Junyang ZHAO: First off, can you tell us about The Ocularist?
Philip Formby: The profession of ocularistry is one that is little known to the majority but essential to a wide-ranging minority. The Ocularist follows John Pacey Lowrie in his journey to improve the life of his patients with his unique perspective and dedication to the advancement of ocular prosthetics.
JZ: This documentary film focuses on the profession of ocularistry; what inspired you to make a film about this?
PF: I stumbled upon the subject. A friend of mine was designing an artificial pupil that responds to light and I was fascinated by the dedication and skill needed; he introduced me to John Pacey Lowrie and it went from there. It fitted into what I wanted to do: I wanted to make a film or documentary about something real and tangible.
JZ: What is the core of this film? What purpose does it serve? What message is it sending?
PF: The film sheds light on a very little-known subject but which has a massive impact on so many people. It shows the commitment to a specific subject that actually fits into a whole bigger picture and how important those small roles are.
JZ: Why follow John Pacey Lowrie as the protagonist of this film? What makes him stands out among other ocularists?
PF: John is a real character. From the first meeting I knew I wanted to know more about him. I think it’s his unapologetic honesty that drew me to him in the first place. He is a straight talker and I like that.
JZ: The method of featuring a list of former patients who share their experience works wonderfully for this film; how did you come to the decision of making it this way?
PF: People care about people. All of the patients involved in the film had a story to tell, and for many who think “that won’t happen to me” – for them, it did. I couldn’t think of a better way to communicate the importance of the work done than by featuring people who have actually lived it, and benefited from the work of an ocularist.
JZ: In a lot of the scenes, the monologue of the patient is a voiceover of Lowrie’s work at his station; why edit it this way?
PF: I feel that this method reinforces the fact that John’s work plays a significant role in the patient’s story.
JZ: Lowrie relates to his patients more professionally than emotionally in the film; is this intentional? If so, why?
PF: I disagree, I think many professional medical practitioners attempt to limit the emotional connection with patients; however they are human after all, and I like to think that the compassion and emotional investment John has in his patients come through in the film. He has a job to do and this requires a certain level of professionalism but it is impossible not to relate emotionally with such a charged subject; after all, John himself knows firsthand the emotional impact of losing an eye.
JZ: What challenges did you face while producing this film?
PF: Time would be the main factor; the film actually took a long time to complete due to my working full time, having a family and trying to fit in meetings and interviews that suited everyone involved. If I learned anything during the making of this film, it’s that preparation is everything. Winging it will only get you so far. Also, the equipment I used was begged and borrowed from various sources and that brought up some problems in terms of aesthetic consistency.
JZ: When and how did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in film?
PF: I used to make daft little mashup videos of my mates misbehaving and generally being punky skater kids. It was all for our own amusement but I learned a lot of editing techniques during this time and I suppose this is where my love of making films started.
JZ: What’s next for you?
PF: I’ve now become an in-house professional filmmaker for a national charity. I’m helping to shape their strategic view of how they use video and moving pictures to communicate with their audiences in a more engaging way. It brings about a whole new way of working for me and gives me some real challenges to get involved in. I continue to work on personal projects on the side and have several project ideas in the early stages of research and planning, so we shall see which one gains momentum and gets through to the next stage of production.
Author Biography
Junyang ZHAO recently graduated with a BA from the University of Alberta, where he majored in film studies and minored in philosophy. He has the deepest passion for both theoretical film studies and practical film production. And his motto is: “Responsibility is the foundation of all.”
To read a review of The Ocularist, please click on this link: https://www.filmmattersmagazine.com/2014/06/18/the-ocularist-2013-reviewed-by-junyang-zhao/
