LELEB (Director of Photography & Co-Director)
Short Film | Runtime 3:20’ | 2022
Watch on Nowness
Leleb, (sinking or drowning in Javanese) is a project about the futility and visceral grief of clinging to a home that will inevitably disappear. In central Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, human manipulation of the environment has caused coastal villages to begin to sink into the sea. Although the area has become increasingly unlivable, most residents still remain, clinging to the final vestiges of what is left of their communities. We seek to pay tribute to those who endure. Working alongside Javanese dancer Siko Setyanto and soundtracked by the experimental Javanese band Senyawa, Leleb seeks to be an intimate portrait of resilience and a reminder of the difficult and sometimes painful relationship between humanity and the space it occupies.
A film by Marc Ressang & Nathaniel Brown
Cinematography: Nathaniel Brown
Producer Marc Ressang
Performer: Siko Setyanto
Music: Senyawa(Rully Shabara and Wukir Suryadi)
INFINITE BEGINNINGS (Director of Photography)
Video portraits | Runtime 3:20’ | 2022
Infinite Beginnings is four portraits centered on the theme of protection and transformation, exploring the ways in which decorative objects can act as armor — balancing softness and strength in as we move through our everyday. Inspired by Chinese creation mythologies, Infinite Beginnings is grounded in the idea of repetition and ritual in one’s journey of finding their own power and strength.
Creative Directors: Mei Lum, Vivian Sangsukwirasathien
Director of Photography: Nathaniel Brown
Stylist: Melody Huang
Performer: Eddy Kwon
Assistant Camera: Jane Yang
Production Design: Vivian Sangsukwirasathien
Art Production Assistant: Mischelle Moy
Sound Design: Kyle Kaplan
Featuring words by K-Ming Chan & art by Heidi Lau
A commission for Wing on Wo & Co
Mahålang (Cinematographer & Co-Director, Stedicam op)
Documentary Short | Runtime 16’ | 2021
Choreographer Caili Quan pays tribute to the family and culture on Guam that sparked her love of music and inspired her dream of dancing. Weaving a narrative of how collective memory and storytelling preserve where we come from, this film is an ode to a home and the longing to return.
Commissioned by Ballet X for Ballet X Beyond
In the New York Times
Choreography: Caili Quan
Cinematography & Directing: Nathaniel Brown & Elliot deBruyn
Edit: Elliot deBruyn
Dancers:Francesca Forcella, Zachary Kapeluck, Blake Krapels, Savannah Green, Andrea Yorita, Ashley Simpson, Richard Villaverde, Stanley Glover, Roderick Phifer
Festivals:
Dance on Camera 2022
AAIFF 2022: Winner Best Documentary
CAAM Fest
LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
San Diego Asian Film Festival
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Portland Dance film Festival
CITY OF HANDS (Director/DP/Producer)
Documentary Short | Runtime 21’ | 2016
Slowly forgotten after being home to the emperor’s imperial kilns for a thousand years, Jingdezhen is now filling with young artists. An oasis for creatives in China’s urban east, people from all over the country come to Jingdezhen to follow porcelain dreams. CITY OF HANDS is a look into the lives of four young residents of Jingdezhen.
Winner of Best Documentary Short Film at North Bay Art & Film Festival, with Screenings at Cleveland International Film Festival (2016), Festival de Cannes Court Métrage (2016), the Embassy of the United States in China (2017), and Wing on Wo & Co, NYC (2016), CITY OF HANDS is a profile of the lives and dreams of young artists in Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital.
Trailer
Director & DP & Producer : Nathaniel J. Brown
Editor: AJ Sinker
Writing: Nathaniel J. Brown & Aj Sinker
Music: Kyle Kaplan