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Just an idea
By Tina Mata'afa
Samoa News Staff Reporter
Los Angeles. Bright lights, big city, and working towards the proverbial big break.
Droves of people flock to the city of L.A. with dreams of making it big in the film industry and for one brave local boy, a work-in-progress that documents his family's history in American Samoa will hopefully land him that big break.
"There are lots and lots of people like me in the city," Leonard Hyman said while filming his Samoa News interview on the video camera he's been toting around since he got back last week. "Everyone has a day job but they are really working towards something else. There are waiters who really want to be actors and some people who work in a shop but want to be a filmmakerfilmmaking is very competitive."
In the city, Leonard, who holds a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Southern California (USC), works in a doctor's office tasked with administrative duties, a job he describes as "boring" but essential to surviving in the city.
He said he enjoys being back in the islands where there is a "nicesmall-town feel" that is also "creepy" at the same time.
"Samoa and L.A. are two completely different worlds," said Leonard. "There's a lot more to do in L.Ait's a very different pace of life. I'm used to the fast pace of L.A."
But Leonard does admit enjoying some of the small things about the island that life in L.A. lacks.
"It's really nice to see people who knew me back then and they still remember me," he said after being away from Samoa for three consecutive years. "In L.A., You'll meet someone today and they'll forget about you a week later."
He said he dropped by the SPA office this week with his camera and the ladies there remembered him still, seven years after he left the school.
Leonard is working on several projects at the moment but chose to create a film on his family, who has lived in American Samoa for more than 30 years. His other two projects focus on the L.A Rodeo and illegal immigration, but the film on the Hyman family establishing themselves in American Samoa is unique because of its setting, a sharp contrast to big city L.A. and the places you see often on Hollywood's silver screen.
So far, 22-year-old Leonard has shot 30 hours of footage that documents the Hyman story Bill and Jane, who moved to American Samoa in 1973 to spread the Bahai faith. They own the Island Business Center (IBC) in Fagatogo and have also established PCS-TV Channel 11 which supplies local viewers with satellite broadcasts from several nations.
"I just want to make a good film and I chose this because a lot of people don't understand about Samoa," he said. "My friends will ask, 'where are you from' and they expect me to say Iowa or something but I say American Samoa."
Maybe you've seen the 5'6" palagi sometime last week, who goes everywhere with his camera, filming his dad. Many people have mistaken him numerous times for a Malama TV cameraman, he told Samoa News.
Leonard was born and raised in American Samoa, attended SPA but graduated from Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island of Hawaii. He is one of two sons born to the Jane and Bill. His father Bill is originally from London, England and his mother Jane from L.A. Leonard now lives near Glendale, L.A. with some "good friends." Like all young singles, he likes to hang out with friends and take in films from time to time as most do in the city of the stars. He's even been able to see movie stars like Owen Wilson and Winona Ryder at movie premieres.
His younger brother Ashton, 20, attends the University of Washington, studying to be an actor.
If things work out for the two of them, Leonard says is just might be himself "behind the camera" with Ashton "in the front of the camera."
Leonard attended USC, one of the world's leading private research universities located in the heart of L.A., on a university scholarship. As an SPA student, he worked as a junior reporter at Samoa News for three summers, from 1998 through 2000.
He enjoys reading and writing and had planned to pursue journalism at USC, but during his schooling, switched to English.
"It's more open-ended," Leonard said. His interest in film peaked when he signed up for film as an elective.
And he really hasn't strayed far from journalism - instead of chronicling stories in print he's now capturing them on film.
"I think it's a lot more accessible for peoplethe average person instead of just reading," he said of films. "The truth is and I know it's sadmore people are entertained by filmit's more believable."
Leonard said he's told his friends stories of an 80-foot tower, used by the TV station that stands in the family's Vaitogi backyard.
"They don't believe me because it sounds crazy," he said laughing. "Now I can actually show them."
His likes documentaries, making films that depict real life stories.
"I like real life. Meeting different people from different backgrounds and finding out what their stories are," he said. "And trying to tell their stories through film."
He likes filming "things that interest people" and given the resources his ideal film would be one that depicts the religious right movement as it's told in Jesus Camp, a motion picture documentary from Magnolia Pictures.
As inquisitive, critical minds work, Leonard would also like to address the "problems he sees" such as controversial issues dealt with in Jesus Camp.
"The overlapping of politics and religion," he said.
The film created by Heidi Wing and Rachel Grady is described as "first ever look" into Pastor Becky Fischer's Kids on Fire Summer Camp, "an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future" its Web site said.
"Mixing politics and religion is very dangerous," said Leonard who has grown up in the Bahai faith, where they are taught never to mix the two. "Bahai don't get involved in politics. And I think a lot of the problems in the U.S. are because of that mix. It's a dangerous path to go down."
If need be, Leonard will return to American Samoa to glean additional footage to complete his local story and then hand it in to a movie producer. He said he "could go to film school" but currently has no plans to do so.
"I want to get enough footage to get the attention of a producer," he said. "And convince them that I can make a good film for them."
Many people tend to think that people go to L.A. and "wait" for the big break but the truth is it takes a lot of work aside from the paying job and Leonard says anyone can do it.
"In L.A., nobody cares what you're doing and when you're there you learn very fast that you have to care about what you're doing," he said. "And you have to work very hard at doing it."
Leonard leaves the island for L.A. on News Year's Eve.
Samoa News wishes Leonard Hyman the best of luck for the New Year in Los Angeles.
Reach the reporter at tina@samoanews.com
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