The apartheid in South Africa has spurred a great deal of coverage. Whether through film, news outlets or other media, it seems everyone has something to say ““ including Anthony Fabian, who is doing so with his new film, “Skin.”
The UCLA and Daily Bruin alumnus directed his first feature, “Skin,” which comes out on Friday. The film stars Sophie Okonedo (“Hotel Rwanda”) and is based on the true story of Sandra Laing, a black woman born to white parents during the apartheid in South Africa. The film chronicles not only Laing’s personal struggles but also the absurdity of the legalized racial segregation.
Fabian stumbled upon the film’s subject rather oddly.
“In England, BBC radio is a fantastic resource,” Fabian said. “I was listening to the radio one day in my kitchen, and I heard an interview about this woman, and I was very struck by it, how strange it was. The whole genetic aspect of it was fascinating to me. It was clear that it had the potential to be a feature film.”
Robert Rosen, a UCLA professor and the former dean of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, spoke favorably about Fabian.
“He was a student with an enormous commitment to combining the art of film with stories that somehow mattered,” Rosen said.
It is this commitment that can be seen today in “Skin.”
“The surreality of apartheid and issues of race have a more enduring relevant status,” Fabian said.
The remarkable true story that “Skin” is based on appealed to acclaimed actress Sophie Okonedo as well, according to Fabian.
“We sent her the script and she loved it. Sophie had just been nominated for an Oscar for her performance in “˜Hotel Rwanda,’ and we were quite surprised that she came back with a “˜yes.’ It can take months, sometimes years, to even get a “˜no,'” Fabian said. “Sophie’s got an amazing career, but this is her first starring movie. These parts are few and far between, and I think she recognized that.”
In the film, Laing’s father exhibits characteristics of racism, though he fathered a black daughter.
“It’s not that he believed she was white,” Fabian said. “It’s just that when it’s your own flesh and blood you stop seeing color. You stop seeing the physical characteristics and you see the person, which is why the film is such a good example of the insanity of racism because, once you get to know someone, you start to see them for who they are as a person and not superficial characteristics. He had to maintain her official status as a white person otherwise she would lose all possibility of a decent education and thus the ability to get a job.”
This is Fabian’s first feature film after decades of promotional and short films as well as documentaries. Though he grew up abroad, Fabian said he became interested in film here in Los Angeles.
“I loved my time at UCLA,” Fabian said. “I felt it was a very grown-up campus. I felt a real sense of freedom. I had come from boarding school in England, and that was very restrictive. So to suddenly be able to drive around and make your own way, and to be the master of your own fate ““ that was enormously exciting.”
Fabian started at UCLA as a theater student and entered the film school in his third year.
“I was doing some acting, which is very good preparation for directing,” Fabian said. “But a lot of the material I was working with ““ say going for auditions ““ wasn’t very interesting to me. It would have taken quite a lucky break to get into the position where I would get to choose the material.”
Fabian, who was the Daily Bruin’s film and television editor from 1985 to 1986, thus decided to leave acting to pursue directing while at the film school.
“As a director, particularly a writer-director, you get to choose your own projects or create your own projects. You can develop them, as in the case of “˜Skin,'” Fabian said.
While creating the script for “Skin,” Fabian collaborated with composer and longtime friend Helene Muddiman.
“It’s always a lot of fun working with him because he loves music,” Muddiman said. “We’ve been together on this film alone for nine years, and we’ve been friends for a long time working together. When he told me about this film, I was so excited. This is an amazing story that has to be told.”
The powerful scenes between Laing and her parents and husband are highlighted by Muddiman’s dramatic sound track.
No matter how many films are made about the apartheid, Fabian said he believes the underlying themes of these films will always be connected to human tendencies.
“It’s almost an inherent human trait not only to find who your people are, but also to exclude those that are not of your group,” Fabian said.
“We have to work together as a society to build tolerance and acceptance and overcome what appears to be basic instinct. The Africans have a word called “˜ubuntu,’ which means that we are all bound together by a common thread.”