For Juliette Veber's first documentary, Trouble is My Business, she filmed and followed Aorere College assistant principal Mr Peach and his megaphone every day for six months as he dealt with student discipline at the South Auckland school.

"My camera and I became part of school life to the point where everyone forgot about me. I love the idea of capturing an aspect of life that others may never have the opportunity to be a part of, and then giving audiences the opportunity to enter that world for 85 minutes."

Trouble Is My Business screens at the 37th Wellington Film Festival at Paramount on Saturday July 26. For Juliette Veber's first documentary, Trouble is My Business, she filmed and followed Aorere College assistant principal Mr Peach and his megaphone every day for six months as he dealt with student discipline at the South Auckland school.

"My camera and I became part of school life to the point where everyone forgot about me. I love the idea of capturing an aspect of life that others may never have the opportunity to be a part of, and then giving audiences the opportunity to enter that world for 85 minutes."

Trouble Is My Business screens at the 37th Wellington Film Festival at Paramount on Saturday July 26.During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?

Mornings and evenings are my favourite times of the day - afternoons aren't so great for inspiration.

How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?

They would probably describe my filmmaking style as cinema verite and observational based on my first documentary Trouble Is My Business. My heroes are DA Pennebaker, the Maysles Brothers and Frederick Wiseman - all observational documentary filmmakers.

They may also say that my style as unique, because I shot my own documentary in a South Auckland high school and because of the subject matter the film has a particular look to it. My camera literally follows the Assistant Principal as he runs from student to student dealing with problem after problem. Because I was also doing sound, and only the assistant principal was miked, I had to keep the camera facing toward the students to capture their sound. This was great though as it was the students and their troubles that I was really interested in.

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?

I love the filming process the best. For Trouble Is My Business, I shot for six months everyday at Aorere College, a high school in South Auckland. My camera and I became part of school life to the point where everyone forgot about me. I love the idea of capturing an aspect of life that others may never have the opportunity to be apart of, and then giving audiences the opportunity to enter that world for 85 minutes.

I also loved the editing process as I had a great collaboration with the editor of Trouble Is My Business, Cushla Dillon. We had 100 hours of footage so we literally had to write the film's structure and story in the edit. We started by editing the strongest scenes and working on the key characters I thought would make it into the film, and then we worked on the structure and tried to order the scenes into a coherent narrative with an overall arc. We then recut and recut each scene until we found the true meaning and deep emotion within the film as a whole. The process was a challenge for us and took 2 years to nail, but we did it!

How does your environment affect your work?

Well it's crucial when I'm shooting a documentary of course because I select the environment first, and then look for a story to tell in that environment. It's everything to me. For Trouble Is My Business, I selected South Auckland as my environment, and then spent a year working in the area looking for a story to tell about the place. I knew when I saw Mr Peach yelling into his megaphone, that I'd found my subject.

Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?

Both!!

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?

Make sure you have a great producer. I struggled for three years making my documentary on my own with editor Cushla Dillon as my only collaborator. As soon as producer Vicky Pope came on board, everything fell into place.

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?

Trouble is My Business, because it's an important story that needed to be told. The response has been overwhelmingly positive both from people who come from South Auckland and people who are not from the area - this gives me great satisfaction as I feel like I've not only told a great story but I've done my job.

What inspired you to make the documentary Trouble is My Business?

Seeing the Assistant Principal Mr Peach at Aorere College out in the field with a megaphone yelling at kids to get into class - and the kids not minding!! That was definitely inspiring. But when I discovered that his role was to deal with the truancy and discipline within the school I wondered whether it would be an interesting subject for a film. And then seeing how Mr Peach managed to reach the students with a mixture of discipline, negotiation and intuition I was inspired. I knew his relationship with the students and their parents would make a great film.

What challenges and rewards did you face with your first documentary?

There were so many challenges I don't even know where to begin!! Making a film in an area of Auckland I had never spent time, shooting a film myself without ever having used a camera before, filming everyday in a busy South Auckland high school, editing an observational documentary with a coherent narrative from over 100 hours of footage, keeping faith that I would finish the film after 3 ½ years - etc etc. The whole experience was so incredibly challenging and rewarding that despite myself I am already wondering when I will start my next project!! But I am currently having a break -

How did this compare to previous work, and what did you learn from it?

This is technically my second documentary, my first film I made as a student about a horse racing trainer called Baggy Hillis. Although at the time I really liked this film, I didn't have the courage to sit down and watch it with my subject. I realised that this was a mistake so when Cushla and I were close to completing the edit of Trouble Is My Business I watched the film with all the main subjects in their homes. This turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience which I was not expecting. As I took the film from house to house in South Auckland, I realised how much the film spoke to them. I had originally made the film for people not from the area as I wanted to show them how complex the struggles the students faced just to get to school, let alone trying to concentrate on getting an education. But what I realised was that I had also made a film that the people from the area could connect with and enjoy. One girl's Aunty said, "You've made a film about the reality of our lives and that's why I like it." As a filmmaker I couldn't hope for more than that.

While working at Aorere College what did you learn from the students?

I learnt that what the students at that school needed the most was for people to believe in them, and show them how much they care about who they are and what they will do in their future. I was dismayed to hear from the students what they think that others think of them - that they will not make it in the world. I believe that education is incredibly important, but what I have learnt is that it is even more important to show respect and belief in other people and their abilities. I probably already knew this instinctively but it became very obvious to me while at the school.

What do you hope the audience takes away from this documentary?

I hope that audiences empathise with the students (and their parents) and the complex struggles they have to overcome just to get an education. I hope that audiences connect with Mr Peach and what he was trying to do for the students. If people not familiar with South Auckland - or only familiar with the headlines it makes - come away with more of an understanding of the area and its struggles then I will feel satisfied. Oh, and I hope that people are entertained!!!

Who or what has inspired you recently?

I just met Yung Chang who directed the documentary Up The Yangtze, which is screening in the New Zealand International Film Festivals. He told me that he shot 200 hours of footage shot over one year. I shot 100 hours shot over six months and found it a nightmare in the edit room so I have ultimate respect for him! I am going to see his film tonight which I am really looking forward to seeing.

If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?

I would start out as a documentary maker rather than spending my twenties producing feature films and waiting until I was thirty to start directing documentaries. I don't regret the choices that I have made but documentary making is my passion so I'm not sure why I waited so long!!

What place is always with you, wherever you go?

My parents house in Auckland - it's where I grew up and will always be home to me.

What's the best way to listen to music, and why?

In a car with a friend on a road trip is the most fun way to listen to music. I also like my ipod.

You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?

I'd use the fabric to make a scarf, or patches for the elbows of a jumper - I'd save the string because it could be handy and I'd throw away the stick.

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?

My friend Brita McVeigh taught me to aqua jog in the Kilbirnie swimming pool - it's awesome for stress! Although I admit that as soon as I get stressed the first thing I do is stop exercising!

What's great about today?

Trouble Is My Business is going to screen in the 37th Wellington Film Festival on Saturday 26th July.

What's your big idea for 2008?

To take a holiday -

Trouble Is My Business at the NZ International Film Festivals

Saturday 26-Jul-08 3:15 pm Paramount Wellington
Friday, 01-Aug-08, 1:45 pm, Rialto 2, Christchurch
Friday, 01-Aug-08, 6:00 pm, Rialto 2, Christchurch
Sunday, 03-Aug-08, 3:30 pm, Rialto, Dunedin
Tuesday, 05-Aug-08, 11:45am, Rialto, Dunedin

Trouble Is My Business

24/07/08