Humble is the word that most comes to mind to describe Jack Silberman. The soft-spoken documentary filmmaker deftly turns each conversation away from himself and on to those around him. It takes probing to get him to discuss anything about himself or his career — and there is a lot he could say.
Silberman, 67, has produced, written and directed more than 50 documentaries.
His work, for which he has earned at least 60 international awards, has been aired on television networks around the world, including the National Geographic and Discovery channels.
His documentaries cover a range of topics he’s passionate about, from forest practices to whaling to how indigenous people are treated.
“He makes important films,” said writer, producer and photographer Vince Hemingson, who has worked with Silberman on various documentaries over a period of 25 years.
Hemingson said Silberman’s genuine curiosity about the individuals featured in his films helps them to open up and that makes for powerful moments on camera.
“One of Jack’s greatest strengths as a director is his ability to connect with people no matter who they are or where they are or what their social circumstances are,” Hemingson said.
Silberman’s calm demeanor creates a positive environment for his crews as well.
“In the entire time I have known Jack I don’t think I have ever heard him raise his voice,” said Hemingson. “On any film production he is this wonderful centre of calm.”
The pair’s latest collaboration was The Tattoo Project: Body, Art, Image documentary, which Hemingson produced, and Silberman directed.
Silberman and two camera crews went behind the scenes of the making of a table top book that involved 11 photographers shooting 100 heavily tattooed individuals over a three-day long-weekend, in 2010. According to Silberman, the Vancouver shoot was his most enjoyable to date.
“It is very interesting to see the creative process in action,” Silberman said.
“Right before our eyes we’re watching a very good portrait photographer work with someone who has a beautiful piece of art on their body and in the process, figuring out how best to tell the story of that person.”
He was also moved that some of the people had never before shown their tattoos in public.
Silberman doesn’t have any tattoos of his own, and he said as a child growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, he never saw anyone with body art.
But this isn’t his first documentary about tattoos.
He travelled to Borneo to work with Hemingson on the 2003 documentary The Vanishing Tattoo about ancient tattoo practices among the Iban people.
The recent Vancouver project, however, changed the way Silberman views body art. He came to see tattoos as fine art expressions of inner life.
“Those images that people wear have a lot of personal meaning for them,” he said.
The plan is to release The Tattoo Project as an hour-long TV broadcast and a two-hour long DVD, but post-production isn’t complete yet. There is a Kickstarter campaign to raise $90,000 to fund the final stages. If the campaign is successful, the film will come out around Christmas, Silberman said.
Silberman has lots of other subjects he still wants to tackle. Next he will be working on a feature length documentary about the problem of sexual violence against women in India.
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