Editor’s note: As a rule, movies connected with MG are not eligible for prizes at our Festival. But we’re waiving that rule for MHS student Zaji Zabalerio, who did the heavy lifting on this film: Writing, directing and editing.
By Sharon Sheridan, MG correspondent
“I always thought I was going to be a doctor,” says Morristown High School junior Zaji Zabalerio. “But a couple of years ago, I met this friend whose father was a producer for a TV production company. That was really interesting to me.”
Zabalerio started taking still photographs. “Then I sort of grew to motion pictures: How can we put emotion into something that’s recorded and being acted? I’m also interested in theater. I guess it sort of makes sense to mix those two; photography and acting makes movies.”
Soon, what started as a hobby turned into a career goal. “I’m hoping to pursue a career in film,” says Zabalerio, 16, who is spending the summer interning at NorthSouth Productions in New York.
Zabalerio also teamed up with MorristownGreen.com’s editor, Kevin Coughlin, to craft a film for this year’s film and music festival.
“It was pretty much a new experience,” he says. “I usually work with my friends, but it’s a completely different story when you’re working with adults because they pay attention more.”
He was pleasantly surprised by their reaction to him. “I thought they were going to be saying, ‘Oh, look, it’s the little wannabe filmmaker kid.’”
Instead, he found them giving him feedback. “It was a pretty respectful thing, and it was a good experience filming it.”
The Last Ride of Sustainable Man tells the tale of a disheartened superhero and one of his admirers as they face the threat of an anti-sustainability movement in the heart of Morristown. The film also marks the acting debut of Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty.
Zabalerio spent two days shooting three hours of footage for the five-minute film.
“The magic happens when you edit,” he says. “I wish the time limit was a little bit more, because I really had to cut it down to bare essentials. There was so much great footage, and there was a more detailed back story” for the two heroes.
“You also had to create an elaborate back story in about 30 seconds for Glinda Garbahj, who plays the villain,” Zabalerio says. “You can’t have a good story without a good villain.”
In real life, rather than a recycling anti-hero, Garbahj is Penny Jones, recycling education specialist for the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority. Having her play against type actually enhanced the movie, the filmmaker says. “I thought that she would know what buttons to press to really get her character going.”
Update: The Last Ride of Sustainable Man tied for third place. Here it is:
REAL-LIFE RECYCLING TIPS FROM ‘GLINDA GARBAHJ’:
“Playing a role in Sustainable Man was both fun and difficult for Glinda Garbahj,” writes Penny Jones. “Fun, because I’d worked with some talented folks whom I’d not previously met. Difficult, because for many years Morris County’s Glinda Garbahj has attempted to emulate the behavior of Glinda, the good witch of the North, a character in the movie version of The Wizard of Oz, by promoting sound environmental practices such as recycling. In Sustainable Man, however, Glinda promotes very naughty behavior!”
To make up for that naughtiness, Jones offers six recycling tips:
1) Rinse out all containers that have been used for beverages (with the exception of water bottles) or food before putting them into your recycling container.
2) Put plastic caps from bottles and jugs into the garbage; do not put them into your recycling container.
3) Put metal lids from glass bottles/jars into your recycling container, but do not screw them back onto the bottles/jars.
4) Familiarize yourself with the recycling-preparation requirements in your municipality and refrain from putting items into your recycling container that are not on the list of acceptable items in that municipality.
5) If you have questions about recycling where you live or work, first call the municipal recycling coordinator or visit the municipal website; if you still have questions or need additional information, visit the website for the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, or call 973-285-8395,
6) Be aware that recycling has been mandated by law since April 20, 1987, for all residents, businesses and institutions in the State of New Jersey.
“For me,” Jones adds, “sustainability means living responsibly and using resources very carefully today in order to benefit future generations.”
