Although Andrew Forbes has taught at the University of Winnipeg since 2006, it was only recently that he started teaching full-time for the Department of Theatre and Film.

Forbes says “it’s a change” and “the switch to full-time was a surprise.”

Despite his experience working for 12- to 16-hour stretches doing production, Forbes says teaching full-time presents its own unique challenges. He compares it to being in the prep stage of filmmaking without ever progressing to the actual shoot.

However, despite adjusting to a different pace, Forbes has found that being in the classroom changed his perspective on filmmaking.

“I was able to look at a lot of things initially through the lens of the cinematographer,” he says. “But I found that since I started teaching, I have become ... a smarter storyteller.”

In particular, Forbes has grown to appreciate “being part of the storytelling team as opposed to highlighting the photography of one specific part of the process.”

In terms of creating a story, Forbes always reminds his students that “the best camera you have is the one you can shoot with, so make a movie with your phone.”

“It’s doable now,” he says. “The technology is there in service of story. It’s always about that. I’m just saying what every other artist is saying.”

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

“Time management would be a good superpower.”

What was your worst grade in university?

“A solid C+ average.”

If you could only watch three movies for the rest of your life, what would they be?

After careful deliberation and significant anguish, Forbes concluded that his three movies would be: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Tree of Life and Last Night.

Published in Volume 74, Number 19 of The Uniter (February 27, 2020)