“In many ways, being an artist is a privilege.”
After my interview with filmmaker Jess Lee, this remark stuck with me most. Her reflection on the oligopolistic film industry is indicative of her sense of humility and awareness, which embraces the impact of her work as an artist.
Jess Lee is a contemporary filmmaker based in Montreal, whose thematic focus is queer identities and comedy. She has experience across the film industry, as a director, editor and screenwriter. Growing up, Lee never envisioned a direct path into filmmaking, yet from a young age, she always enjoye making art projects with her best friend.
“It was integrated in my whole life that I would always have a million little art projects on the side.”
Lee’s passion for filmmaking continued into her adulthood. She explained how artistic projects were commonplace during her English Cultural Studies and Gender Studies undergraduate program at McGill University. Lee never attended a formal film school, yet, she reflected that she is able to apply skills from other work experiences into her role as a filmmaker.
Lee got her start in filmmaking through connections with Concordia University film students. She explained how her undergraduate studies catalyzed her interest in script writing. Lee’s writing holds a particular interest in power dynamics and their relationship to cultural movements, as well as the role of symbols in texts.
Textual analysis is an integral aspect of Lee’s creative process. When she produces a film, she doesn’t write from personal experiences, but rather draws inspiration from books and novels and then adapts them on to the silver screen. Her most recent project is a short story by Montreal-based writer Anna Leventhal. This project represents a milestone in Lee’s career. The project has contoured her own progress as a filmmaker, while also reflecting on areas of her work she can improve.
As a filmmaker, Lee is aware of her responsibilities beyond brainstorming and materializing an artistic vision. A film set is a place of collaboration between its many moving parts — and, of course, people, she explained. Leading her team effectively and efficiently in order to ensure that the labour on set is respectful and ethical for all is the a crucial role of a director, in Lee’s opinion.
“I don’t think it’s a full process if you make a really sensitive work that wasn’t sensitively made.”
When chatting about the responsibility of an artist as a whole, our conversation shifted to the role of films themselves. Lee turned to one film in particular, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s 2022 Sci-Fi absurdist film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, which wiped the floors clean at the Oscars last month. To Lee, this film is the reference point which captures her belief that both emotion and entertainment can co-exist on screen.
“The sweet spot is [when] people feel a sense of joy and impact that is lasting.”
This sentiment was apparent throughout my conversation with Jess Lee. It was a pleasure to speak with an artist who understands the duality of their role on a film set; as an artist and a team member. Much of Lee’s work focuses on empowering and collaborating with her co-workers, a process, she remarks, is often easier said than done. When achieved however, she reflects, you are able to create powerful films that each team member can be proud of.
Lee noted early in our conversation that art is not a promised pathway simply for those with creative talent. In 2023, being an artist is indeed a privilege, Lee’s films however, project how tenacity and dedication in the industry has the capacity to broaden creative horizons and unify artists, while creating entertaining and meaningful content.
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