Sandi Sissel, ASC
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
"The film that impacted me the most was The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I grew up in the small town of Paris, Texas, and by the time I was 14, I was going to movies constantly — at least twice every weekend.
"At that time, films like The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Splendor in the Grass and Barefoot in the Park were what all of my friends and I were watching. In each of those films, the situation involved a lead female character whose life took place outside of a small-town setting. I also felt as if I was a part of something outside my own environment, and seeing such films made me aware that there were other people in similar situations. I believe that this was when I realized that films were more than just entertainment
"One of the things that struck me about The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie was the impact it made on me in terms of strong female characters, like the teacher played by Maggie Smith. I think I was affected because female role models were scarce at that time, and I always admired my female teachers.
"I realize that this film couldn't have been farther from my own environment — it took place in an all-girl school in England — yet it was universal, and dealt with the relationships between a group of students and their teacher. I was absolutely absorbed in the story's rich characters. It was the same to me as getting carried away by a good book. Although my tastes and interests in film are always evolving, the thing I always come back to is the story.
"As far as the camerawork, I can't say that The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie impacted me cinematographically. I was not thinking in terms of cinematography at that time — I was a student in high school and was only involved with still photography. It wasn't until I got to film school that I started thinking in terms of the cinematography. Then my view of films changed again.
"When I was in film school, I became more interested in documentary filmmaking, because that kind of cinema didn't require a huge studio and budget. I was also drawn to documentaries through my interest and involvement in the anti-war, civil rights, and women's movements. One of the films that influenced me most during that era was Frederick Wiseman's 1967 documentary Titicut Follies.
"In a way, I see my own cinematographic style as an outgrowth of my love of both storytelling and documentary work. Because of my documentary background and love of films like The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, I was able to shoot Salaam Bombay! in the way that I did. For me, Salaam Bombay! was like a melding of the two things I loved most: photography and story."
—as told to Kathleen Fairweather
Sandi Sissel's credits as a director of photography include Salaam Bombay!, The People Under the Stairs and Barney's Great Adventure.
© 1999 ASC