Tete-a-tete with Summer Nicks: The man behind Seedlings and The Extortionist

Seedlings, Kolachi, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (MHSA) and The Extortionist, what do all these films have in common? Other than all of them being eagerly anticipated flicks, it is the inclusion of the talented Summer Nicks in different capacities that all these films share. Acting, writing and directing are just a few of the many talents this man possesses. Moreover, it would not be wrong to say that Summer Nicks is one of the very few people who, despite having no origins to this land, can be credited with actually working towards the revival of Pakistani cinema. He came; he worked and showed the world what Pakistani cinema is capable of.

Give credit to his self-created cautious project affiliation criteria, or his luck; but unlike many who just prefer being a media report element somewhere, anywhere, by striving hard to be associated with projects, that eventually get restricted to only their announcements, and never see the light of the day, Summer has actually worked extremely hard and is doing whatever is possible to get all the films he is associated with to the cinemas. His first film, Seedlings, which had him as a story and screenplay writer/producer/editor has been showcased at many prestigious film festivals worldwide and the highly acclaimed film has bagged loads of awards too. As for its commercial release, that too is surely on the cards.

MHSA, which has him showcasing his acting prowess is all set for an Eid release, while the Azaan Sami and Zeba Bakhtiar funded, The Extortionist; which will also be his first directorial venture,  is slated for an early 2014 come out. As for Kolachi, you have to scroll down to the interview to find out when it is possibly hitting cinemas.

We, at Galaxy Lollywood are truly grateful to the man for agreeing on the interview and really appreciate his enthusiasm for the promotion of art. Just to give you an idea how huge he believes his mission is, Summer upon being thanked for the interview said, “No problem mate. All in the name of promoting arts world over.”  Well, we really wish him best of luck for that.

Hope you all enjoy the interview, and don’t miss the ‘one liners’ at the end of it.

GL: You got announced in Pakistan with Kolachi, followed by which you remained quite extensively in headlines for Seedlings and its success. Our question here is, where were you before Kolachi? Shed  a little light on the pre-Kolachi Summer Nicks.

SN: Before Kolachi I was working in Lahore for a product of Wateen called WOW TV, a kid’s channel which unfortunately due to the then recession, never made to the light of day. Previous to that I was working in various countries, mostly in media, but also worked in the tourist industry as a scuba diver, in hospitality as a restaurant owner, in education as an English language teacher – but my primary passion has always been in media.

GL: What brought you to Pakistan and what is it that you love most about the film Industry here?

SN: I was working in Bangkok for an English Language facilitation program and subsequently was offered a job in an education curriculum development program in Lahore – I jumped at the chance to explore another exotic country – a country of which I had always wanted to travel to and a country which I immediately fell in love with. 

GL: After Seedlings, there was a surprise inclusion of yours in Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi, and now the directorial seat of The Extortionist. You probably had no ‘filmi’ connections here and were pretty much of an outsider to the Pakistani film industry. How is it that you are getting wholehearted acceptance in the local film circles. What’s really the secret?

SN: Basically most of my friends are connected to media – having met them through various circles all sprouting from my restaurant in Lahore back in 2005.  Having worked for some 20 years in media, I guess the emerging industry held my experience valuable and was thus employed constantly as a consultant, channel head and producer/director/writer.

GL: Being a Caucasian working in Pakistan film industry means burdened under a lot of expectations. People don’t care whether you are an Australian, American, German or British. If you are white and working on a spy-thriller here, they expect you to give them a local James Bond, or maybe something on the lines of Bourne Series. How do you plan to satisfy all these expectations?

SN: We plan to satisfy all these expectations by giving the audience exactly that – what they expect; an amazing story, a brilliant cast and high-octane action sequences executed with the country’s  best of the best at what they do. They will not be disappointed. I personally think the film will excel the audience’s expectations. We have some of the country’s (and in my humble opinion, potentially at par with some of the world’s best) finest talent involved. Shaan Shahid, Shamoon Abassi, Aamina Sheikh, Iman Ali, Gohar Rasheed, Ayub Kauser and the very talented cinematographer Mo Azmi without forgetting to mention the outstanding producing team –  the extremely and intensely gifted Jami, Azaan Sami Khan and Zeba Bakhtiar.

GL: The Extortionist is being widely promoted as ‘Pakistan’s first ever spy thriller, based on the life and events of a CIA sleeper agent in Pakistan.’ The biggest question that comes in one’s mind after reading that promotional line for the film is, ‘Why Pakistan’s maiden spy-thriller has to be based on the plot that is CIA centric, why it cannot be about an ISI agent.’ Don’t you think that would have been a more relatable case for the viewers here, considering the fact that it could have been the first such depiction of this local intelligence agency?

SN: The story of ‘The Extortionist’ (working title) revolves around international espionage and hidden agendas which influence the motivations of certain industries. The nature of the story and theme of this film and the scope of the character in this case doesn’t encapsulate this particular agency.The story however is relatable to all audiences regardless of what region of the world they come from because the theme is global.

GL: Making a movie is no doubt a difficult job, added with a genre like spy-thriller which requires quite an extensive research, detailing, command over the current affairs and the subject, and obviously your own way of seeing things through the eyes of camera. How is it combining all these aspects and taking up such a humongous task in a filmmaking environment that is rather underdeveloped compared to the standards that are followed elsewhere?

SN: Basically we don’t reinvent the wheel, we follow certain ‘film making’ procedures and formulas which work and work well – and by virtue of successful films the world over, are proven to work time and time again.  We have to remember, that while different film genres exist, the central approach to making a film is fundamentally the same.  There are certain universal principles that have to be followed if you’re to make a successful film on time and on budget and if these brass tacks are integrated into your approach, then you minimalized potential obstacles. 

GL: With that mention of Kolachi earlier in this interview, tell us where did that project really go? It seemed to be a very fine, interesting and something out of the line to us. Why it hasn’t made to cinemas yet. Is it the same ‘no financer’ trouble for you guys as well?

SN: The scale of ‘Kolachi’ is colossal and it’s not unusual for films of this size to have a gestation period of anywhere up to 6-7 years, sometimes even longer.  ‘Avatar’ was around 15 years in the making.

 GL: It is really depressing to hear about some great movies being shelved one after the other, remaining in that, ‘under-production’ status for 2, 3 years, and then quietly being closed down, playing with the sentiments of a common Pakistani movie lover or even people like us who proudly label themselves as the propagators of this ‘new cinema concept’ in Pakistan. Give us some honest hope here that this won’t happen with your project, and please if you may, also tell us about the current progress on your film and when it is expectedly coming out?

SN: The feasibility of film is very dependent on timing and unfortunately some features will never see the light of day.  One would hope that any project they attach themselves to will eventually be shot and shown – I hope mine do. ‘The Extortionist’ (working title) is in the final stages of post-production.  A date will be released shortly as to its release.

Now let’s get to know a bit about who Summer Nicks is as a person. Please give an extremely brief response (maybe even a word) to these statements.

-I love – life and all which it encompasses.
-I hate – nothing.
-My passion – living.
-My greatest necessity – air and nature.
-What tries me the most – myself.
-What touches me the most – the love of God.
-My biggest fear – the wrath of God.
-My strength – my compassion.
-My weakness – my compassion.
-Summer Nicks the writer or director? Summer Nicks The Writer AND Director.
-Seedlings or The Extortionist? ‘Seedlings’ AND ‘The Extortionist’.
-Karachi or Lahore? Karachi for the breeze and the vibe, Lahore for the food and the vista.
-Favourite Actor – there are way too many.
-Favourite Actress – there are way too many.
-Favourite film – there are way too many.
– I would never – intentionally hurt a sentient being.
-I would kill to – I wouldn’t kill.

Basic Interview Structure and Questions’ contribution: Momin Ali

Final Editing and Questions’ contribution: Aayan Mirza