Meet the Makers - SBIFF

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MEET THE MAKERS

INTERVIEWS WITH SBIFF’S FILMMAKERS ISSUE #4 • JANUARY 31, 2014

WARREN Alex Beh

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his ride through the life of a twentysomething as he tries to win back a long-ago love, deal with his parents’ divorce, and expand his résumé beyond barista shows off the multifacted skills of this director/writer/star worth betting on.

WAS THIS STORY INSPIRED BY YOUR LIFE? I grew up in the town it takes place, Winnetka, Illinois, and I did work in what we the tradesmen call “The Coffee Business.” When I got out of college, I moved back to Chicago and was living in the house while my parents were divorcing. So, yes, it’s a bit inspired from real life. I wrote it based on a notion of “what would it be like if the girl you thought you were going to marry moved back into town?” That never happened to me.

I also have a large interest in the notion of doing what you really think you should do with your life, whether that is something buried deep down, or if it’s something you are already doing.

I’m interested in that about people, mainly because I’m interested in it for myself.

DO YOU FEEL STRONGEST AS WRITER, DIRECTOR, OR ACTOR? That’s a tough question because I feel that they all serve each other. I started off acting. I grew up in a house that was like an SNL sketch all the time. My mother is a drama teacher, so I was exposed to the craft very early on, and grew up analyzing performances and movies in general. I’ve always been very visual, so I guess that is where my directing comes from, and understanding acting well from a firsthand experience only strengthens my ability to work with actors. I don’t pride myself on being the greatest writer, but I love it and need to do it everyday.

THE ENDING SEEMS TO BE BOTH A DEFEAT AND VICTORY. The movie is about struggles with life decisions, and life-altering paths that we can all take at any moment. Warren is just terrified of following “the fear” if you will, because he knows life will be different after that. I guess the way to answer this is that, in any victory, there must be defeat along the way, rejections, passes, etc. We must conquer the known road to enter the unknown, and there we might, hopefully, find victory.

—Matt Kettmann SAT 2/1–1:20PM, SUN 2/2–7PM & TUE 2/4–8:30AM, METRO 4

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BFFS

Andrew Putschoegl

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FFs is one of those comedy films that strikes a memorable balance between crazy and predictable, the story of two female friends who fake a lesbian relationship in order to attend a couples weekend spa getaway. Its genius comes from the cast, a group of lesser-known comic actors who bring the lunacy and the desired outcome into simultaneous fruition. It’s not a profound film, but it’s not crazy at this point to predict it will be a festival fave.

THE FILM’S CASTING IS BRILLIANT. That started with Tara [Karsian] and Andrea [Grano], who not only wrote and produced the film, but star as Kat and Sam. I’m still not sure how they handled all of that responsibility, but I’m sure there was drinking involved. At least, I hope so. Tara, Andrea, and I worked closely with our casting directors Greg Orson and Joanna Davis to audition several dozen actors for the roles. We wanted to be sure that each couple who were cast had the right chemistry with each other and felt unique in the larger group.

IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS BASED ON SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. IS THAT TRUE? I think the reason it feels so genuine is because Tara and Andrea have been BFFs for more than a decade. While the story is fiction, their friendship

FRI 1/31–8AM, SAT 2/1–5PM & MON 2/3–7:20PM, METRO 4

is real. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who have seen the film and told me how relatable it is. They know people in their own lives who remind them of the characters on-screen, or they’ve been through something similar. I’m happy that the story resonates.

CONVERSELY, THE FILM SEEMS COMFORTABLY PREDICTABLE (IN A GOOD WAY), A CLEVERLY CONSTRUCTED GENRE MOVIE. WAS IT WRITING OR SPRITELY DIRECTION THAT KEEPS THE FILM SO ENJOYABLE? While I’d love to take all of the credit for the film being enjoyable, I think the reason it works is because of the script that Tara and Andrea wrote — that and the fact that we had such a good time making the film, which I believe comes across when watching it.

—D.J. Palladino

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ACROSS GRACE ALLEY Ralph Macchio

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he famed child actor Ralph Macchio takes the helm of this sweet short film about a boy growing up in a high-rise apartment who finds solace and sadness in watching his dancing neigbor across the alley.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DIRECTING? I have directed sporadically since 2001. My first film, Love Thy Brother, premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. I have written/ developed film/TV more consistently over this time, which is very process-oriented, but I thrive on the results-oriented element of directing. It’s a comfortable fit for me, and I plan to continue on a more consistent basis.

DOES HAVING BEEN A YOUNG ACTOR HELP YOU COMMUNICATE AS A DIRECTOR? I do think it has a hand in it. I know what it feels like to be one of the youngest people on the set.

I also have had the opportunity to learn from some of the finest filmmakers of my generation.

I use those experiences and implement them into my directorial work and communication. Often there is a shorthand and trust when actors direct actors.

—Matt Kettmann MON 2/3–7:40PM & THU 2/6–10:10PM, METRO 4

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TELL THIS PARTICULAR STORY? I have always been drawn to stories that are told through the eyes of a child. In this particular case, I was looking to create a story for Karina Smirnoff to showcase her talents and introduce her as an actress. I found the concept of innocent voyeurism a wonderful angle to draw the audience in to the film. I wanted to explore how lives can be enhanced through brief encounters.

Infusing music and dance within the storytelling was always a component from the start.

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THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN Felix van Groeningen

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f you like your love stories served with a harsh dose of reality, look no further than this Dutch romantic drama — and Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film — steeped in bluegrass and heartache and based on a play of the same name, which was written by the film’s star, Johan Heldenbergh. He plays Didier, a puppy-dog-eyed banjo player who falls hard for tattooed bombshell Elise (Veerle Baetens), and their lusty love affair quickly turns to baby (a scene-stealing Nell Cattrysse), marriage, and musical union — a match made in bohemian heaven — before things take a tragic turn.

WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL REACTION TO THE PLAY? I was totally blown away by it, had never experienced anything like it. I was immediately intrigued by it and started thinking about adapting it, but it took a long time for me to finally commit to it — another six months, I think.

TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE ADAPTATION PROCESS. The theater play was great but very uncinematic, so that made it hard for me to see independent.com presents

a film in it in the first place. Once we started working on it, we realized that it was going to be tough because there just was so, so much in it. There’s the love story and the sick child and the melodramatic turns, the political element, and the beautiful music. And somehow onstage that blended beautifully together. I guess I was afraid to turn a great play into a bad film.

WERE YOU A FAN OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC BEFORE? I didn’t know anything more than the songs that were in O Brother Where Art Thou?

WHAT IS IT ABOUT BLUEGRASS THAT MAKES THIS FILM WORK SO WELL? The music is part of the film on every possible level: It’s part of the characters; it’s part of the storytelling; it helps to understand what the film is about. It gives air to the viewer when they need it — but it never lets them go.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY? I hope they’ve experienced the same thing I’ve experienced the first time I saw the play (or even better, of course).

—Aly Comingore THU 2/6–4:30PM & SAT 2/8–7PM, LOBERO FRI 2/7–10:20PM , METRO 4

MEET THE MAKERS

CHU AND BLOSSOM Charles Chu

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ith equal parts cuteness and intelligence, this story about a Korean exchange student who must find his way alongside odd friends in small-town America is an often hilarious and beautiful analysis of Asian work ethic versus the artistic freedoms and independence promised by America.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO TELL THIS STORY? I grew up in a Korean family but in neighborhoods that were predominately other races. So I had identity issues. I also had relatives and friends that were FOBs (what Asians like to call foreigners that move to America, an acronym for “Fresh Off the Boat”), and I saw the issues that they had to confront. As adolescents, many of the ones I knew were shy from uncertainty and never revealed how creative, beautiful, and unique their souls were. We wanted to tell a story about someone who found the courage to do so.

HOW DID YOU PULL OFF THE ACCENT SO WELL? I worked hard on trying to find a happy medium between believable while still understandable, which can be more difficult than you think.

A very thick Korean accent is borderline indecipherable. I have friends and relatives that are native Koreans, so I spent as much time as possible with them soaking up as much as I could in terms of accent nuances and Korean body language. More difficult than the accent was actually speaking Korean without an American accent, which, my Korean friends have told me, I sound pretty awkward. Koreans are the harshest critics in the world.

FRI 1/31–4PM & SUN 2/2–1PM, METRO 4

THERE IS GREAT TENSION BETWEEN AMERICAN FREE-THINKING AND ASIAN HARD WORK. IS ONE BETTER THAN THE OTHER? The goal wasn’t to prescribe one set of values or cultural ideals over another or even to really define those in any concrete sense. We just wanted to focus on the story of how these specific outsider characters could grow and evolve and become better versions of themselves through their relationships with each other.

DO YOU EXPECT THE DISCIPLINE OF KSR TO TAKE OFF? We would be very proud if we inspired people to express themselves in what they believe in, just as long as its positive. How awesome would it be if you saw herds of people dressed as canines and cattle covered in fake blood/red jelly break-dance fighting in a flash mob protesting animal rights?

—Matt Kettmann

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NIGHT HAS SETTLED Steve Clark

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his narrative look at the sex-, booze-, and drug-filled lives of kids raised in early 1980s New York City is touching, if at times disturbing, in its portrayal of a lost generation raised by nannies and hooked on activites that shouldn’t be explored until later in life.

HOW MUCH IS THIS STORY FROM YOUR PERSONAL LIFE? Most of it is from my personal experiences growing up in the 1980s in New York City. I wrote the first version of the script 10 years ago and set it aside until a couple years ago when I tossed the first draft and rewrote it from scratch.

I had a Chilean housekeeper named Aida who was a very important maternal figure for me and a mother who was more friend/confidante than maternal figure. My best friend in 8th grade, a talented artist/writer, had an imaginary friend who was always up to things, like spray-painting trains upside down or seducing unsuspecting preschool teachers in chapel. This same friend also managed to steal some coke from his older brother when he was 13 or so, which he showed to me in school. So yes, it’s quite autobiographical.

WAS IT HARD WORKING WITH SO MANY YOUNG ACTORS? I was lucky to have two weeks of rehearsal with the young actors. Though they were all extremely talented and natural, they had to handle some intense material, so I was happy to have some time to acclimate them to that precocious-

SAT 2/1–7PM, SUN 2/2–10PM & TUE 2/4–10AM, METRO 4

coming-of-age-very-New-York-1980s world.

Some needed less coaxing than others!

DO YOU THINK THAT MORE FILMS SHOULD DIRECTLY ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL PERIOD OF OUR LIVES? I don’t think films should do anything except come from an authentic place from the filmmakers. Not meaning autobiographical but just true. Whatever their subject/genre may be.

When people start making films because they “should” or to fill gaps in certain perceived cultural lacunae, the audience is going to roll over and snore because it will be fake. Also, what a drag for the filmmaker. For me, films should at least come from an authentic place and strive to find a human truth within those parameters — whether it be cartoon or abstract art film — they wish to explore.

—Matt Kettmann

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DRIVEN

Ben Pitterle

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n in-depth look at the radical rigors of marathon swimming, this documentary, made by Santa Barbarians Brian Hall and Ben Pitterle and filmed predominately in the S.B. Channel, manages to wow with its story line while simultaneously mesmerize with its cinematography.

HOW DID YOU GUYS FIRST COME ACROSS THIS STORY? In 2006, I was asked to be a support kayaker for Ned Denison, a man attempting to swim 20 miles from Santa Cruz Island to Oxnard. I just thought it would be a cool opportunity to paddle across the Channel, but when we actually got out there, I quickly realized that I was witnessing something extraordinary. Starting a 20-mile swim, without a wet suit, in the middle of the night, out at the island with sea lions barking and who knows what lurking beneath us — this was not for the faint of heart. The rest of the swim played out in true dramatic fashion.

WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST ALONG THE WAY? I had no idea how tight-knit and vibrant the international marathon swimming community was, and I could never have imagined the level of trust and support that they would give to us throughout the project. Without question, this film would not have happened without their support.

ANY PLANS TO START DOING CRAZY-LONG SWIMS YOURSELF? Ha! I’ll admit that there was a brief couple of weeks during production when I may have contemplated something like that as a possibility, but man, I’m a skinny dude, that water is cold, and swimming in the ocean at night freaks me out! Let’s just say I don’t have anything on the calendar just yet.

—Ethan Stewart TUE 2/4–10AM & FRI 2/7–7PM, SB MUSEUM OF ART

ONE OF THE COOLEST PARTS IS HOW THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL ITSELF IS ALSO A STAR. TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THAT PROCESS. The rules of marathon swimming prohibit wet suits or support gear of nearly any sort. Goggles, speedo, and swim cap — that’s all that’s allowed.

Marathon swimming fully immerses and exposes its athletes to the elements in a way unlike any other competitive sport, so the Channel is a central character in this film. The cold, the dark, the wildlife, currents, wind chop, and vastness of the open ocean — these are all elements that each swimmer must overcome both physically and mentally.

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TO US

T.S. Meeks

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hen a couple retreats to their hotel room at the end of their wedding in this short fi lm by a Santa Ynez Valley–raised fi lmmaker, the conversation and mood dives away from revelry and toward something more like despair.

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MOUNT JOY Jack Lewars

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t’s one part indie rock band fi lm added to one part dramedy about a group of young people living on the fringes of rural Philadelphia.

THIS FEELS LIKE A LABOR OF LOVE — THE HASHING OUT OF REAL CIRCUMSTANCES, IF NOT JUST A LOVE OF THE LOCATION. TRUE? Absolutely. It takes place in the town where I grew up.

Every character is inspired by someone the writer and I knew. I wanted to capture what it felt like to live there, to fall in love, to go to shows, to while away the day with your friends at a bar. I also wanted to convey the conflicting feelings many of us had there. On one side, we wanted to stay in the comfort of our lives, and on the other, we hoped to experience bigger things.

THE CASTING IS DEFT, THE MAIN LEADS ARE MEMORABLE, BUT A LOT OF THE LITTLE ROLES SHINE, TOO. WAS THIS AN ACTOR’S FILM? In addition to the love story, this fi lm is about unknown artists on the verge of breaking out. We decided to stick with that theme in casting. We had the budget to select more well-known actors, but we chose to fi ll every role with really great actors who we felt should be known.

Th is decision may seem like a gamble, as we all know that celebrity sells movies. But I wanted this fi lm to feel authentic, and for me, that meant casting in this way.

HOW WAS THE MUSIC WRITTEN? HOW CENTRAL WAS IT TO FILMING? Music plays a major role in this movie. So we spent a lot of time on the soundtrack. Jay Della Valle, our leading man, wrote the music for the Living Daylights, the band in the fi lm. He really captured the tension, heartbreak, and joy of the different scenes. We also selected songs from the bands of our youth, the very bands this fi lm is about, plus we added some songs from bands we love now.

—D.J. Palladino

PLEASE TELL ME THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN ON YOUR OWN WEDDING DAY. No. Th is didn’t happen to me. Which I am very grateful for. I was inspired to write it after working as a bellman for many years. I would spend time with newlyweds as I checked them into their room. Some were on their third marriage and some their first. I found that a lot of them would treat their wedding night like any other day. I began to wonder what the newlyweds relationship was like and what brought them to that moment in time.

Are they gonna make it? Or were they just in love with the idea of each other? With all these questions haunting me, I started writing as if I were a fly on the wall in their honeymoon suite.

SHOULD PAST LOVES BE DISCUSSED BEFORE VOWS? I think everything should be on the table. A certain transparency needs to happen in the relationship. “The one that got away” needs to be talked about and moved past. You are two individuals before the vows with a history, brokenness, and wounds, but after the vows, you are partners together through the hurt … or at least that’s the idea.

WHAT SORT OF FEELINGS DID YOU HOPE TO CONVEY WITH YOUR DIRECTORIAL AND EDITING STYLE? I wanted to make it as intimate as possible: handheld and close. I wanted it to make the viewer feel as if they are right in the room with them. Then after their relationship shifts and they know more about each other, I wanted to capture the feeling of an open room with lots of dead space and silence ... stale. It is as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room and they are left gasping for air.

—Matt Kettmann FRI 2/7–2PM , LOBERO & SUN 2/9–4:40PM, METRO 4

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