NYU has yet another film accolade under its belt — 2021 Global Liberal Studies graduate Harley Chamandy was just named the youngest recipient of the highly acclaimed Werner Herzog Film Award for his feature debut “Allen Sunshine” ahead of its wide release. But Chamandy’s connection to Herzog, the famed director known for works like “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” and “Grizzly Man,” began prior to his time at NYU.
Chamandy is a Lebanese and Greek-Egyptian filmmaker from Montreal, whose short films have played at film festivals worldwide. In 2017, Chamandy’s short film “Mirage” earned the NYU alum a spot in a 10-day intensive workshop in Cuba led by Herzog. Chamandy was just 17 years old, belonging to a cohort including “Palm Springs” director Max Barbakow and a roommate whose film was selected for the Locarno Film Festival.
“I felt so motivated to make a film that was at the same level of these other filmmakers,” Chamandy told WSN.
This motivation carried Chamandy into his time at NYU, where he immersed himself among the artists around him. He found inspiration within NYU’s non-traditional community beyond classroom knowledge, which has been foundational to his artistry.
“I met so many people at NYU that were also creative minds, so I was able to consult with my friends who were artists or electronic musicians,” Chamandy said. “There’s even a big element of fashion in my film, and just being around all these different types of people at NYU really gave me the chance to see it all and explore.”
But Chamandy wasn’t just motivated by students. He mentioned that professor Matt Longabucco’s junior seminar for critical creative production in Global Liberal Studies changed how he viewed the meaning behind his films.
“There was one book we read — Roland Barthes’ ‘Camera Lucida,’” Chamandy said. “It was a book about photography, but it really stood out to me because I was always having difficulty explaining the small moments in my films that made everything grander. In this book, it was called the punctum, which is what makes a good photo. I’ve been thinking about that a lot when I make films.”
Chamandy carries this emphasis on the punctum in “Allen Sunshine,” which depicts electronic music mogul Allen’s retreat to a lake house after his wife commits suicide and his subsequent friendship with two young boys. The film focuses on the juxtaposition between the quiet woods and the creation of electronic music, which Allen explores as he processes his grief.
“I think electronic music is the most introspective form of music,” Chamandy said. “I was really interested in this idea of non-commercial art, even though he’s a music mogul. I like these two different realities of how we can live.”
Looking into his future, Chamandy is embracing the industry’s uncertainties in hopes of reaching a broader audience. Like music mogul Allen, he aspires to strike a balance between the introspection of art and breaking through into the mainstream. He hopes current students and filmmakers maintain the same hunger as him.
“The best advice I could give is don’t wait for anyone — you just have to figure it out on your own and be pushy,” he said.
“Allen Sunshine” will be available for streaming on all platforms on Nov. 12 and is premiering in New York City on Nov. 13 at the Village East by Angelika. Tickets are available here.
Contact Dani Biondi at [email protected].
