Latvian immigrant and acclaimed sculptor Len Zuks has spent decades shaping scraps into stories and now his own life has been cast into film.
Best known locally as the artist behind Byford’s sculptures, Zuks is the subject of The Last Rooster, a documentary directed by James Hyams and produced by long-time friend Jay Jay Jegathesan.
The film will premiere at the WA Made Film Festival next Saturday, February 21, before making its international debut at the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival in the United States.
For Jegathesan, the project is the culmination of more than 20 years of friendship.
“From the moment I met him at a UWA Physics staff Christmas party, I knew there was a touch of magic in him,” he said.
“The way he thinks, the way he communicates, the way he creates, everything.
“We have been through many magical events and experiences over the years related to art, film and community, and I have always believed there was a wonderful feature film to be made on his life.”
During the filming, Zuks credited director James Hyams with helping him confront parts of himself he had carried quietly for years.
“The best part was James telling me off for being negative,” Zuks said with a laugh.
“He’s in his 40s but he told me off like he was my father.
“James attacked me when I needed to be attacked.
“I’m pretty cruisy but he ironed out a wrinkle that has been there all my life – I thought that was amazing.”
Zuks arrived in Australia from Latvia as a child and said the early years were marked by feelings of not belonging and bullying at school.
“All of that has a weight that goes around your psyche,” he said.
“But the thing is, at this point in my life, I have to accept all of those things as being magnificent.
“They were the building blocks that made me who I am now.
“That’s what James reinforced for me.”
Zuks’ sculptures capture moments of history and human experience.
He admitted choosing a favourite from the nine in Byford was nearly impossible.
“I look at the nurse when I’m in the presence of the nurse, and I look at her cape flowing in the wind – it’s hard metal, you know?” Zuks said.
“Then I look at the sculpture of the horse winning the Perth Cup, 100 years or so ago, and the jockey is a little bit caricature-style, really excited at the fact that he come across the finishing line, and then I like that.
“But just for argument’s sake, today, it’ll be the ex-serviceman.
“They came back from the war and were given farmland and there’s an axe there – they cleaned the bush with an axe and hard work.”
For Jegathesan, the film’s dual premieres marked and meaningful moment for Western Australian creatives.
He said the opportunity arose when Hyams happened to be visiting Perth during a narrow filming window.
“The stars aligned,” Jegathesan said.
“(WA Made Film Fest) is the most important festival in WA with a sole focus on films made by WA creatives,” he said.
“Really important as well that the international premiere will be at an Academy Award Qualifying Festival in the USA. I was over the moon when I received the news.
“The American Documentary and Animation Film Festival and Film Fund (AmDocs) is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.
“I look forward to taking the film on its journey.”
For Zuks, the recognition was deeply personal.
Beyond the festivals and accolades, the documentary represented permanence – a life etched not only in steel, but now on screen.
He said being chosen as the subject of the film was an honour, knowing his story would be preserved for generations to come.
