ABOVE: Daniel Estrada in “Nobody’s Boy.” Photo courtesy of Harrison J. Bahe and Navajo Joe Films.
A cattleguard, a haphazardly strung barb-wire fence and open stretches of the Arizona desert dotted with saguaro cactus and the occasional dwelling are juxtapositioned alongside the neat rows of Southwestern styled pinkish single family homes in Northeastern Maricopa, County.
That barbwire barrier delineates the boundaries of two cultures, of two worlds, and two ways of life- that of the people of the Yavapai Nation at Fort McDowell and the residents of Fountain Hills in suburban Phoenix.
It was here that 31-year-old Harrison J. Bahe came of age and where growing up as a member of the Yavapai Nation and part Navajo, he felt compelled to become a filmmaker and tell stories. “We had cable, we went to Blockbuster, or we would go to Wal-Mart off the reservation and bought movies- first VHS and later DVD’s,” Bahe told the Blade. ” I grew up in a pretty normal way even in high school where I was a part of the marching band. Nothing earth shattering- just boring normal I guess,” he said.
Yet there was an urge to create, to document, to grab a camera and explore new worlds that he had blossoming in his mind and then graduating to film. “When I watched the movie ‘Dante’s Peak,’ I wanted to become a volcanologist. When I watched the movie ‘Twister,’ I wanted to chase tornadoes- and when I experienced the movie ‘From Dusk Till Dawn,’ I knew I wanted to become a filmmaker.
Inspired by directors such as Robert Rodriguez and Peter Jackson, he began his journey into the unpredictable world of indie low budget filmmaking in high school.
Beginning first with tiny short films, his skills with a camera grew with each new film eventually evolving into more mature dramatic film shorts.
After high school he went to a technical college, a film school in neighboring Phoenix, to polish his craft and he also made more films- hundreds of them. He created a YouTube Channel which serves as an outlet and a showcase for his cinematic fare.
Bahe often grabs friends and will arrange impromptu film sessions. “They’d literally be hanging out at my house and suddenly find themselves in front of my camera for a new film or idea,” he said. With a small or no budget and utilizing only one camera, Bahe and his merry band would be off to create in the very definition of the term ‘guerilla film making.’
Although Navajo Joe Films has a modest amount of subscribers when compared to other popular YouTube single creator channels, the views on a significant number of Bahe’s films are well over a million plus per video.
Bahe has not limited himself to pursuing only filmmaking either. Four years ago he set up a modest photography business to capture the eroticism and beauty of the male physique.
As an openly gay man he uses dating apps, particularly Grindr, to arrange photo sessions with his predominately male models, many of whom are Latino, Black, Native American, and are stunningly gorgeous. Bahe noted that he also shoots opposite sex couples and girls as well.
“I’m comfortable with myself, my parents always supported me- my being gay wasn’t a problem,” he said.
His first passion though is film and his latest directorial effort, the result of several years of writing, reworking the script, and finding the perfect moment has produced a remarkable short film.
Nobody’s Boy is brutally honest and has brought to the screen a first time cast who had never acted previously. Yet their performances feel authentic and three dimensional almost as if the camera is silently documenting their lives without a hint of cliché.
The storyline echoes the darkest areas of lives spent on the fringe with seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and tethered to the ugliness of alcoholism, loneliness, sexual trauma, and despair. As the film unfolds it becomes readily apparent that it paints a dark portrait, yet there remains a spark of hope and unashamed humanity embracing its characters.
Inspiration for certain themes for example, draws upon Bahe’s own life experiences, especially that of dealing with alcoholism due to a sibling who had battled through the trauma of that addiction.
The audience is first presented with Oscar, a deeply troubled, flawed sex worker and alcoholic whose deep apparent pain is reflected in every expression, glance, and his body language.
Oscar’s character has been given life by 26-year-old Hispanic-Native American call center worker, part-time exotic dancer, and male escort Daniel Estrada. “I knew I needed to be a real life character, especially to bring out Harrison’s vision,” Estrada told the Blade.
Unlike his character, Estrada was brought up in an affirming household coming out at as a young teenager, He wryly noted that while his mother knew, his father took a bit longer to come around but now is supporting to nearly the point of being over-protective. “Be careful he tells me now,” Estrada said.
His brother and sister didn’t care and as far as the sex worker aspect of his life, he admits that he very much enjoys being a catalyst for that sense of intimacy that his clients pay for- that and he enjoys being paid for it.
Estrada told the Blade that while there is a massive difference between the reality of his life and that of Oscar’s and while there were challenges to finding himself being able to dive into Oscar’s lowest points and despair, he found the collaborative working with Bahe and the other cast members helped him to find Oscar’s voice.
As Oscar’s tribulations and dealing with the outrages perpetrated against him while living on the lowest fringes of society seemingly escalates out of control, a client searching for his own peace and sense of intimacy- a human connection, enters his life.
The character of Mark, an over 50 something white single male is ably portrayed by John Dixon, who has been in the tech industry for over 35 years in sales and marketing management. He gives Mark a three dimensional easily relatable personage that has his own demons, uncertainties, and fragilities especially when dealing with the unknowns of Oscar’s.
There is a sense of chemistry between John as Mark and Daniel as Oscar that is absolutely believable.
Bahe told the Blade that the majority of Nobody’s Boy was shot with the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K version and a Google Pixel 5 mobile phone. The estimated shooting budget was most likely less than $100.
The film was shot for 13 days over four months in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic from November 2020 to March 2021.
However, the real magic of this film is in the accomplishments of its director and his cast inspired to bring a story to life and make it feel real.
Nobody’s Boy will premier April 23 on the Navajo Joe Films YouTube Channel.
