SHOTS: Jonnie Malachi gets surreal about comedy
Jonnie Malachi has just released a new, surreal short film about a sandwich that comes to life. Here, the director discusses the project and the polarising response it received, why the surreal has always appealed, and whether the fear of being too edgy has meant advertising's spiky corners have been smoothed out.
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Can you tell us what inspired you to make this film?
I'm keen to push into the rarified top-tier of comedy directors. I want to get the best comedy scripts and work with the most creative collaborators. I realised I had to make bold personal work to get noticed and showcase my distinctive creative brain and directorial style.
I hadn’t written a narrative script since directing my feature in 2016 [Breakdown], which was a bruising process, so I was keen to get back in the saddle. I was also interested in bringing concise advertising rhythms to a short… seeing if I could tell a powerful, rounded story in under two minutes.
I’d received a number of scripts featuring inanimate objects coming to life with strong personalities. Though I've extensively merged VFX with live-action, I didn’t have anything on my reel that showed exactly that. So, it started as an exercise to bolster my commercials reel, but when making personal work you need to push the creative and make something impactful. The worst response you can get is ‘meh'.
I started looking at everything around me and wondering, if it came to life, would it be funny? At the time I was making a lot of cheese sandwiches. As I sat down to nosh one, I realised if it suddenly came to life it would think I was its dad as I'd just made it, but that I would just want to eat it. There was conflict, psychological depth and complexity. Plus, I loved the idea of a cheese sandwich grinning at me. When my middle daughter started doing the incredibly cute sandwich voice, I knew I had to make it.
Is surrealist comedy something you've always been attracted to?
Good comedy is good comedy, and humour is so personal but, at a formative age, I fell in love with the surrealist Tango ads, Traktor's early
Jukka Bros work, and music videos likeWhere's Your Head At?. I lovealltypes of comedy. Some surrealist comedy is too dark or simply not funny (to me), but when done right a great idea is a great ides, and they're far and few between.
Work you want to proudly show off usually has a great simple idea at its core; funny, bold, irreverent (and well-executed). You want people talking about and sharing it, 'cos it’s so badass, original and entertaining. It’s all about a great script and concept on the page.
What other surrealist commercials or content has inspired you?
To most peoples disbelief I haven’t watched The Might Boosh or Flight of the Concordes, but I love Toast of London, Superbad and Stepbrothers, and show my kids awesome ads like Starburst Bus Station, by Randy Krallman.
What’s been the reaction to the sandwich?
Only about 17 people have seen it but it’s been totally polarising, which I guess is exactly what I hoped for (although being a sensitive soul, people not loving your work always hurts). Some have loved it as the absurd surrealist dark comedy it is, but I was totally shocked by the fact it triggered some people quite deeply.
A super-trendy American production company I was on the cusp of signing with saw the offline and I've not heard from them since. Some close associates of mine were shook and concerned that I released it, so we crafted an alternative 'safe' version.
But, after thinking long and hard, I've decided to be brave, release the original as intended and hope there's still space in the world for creative freedom. It's ok to divide opinions, start conversations and not have to please all the people all the time. It’s vital for artists to be able to push the envelope and not live in fear of creating. My reel is full of fun commercials, which I love making, but hopefully work like The Sandwich helps demonstrate my ability to direct scripts that are more daring and surreal.
Why do you think the film hasn't resonated with some people?
I think it's resonated with everybody, but some have been triggered by it. I didn’t think too hard when I wrote the script, it kinda wrote itself, but I was aware it had emotional depth in that (in my personal experience) children will forgive their parents almost anything; they crave their attention and affirmation, which is a beautiful but potentially destructive truth. I started therapy six months ago and discussed this story with my therapist, shocked to realise I was in fact The Sandwich.
Once you release a piece of art into the world you have to let it go and be okay that people's feelings about it are legitimate and their own. Even if they are totally shocking and not what you intended. I guess that's what’s fascinating and scary about being an artist.
I also think it’s easy to deride or have a problem with anything. It feels there's a fear of creating brave, bold or controversial work at the moment. Could we make Tango Slap or Jukka Bros now? And is that a good or bad thing? I don't want to offend anyone, but I do want to entertain and create memorable work in all the right ways. But you can't control everyone’s response, nor do I think it’s a bad thing to be talked about. I think fear is the creative killer.
Weird and wonderful ideas often resonate best, and remain memorable; why is surrealism not used more in advertising?
I love the surrealism of Traktor, Andreas Nilsson,Los Perezand the bombastic, dry humour of American Super Bowl spots, Old Spice and so on. Some fantastic ads are being made, but is there a fear of being creatively edgy in advertising at the moment? If so, why? Is there a legitimate fear of being cancelled? With super-edgy Netflix shows being talked about and shared, likeSquid Game, and extremely creative TikTok shareable content, the public appetite is clearly there for boundary-pushing entertainment.
In my youth, ads shaped my world and imagination. They showed me the future, created the cultural zeitgeist and represented the best of exciting creativity. They made me. I’d love to play a part in doing the same for the next generation.
Do you think too many clients are afraid to take creative chances?
I'm just not sure. We seem to be in a period where it's hard to say something and not be shot down. Walking on eggshells isn’t conducive to free creativity. I’m not on the client side and haven’t sat in all the early creative meetings trying to get strong ideas across the line. It must be tough. I’ve been in lots of meetings about casting diversity but I've always naturally cast diversely, had a wide net and selected whomever I connected with and was best for the role.
Ultimately, bravery and trust must be present in everyone involved for great ideas to take flight. I hope the future brings bravery, trust and even more powerful and affecting work. I want to talk about, share and be blown away by ads again.
What are you working on next?
I'm about to release a spot for EA Sports featuring Jermaine Jenas (a mightily impressive human being) that I made with my KODE family. And I’m in the edit withThe 66-Year-Old Intern, a cinematic documentary starring my friend and mentor Mark Denton as he questions his creative relevance post-pandemic and embarks on a six-week placement at Grey Worldwide. A truly remarkable piece about creativity, ageism and the importance of an open, curious heart and mind.
