A graduate of the Ilam School of Fine Arts in Christchurch, independent Wellington filmmaker Costa Botes has been making television dramas (The Lamb of God), short films (Stalin’s Sickle), feature films (Saving Grace), documentaries (Daytime Tiger, the making of Lord of the Rings), and the occasional hoax (Forgotten Silver) since 1985.

 

Last year I caught up with Botes at the New Zealand International Film Festival where we chatted about his documentary Candyman: The David Klein Story (screening Thursday 19^th, 8.30pm). The documentary is the story of the original inventor of the Jelly Belly jellybean, David Klein, but, as Costa explains below, Candyman: The David Klein Story  turned out to be about much more than just candy. 

Where did you come up with the idea to track down the original Jelly Belly maker?

CB All my films generally come from a personal connection of one kind or another, accidental or otherwise. I had an American friend who was an animator who came to New Zealand and I met him here, he worked on LOTR and I was out to dinner with him and his wife one night and his wife told me his father had invented the Jelly Belly jellybean. I might have been one of four New Zealanders who actually knew what the Jelly Belly jellybean was. It was Ronald Regan’s favourite jellybean, it created a craze in the States, out of nowhere this thing became a sensation that revolutionised the candy business and I knew all that, and here’s this guy who happens to be his son.

But when I asked Bert “tell me more” this cloud crossed his face and he looked the other way and he didn’t want to talk about it and I thought, that’s kind of interesting. His wife Jennifer told me later that for Bert it’s a bit of an unhappy experience and he doesn’t like talking about it.  

So I was still quite curious but I did nothing about it. About 3 years later out of the blue Bert emailed me and said my father has started a blog - go and have a look. I checked out the blog and there it is, David Klein talking about his origins as the inventor of the Jelly Belly.  I didn’t read very far and I went ‘Oh my goodness, this is a film, this is really interesting’. What I didn’t know was that Bert and Jennifer had actually hatched a little plan between them. They said, if we can hook Costa, he can come over and make a film about my dad.

This film isn’t just about candy is it?

CB In those years a lot had changed. Bert and Jennifer had had a baby, and Bert suddenly decided that he wanted his children to grow up knowing who their grandfather really was. He’d been estranged from his dad for some years…and I realised this was a movie about two people who’d had their lives ruined by a little jellybean, and it’s about a father and son and how they become reconciled.

Budget?

CB I went over there for about 5 weeks and shot a film on no money with no backing and no market.

How well was the film received overseas?   

CB Its biggest placement was at Hot Docs, which is a huge documentary festival in Canada. That was a real coup and a turning point too because its very hard for independent film to get any kind of distribution, and we managed to find a US distributor out of that and it’s now available on itunes. I mean it’s very hard to get these films into theatres, but where you can actually earn something is online, although it’s still a developing market. I hope it develops very quickly.

We got standing ovations at Hotdogs and Slamdance and that was a wonderful experience especially when we brought David on stage at the end of the screening. Everyone just hopped to their feet and was roaring because he’s an engaging character and it’s lovely if you can bring the character on afterwards.

And finally, do you see the New Zealand film industry heading in a good direction at the moment?

CB I think it’s hard to discern a direction. I think if you’re talking about the film industry that’s one thing, but I don’t think you can separate out what’s happening with television. And in terms of the television sector, I think we’re in such a deeply unhealthy situation right now that it’s almost like you can’t see any hope, it’s that bad.

I mean you can see it in my actions and response to that have been to basically turn my back on it, so I make a film about a candy inventor in LA or I make a film about a guys breeding dogs in Canada. You better believe I am trying anything and everything to survive the fact I can’t do anything as a New Zealand filmmaker.

Candyman: The David Klein Story screens on Rialto Channel on Thursday 19^th April at 8.30pm.  Check out the trailer HERE.