UCLA School of Theater, Film, Television and Digital Media
alumna Desha Dauchan has a history of running into her idols.
In fact, her decision to make films was influenced by
“School Daze” and a chance meeting with the
film’s director, Spike Lee.
“I said, “˜I want to be a filmmaker. What would you
advise?’ He said, “˜I advise you to read a lot and study
your craft,'” Dauchan said.
No doubt, Dauchan has done just that. She graduated last June
with her 15-minute thesis film, “Whispers,” which is
screening in the short film competition at the Sundance Film
Festival.
The film is a surrealist piece that follows a young man trying
to figure out what is important in his life.
It’s a role Dauchan is familiar with. She was four-months
pregnant when she shot “Whispers” last May.
“I think (my film) grew out of being a young woman having
a lot of career goals, trying to balance it all, and trying to
figure out how one doesn’t become an obstacle to
another,” Dauchan said.
With the Sundance exposure, Dauchan seems poised to continue her
career.
In addition, she is supported by her husband and a family
network that helps her take care of her child.
Dauchan’s professional career started when she met another
idol, director Kasi Lemmons, through Project Involve, a hands-on
program run through the Independent Film Project. On Lemmons’
films, “Eve’s Bayou” and “The
Caveman’s Valentine,” Dauchan was allowed to, more or
less, shadow Lemmons.
“Everywhere Kasi went, I went,” said Dauchan, who
still keeps in contact with Lemmons. “I really got to see the
job up close.”
“(Lemmons) is who I want to be with 10 more years of
development as an artist,” Dauchan added. “A lot of
opportunities I’ve had have been through knowing her and the
friends I’ve made through knowing her.”
For example, to create the sound environment for
“Whispers,” Dauchan was able to use Lemmons’
sound designer.
Incidentally, both of the Lemmons’ films Dauchan worked on
starred Samuel L. Jackson, thus Dauchan was able to meet a
well-known film star.
“I was only on set with Sam for a week,” Dauchan
said. “He was open and friendly, and encouraging in terms of
being a young artist trying to get into the business.”
During her undergraduate years at Howard University in
Washington D.C., Dauchan studied under the eclectic major
“radio, television and film,” a kind of mass
communications hybrid.
It encouraged a more grassroots-type of artistic approach, and
Dauchan made experimental silent, black-and-white films there.
Dauchan credits UCLA with helping teach her to make her films
more interesting for mass audiences, with an emphasis on the
universal themes demonstrated in “Whispers.”
If Howard provided a nurturing place for specific visions, UCLA
provided a bigger arena for sharing that vision with a larger
audience.
“The best thing about UCLA was the student
community,” Dauchan said. “More than just classes,
being able to create work and have the community give you feedback
on it was probably the most invaluable part of being at
UCLA.”
UCLA was also valuable for giving Dauchan the ability to meet
influential filmmaker Charles Burnett, in yet another one of
Dauchan’s run-ins with a personal hero.
“I keep running into him,” Dauchan said. “I
figure I’m in the right place if I keep seeing Charles
Burnett.”
Having mostly screened her films at specifically black film
festivals, Dauchan is finally receiving recognition from the
mainstream film festival circuit, beginning with the HBO Short Film
Competition and now Sundance.
She’s going to Park City, Utah, for the first time.
“My goal is to get out there and let people see my work
and to see as much work as I can possibly see,” Dauchan said.
“Just plant some seeds for my career, really. I don’t
have any specific agenda other than to be there and
enjoy.”
No one’s taking bets on whether she’ll meet more of
her favorite filmmakers.