The story of “Bushman,” at Pacific Film Archive

Bushman, a film by David Schickele

Film director Rob Nillson, Activist and Environmentalist Gail Schickele, and Film Archivist Jon Shibata in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded January 25, 2024 at Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive.

Released in 1971 but filmed in 1968, the film “Bushman” is a masterpiece detailing the story of a Nigerian educator in San Francisco. The film vanished following its showing at various film festivals, and has now been digitized and restored, and will be shown at Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley on February 4th and 24th, with a theatrical release coming across the country from Kino/Lorber and Milestone Films.

This discussion with Gail Schickele, wife of the late director David Schickele (1937-1999), his friend, colleague and collaborator director Rob Nillson, and BAMPFA film archivist John Shibata focuses first on “Bushman” and David Schickele, how the film came about and what happened during and after the filming, and later with the film’s restoration, and a look at Rob Nillson’s career as film-maker.

Special thanks to AJ Fox and Susan Oxtoby of Pacific Film Archive.

Front photo: BAM/PFA. Inside photo: Richard Wolinsky.

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