Today we’d like to introduce you to Cooper Sukaly.
Hi Cooper, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have worked in media but I never directed my own film until this year. I have a professional career that is very gratifying and rewarding but it is mostly separate from film. And I have plenty of other things that keep me busy—including a family—so I did not expect to ever be making a film. It was “not on my bingo card,” as the very overused phrase goes.
As trite as it may sound, it was in the aftermath of a breakup that I found myself in a particularly reflective headspace. One foggy morning in the middle of that time, I found myself shooting footage of the Transco Building and thought it looked surprisingly good. After several more months of work, I finished “I’d Give the Whole World to Be Back Where I Used to Be…”
The inspiration for the film is the opening of the 1979 Woody Allen film MANHATTAN. I wanted to replicate that opening sequence for Houston. But Houston is not Manhattan. If you don’t believe me, look at Google Maps.
Is “I’d Give the Whole World to Be Back Where I Used to Be…” the greatest film ever made? Yes. But that is just my opinion. It is an objective fact that it iss the best film I have ever personally made.
Having the film selected to show at the 2025 Houston Cinema Arts Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts was a very gratifying experience and one I will build on. I will definitely make more short films as much as life and my other pursuits and responsibilities allow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
On the whole, it has been a fairly smooth ride. I am a pretty lucky guy.
That said, learning how to make a film for the first time comes with a lot of doubt and confusion. You are constantly asking yourself if anyone will care, if you are wasting your time, etc.
The obstacles have mostly been internal, like pushing through perfectionism and fear of looking foolish. The reward has been discovering that when you lean into that uncomfortable, unknown space, you come out the other side sharper and able to be truer to the real version of yourself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I like to be a well-rounded person. I love business (particularly finance and markets) and I also love arts, particularly music and film. There’s just so many cool things about life, it’s hard to fit it all in.
I think there is too much separation between people’s professional and creative/inner lives; I’d like to show people that there is room for both and that the two are essential complements to each other.
I am most proud of my daughter.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think most of my real regrets are the risks I did not take. I do not think of myself as a natural-born gambler or thrill seeker. But at some point you realize that staying perfectly safe can be its own kind of danger, because you end up stuck in a version of yourself that never evolves.
So I think of risk as accepting that there is a cost to any real change. The biggest risk is the risk of stagnating.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooper_sukaly
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CooperSukaly
Image Credits
Film poster and black & white still from “I’d Give the Whole World to Be Back Where I Used to Be…” © Cooper Sukaly.
