Documentary filmmaker Rammell Ross on Thursday scored his first feature film nomination, Ross was previously nominated in 2018 for his documentary Hale County this morning, this evening —to Nickel Boys In Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. The historical drama, based on Colson Whitehead's book of the same name, chronicles the deep friendship between two teenagers (Ethan Herriss and Brandon Wilson) who must overcome the shocking brutality and horrific discriminatory regulations of a Florida reform school in the Jim Crow South.
Below, Deadline talks to Ross about his nomination and the making of the film.
DEADLINE: Where were you when you found out you received your nominations?
Ramil Ross: You know, people say [it’s just] Me, but there are a lot of people who helped with this film. We have a huge team that has been out there hitting the pavement for him Nickel Boys. However, I was on the couch in my studio under the covers [laughs]. I had some popcorn and a blue Gatorade watching him through squinting eyes.
DEADLINE: You've been nominated for an Oscar for documentary before, but now this is your first feature film. How are you handling this?
Ross: I'm not sure how I feel. Film making process [and campaigning] Too long. We're still in the process of sharing the film, so it's like, “Oh my God.” We've just reached this milestone where we will now share this story about Dozier Boys School with millions of other people. So it is certain.
DEADLINE: Thinking about Nickel Boys Nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, Is there a scene that you initially thought wouldn't work during filming, but ultimately resonated with you in the final cut?
Ross: Let me turn this question around and say, I think I underestimated myself. thing about him Nickel Boys It is a film smarter than its maker. Making the art you learn is something I always strive to do. It was the idea of having this epic cliché point of view on how to shoot it. What these images will be and how they will emerge from the conscious, imagined perspective of the Dozier School students. Then it will have archival footage and montage. But you never quite know how powerful it is when everything is consistent and talking to each other, so how can you? And so I think it's more about adhering to a lot of the rules of the film and then the process of learning and being humbled by the way things come together.
DEADLINE: How do you think people will respond when they see this film?
Ross: I think people respond to the adventure of complexity and the adventure of Vice, where they are asked to think along with the film.
DEADLINE: For those heading out to watch this for the first time or rewatch, what do you want them to think?
Ross: I love this phrase called “experimental memorial.” What is an experimental memorial? It's like a kind of experiential, cellular history, where you relate to someone's story and to someone's life in a way that can't be taken away from you. It's not an educational thing. It is something you feel and absorb. And I think people might smile and bite their thumbs at those who are erasing history and the gesture of lifting the story into the annals of cinema while history is being erased, and not allowing it to be erased. It's also about children who, unfortunately, were killed and buried, and we're excavating that entire history and then putting it in a place where it can't be forgotten or erased. This makes me smile.
DEADLINE: Have you ever heard from anyone in the Florida school district or government agencies in response to the release Nickel Boys?
Ross:No, I was in Dozier last week and walked around the grounds. I've spoken with a couple of former students, but have yet to hear anything from government officials or anyone from the community per se. There were people from the greater North Florida community coming to screenings at various places and mentioning that they were familiar with the story beforehand, etc. But, nothing else.
DEADLINE: What's next for you?
Ross: I'm a slow worker. I'm really looking forward to resuming normal life [laughs]. My only preparation for the upcoming Oscars is prayer.
The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien, will take place on March 2 at 4pm PT/7pm ET at the Dolby Theater.
