Returning to his alma mater, filmmaker Kyle Henry ’93 ’94 captivated Rice University students with a candid 90-minute talk that offered hard-won advice and reflections on his prolific career in the film industry. Known for his bold narratives and tenacious approach to independent filmmaking, Henry used a mix of wisdom, humor and unflinching honesty to encourage current Rice students to pursue their creative ambitions with resilience and a sense of community.
Henry’s feature narrative directing debut “Room” premiered at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals and received two Film Independent Spirit Award nominations. He went on to create several acclaimed documentaries including “University Inc.,” which explores the corporatization of higher education, and “American Cowboy,” which follows a gay rodeo champion. Both documentaries premiered at South by Southwest with “University Inc.” touring North American colleges as part of the McCollege Tour supported by filmmakers Michael Moore and Richard Linklater. Henry also edited the award-winning “Manito” and more than 10 feature documentaries including “Audience of One,” “Light from the East” and Showtime’s “Trinidad.”
Henry was in Houston to screen his new documentary “Time Passages” at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival. The film explores Henry’s relationship with his mother, Elaine, during the pandemic’s early days when she was battling late-stage dementia. Mining his family archive and using creative techniques like photographic projection, Henry delved into their shared history to create a vivid family portrait that captured the complexities of American motherhood and self-sacrifice.
“Kyle showed immediate rapport with the audience and the students,” said Charles Dove, professor in the practice of visual arts. “It was indicative of his ability to connect with people on an emotional level, and that is invaluable to a documentarian.”
In his talk, Henry detailed the unique challenges he faced while creating “Time Passages,” especially during the pandemic. With limited crew and resources, Henry drew on earlier filmmaking techniques he’d developed at Rice and the University of Texas at Austin. Often working alone or with just two or three people in controlled environments, he adapted by using protective gear and embracing a minimalistic approach to capture deeply personal moments.
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” Henry said, adding that constraints pushed him to innovate and create a raw, intimate style for the film
Though he was passionate about storytelling from a young age, Henry’s path to filmmaking was not direct. Entering Rice as a biology major, he soon realized that his true interests lay elsewhere despite family pressure to pursue medicine.
“I kept going to film,” Henry said, crediting his Rice mentors for teaching him resilience. “The most important thing I learned here was perseverance to continue to make your work.”
Self-acceptance also played a pivotal role in his journey as an artist. While attending Rice during the height of the AIDS crisis, Henry said he came to terms with his identity, an experience he described as transformative. He encouraged students to embrace their individuality and emphasized the importance of finding a supportive community. In his college years, Henry collaborated with friends, hosting potlucks and making short films, a practice he continues to this day. Through mentoring programs like Full Spectrum Features Producers Lab, he remains committed to helping young filmmakers.
A recurring theme in Henry’s talk was his belief in the artistic value of mistakes. He described a camera malfunction that added a unique effect to one of his early films.
“You shouldn’t overlook your mistakes,” Henry said. “They could be interesting.”
Wrapping up his conversation with students, Henry encouraged them to embrace the power of their own experiences, reminding them that personal stories have universal appeal.
“If you believe that your own life is just as important as anyone else, by documenting your own life, you will find other people who are interested in you too,” Henry said. “We’re not that different from each other. There’s a wealth of drama that either has happened to you or will happen to you, and people are going to be interested in that.”
Watch the trailer for “Time Passages” here.