?I think the job of a documentarian is to reveal the main character’s point of view or truth. Of course it is better to show other sides to the same story but it is not necessary. There will always be room for more wonderfully woven stories so professionals have no reason to worry. I do see more filmmakers moving towards documentaries because I think the appeal of a true story is universal.

How can one be a better storyteller?Anyone who wants to be a good storyteller or filmmaker should give themselves this challenge: Capture the essence and gist of a person under three minutes. Then, watch it with your subject and you will discover new ideas and different perspectives.

If you could have unlimited funds to work on one project, what would it be?A 10-part documentary series on privacy issues; GPS tracking, private surveillance, etc. I think we use the Internet without cause for care and we give up bits of ourselves in the process, creating inaccurate profiles and representations of ourselves. I think our freedom to think and develop new ideas is threatened by this invasion of privacy.

A Point of ViewJacqueline Wong talks to award-winning producer Lesley Chilcott on her filmmaking thought process

AN iNquisitive miNd Lesley Chilcott made time to visit the historical city of Malacca and took in the sights and sounds during the brief tour

Best known for her producing work for An Inconvenient Truth that garnered an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2006, Lesley Chilcott returns with her directorial debut in A Small Section of the World, a touching documentary telling the story of a group of

women whose ideas sparked a revolution in the coffee growing world. Other notable works from Chilcott include Waiting for Superman and It Might Get Loud. The amicable producer-turned-director made a stop in Kuala Lumpur to present a masterclass on filmmaking in conjunction with Astro and Sundance Channel’s short film contest. Sharing insights and advice with budding filmmakers, Chilcott continues to expand her skill sets. She is currently working on the screenwriting for a film adaptation of A Small Section of the World.

CONCIERGE | small talk

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