A Life of the Mind: Niels-Erik Andreasen

Producer Paul Kim on documenting the former University president

In July 2016, Niels-Erik Andreasen (NEA) retired as president of Andrews University after 22 years of dedicated, effective leadership. As part of the collection of events that honored Andreasen’s career, Paul Kim (PK), associate professor of documentary film, was asked to produce a short film documenting that career. We talked with Kim about his experience telling the story of such a long and successful career in a short documentary, which he titled “A Life of the Mind.”

AU: Where did the idea come from to create a short documentary on NEA?

PK: There were a lot of conversations at the end of NEA’s tenure about how significant his tenure has been for Andrews, and in those last months I began to learn who this man really is, and the significance of his contributions to the academic community. I’ve had long philosophical conversations with various academic leaders and educators over the years, and it felt very natural to continue these conversations with NEA, but to do it in a documented, cinematic form for the rest of the public. So when Andrews approached me about making some kind of historical piece about NEA, I was already very much interested in the subject matter—higher education—and very curious as to what made this man so unusual from the rest of the pack—most university presidents do not last long, for better or for worse.

What is the definition of a “short” film?

A short film is basically any film that isn’t long enough to be considered a feature-length film. Features are generally about an hour and a half to two hours long. To be more specific, a short is usually under an hour in length, and in some competitions and festivals, they cap the short film length at 40 minutes.

What was the goal of “A Life of the Mind?”

The goal of any film is to tell an engaging story that would be interesting for a wide audience, but specifically when dealing with someone who is a public figure with a limited level of access due to their position, it was very important that we cut through that surface and reveal something much more personal and even intimate. It’s easy, especially in the context of a retirement celebration, to focus on all of his many accomplishments, but I think what is far more interesting and even invaluable to viewers are the inner motivations and emotions that buttress all of the many decisions we make in life.

Tell me a bit about how you framed the film.

The film begins with an outright acknowledgement that he’s succeeded in doing something few people could ever claim–creating one of the most diverse international communities in the world and sustaining an incredibly long tenure of leadership—but then I try to get down to the very essence of what led to his tremendous success. And so I boiled it down to one very specific moment in his childhood: When he read the last speech that Socrates would ever give. I then made a case for how that powerful story transformed him and propelled him to where he is today. I think many people out there can relate to the idea that much of the purpose of education is to be exposed to new ideas. Sometimes a brilliant thought, article, book or film can have the kind of transformative, lasting impact that all educators dream of. So given the fact that NEA is himself a lifelong educator, I thought it was only fitting that we meditate throughout the film on the educational moment in his childhood that would end up being so important to him, and I find great irony and delight that what transformed him was the idea that being a teacher and educator is an exciting way to spend one’s life.

NEA is a very modest, humble person who doesn’t like to be in the spotlight. How did this affect or challenge the filmmaking process?

NEA is indeed a very humble person. I remember calling him to line up time to film at his home, and I could tell from his voice that he wasn’t exactly thrilled about it. But this is something filmmakers deal with all the time, and frankly, I think it’s to be expected and it is a healthy mindset for anyone who is to be filmed. If I find that a subject is extremely eager to be on camera, that’s usually somewhat of a red flag. It means they very much want a particular spin on how they’re portrayed to the public. I’d much rather work with someone who is reluctant, even unwilling at some level, to share their personal story by way of the camera.

It’s the director’s job to build trust, and to reveal to the public the very things that he or she had to spend time to uncover and learn about the individual. It’s much more commonplace today to have someone documenting you with all the various forms of invasive media we have, and it’s very normal for us to be observing people’s lives, but it’s still not a natural thing to have a camera following your activities. As NEA didn’t really know me all that well, I’m incredibly grateful for how gracious and open he and Demetra were in the process. In some sense, he had no idea what kind of film I was making, but I’m really glad he was willing to participate because I think that the world is already benefitting greatly from hearing his story. And over time I think the significance of his story will only continue to grow.

Where have you screened “A Life of the Mind,” and how did it do?

So far, the film has played at the Hoosierdance International Film Festival in Indiana, the Royal Starr Film Festival and East Lansing Film Festival in Michigan, the Christian Life International Film Festival in Canada and the Red Rock Film Festival in Utah. It has also received an award from the respected Best Shorts Competition. It’s screened with all manner of films, and in one block it played with films from Iran, Spain and Germany.

A lot of good things happen when you tell a good story, so NEA and I recently attended the Society of Adventist Philosophers conference in Texas, where NEA gave the keynote address and we screened the film. Time and time again that’s one of the most exciting parts of making a documentary—you get to see how it impacts the subject’s life and even extends their community; in this case they were so excited about NEA that they gave him the keynote address so he was able to further his impact on a group of people with whom I think he’ll discover he has many admirers.

How has this film broadened the circle of influence for not only NEA, but Andrews University?

By the end of the festival circuit, I think we can say thousands of new people will have heard of Andrews University and Niels-Erik Andreasen, and more importantly, have been re-inspired over [by?] the value and importance of education and giving yourself to an important cause. And I think this will be true from small rural towns to big cities to tourist vacation spots to huge university campuses.

How does “A Life of the Mind” fit into the typical profile of film festival submissions?

I’ve made a variety of different films over the years that have been screened all over the world, and I’ve also made niche films about specific groups of people—like Adventists—that have had a much smaller audience. Perhaps it’s because I’m so acutely aware of how insignificant Adventism is to the rest of the world, or at least to the fact that we almost don’t exist in media, film and the broader arts—though people like Ben Carson and projects like the Desmond Doss film ("Hacksaw Ridge") are changing this—but there is an almost hardwired part of me that is surprised by the fact that the film has done so well on the festival circuit, and that anyone outside of the folks who know NEA and Andrews would care for the story.

At the same time, however, all good stories have broader themes and ideas that are universally understood, felt and appreciated by all, and I was very intentional in making something that wasn’t speaking “Adventese.” Another filmmaker might have explored NEA’s impact and views on Adventist education, but I focused on things like the moment he discovered his passion, as well as the immense challenge and struggle of letting go of something he’s loved to do so much—all things that any human being with a heart can understand and empathize with.

Many films (and rightly so) are about controversial, challenging, or socio-politically sensitive topics. “A Life of the Mind” is neither of those and, if anything, I would describe the film as somewhat sentimental. In post-modernity to describe something as sentimental is more pejorative than anything else, so I’m not doing any favors for the film in saying that, but because the sentimentalism actually comes out, to a large degree, from the emotions that NEA displays as he leaves behind his first love, there is a legitimacy to it.

Why do you think it is that the public is showing interest in something so atypical?

I’ve programmed festivals in the past, so I know what they’re looking for with these events. Originality is important, and I don’t want to overstate my film here, but I don’t think there are a lot of films that show the full cycle of how an idea of being a teacher, planted in the mind of a young student, blossoms into a life as a very successful academic, and then arrives at its conclusion as Andreasen laments with how to properly lay to rest this exceptional calling to be a teacher. As it’s a very short film, I was free to include visual motifs and a circular narrative structure that blurred boundaries of time and underscores the power of one significant moment in a young individual’s life. Additionally, leaders are always difficult to access, so any time you can make a film about someone in a high position of privilege and influence you’re going to find there’s interest.

Tell us something you learned about NEA during the filmmaking process.

As a storyteller, you’re always trying to discover or even uncover things about your subjects that you find really interesting. And if they’re really interesting to you, and you have good instincts, then you can trust that they will be interesting for your audience. So to me, anything good I found out about NEA I wanted to make sure I put in the film, and that just happened to be this story about reading Socrates as a young boy and realizing at that moment that he, too, wanted to be a scholar and educator. That’s kind of storytelling gold, and I certainly wanted to share that with my audience.

One of the best reasons to make documentaries is that you’re always left a better person through these exchanges. On a personal level, as a relatively new educator myself, I have had a lot of big existential questions about higher education’s place in society, whether or not the model we’re existing on can and should continue, and at some level wondering if institutions like Andrews have a future. So getting to sit down and talk with a lifelong veteran like NEA was invaluable to me personally, as he gave me the kind of perspective that only he could. As it appears to me, he has an unwavering conviction about the University and the academic community, and that carries into his belief in the strong future of Andrews.

Related Links:

• Watch "A Life of the Mind"
• Read the last speech of Socrates
• Listen to the last speech of Socrates
• Presidential facts from past University presidents
• Office of the President
• Department of Visual Art, Communication & Design