WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:06.320 H oh is Bolt. 2 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:10.560 It's show tied. People say, good money to see this movie. 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.560 When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, 4 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:15.960 hot popcorn, and no monsters. 5 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:20.440 In the Protection Booth, everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring. Got 6 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:20.879 it off? 7 00:00:48.840 --> 00:01:00.119 No, no not now you don't know money? 8 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:12.640 I'm on, have you nehe. 9 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:22.200 And this has to be Hanley quill you. 10 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:46.439 She got to add. 11 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:53.760 Hey, folks, welcome to a special episode of the Projection Booth. 12 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:56.319 I'm your host Mike White. On this episode, I'm talking 13 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:59.799 with magde Alan Sorry, all about his new film The Vile. 14 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.120 It's currently playing festivals, including the Fantastic Fest. If you 15 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.959 are down in Austin, definitely check it out. Otherwise, keep 16 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:11.360 your eyes open for The Vile twenty twenty five coming 17 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:15.240 to a festival or theater hopefully near you. I would 18 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:17.319 love to hear a little bit more about you and 19 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:19.400 how you decided to get into filmmaking. 20 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:22.840 When I was in high school, I graduated, I went 21 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:26.000 to Long Beach. I was supposed to study business being 22 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:29.520 an Arab kid in early two thousands, that's what's expected 23 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:34.000 from you. But then I just fell into music. That's 24 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:38.000 how it actually actually started just music production, and then 25 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:41.199 from there it just evolved for me coming back and 26 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:44.800 then going to music college and then coming back there 27 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:46.479 was nothing for me to do other than be a 28 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:48.719 DJ and get paid one thousand dollars for the rest 29 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:51.080 of my life. But I was lucky at that time. 30 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:56.000 The Capsole will be where I'm from started investing in 31 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:58.800 entertainment and one of the companies that they opened up 32 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:02.800 was Imagination, and so I started interning there. That was 33 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.719 my I still love the art, of course, I love music, 34 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:07.360 and that was an easy transition for me to get 35 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:10.599 into film. And then from there just stody worked my 36 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:14.599 way up the ladder. I was an intern on a 37 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:17.120 Toby Hooper movie that was shot here and I was 38 00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:22.439 actually his driver for a month, and then did themed warehouses, 39 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.840 equipment houses, and then slowly built my way up. Did 40 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:28.280 my first short film and Imagination could put me as 41 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:31.199 a junior executive, and then from there I pitched my 42 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.879 first film which was called Rat the Cage, a case 43 00:03:33.879 --> 00:03:36.639 Sinzan and Arabic, which was in the Fantastic Fest almost 44 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.159 ten years ago. And then from there just I went 45 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:41.759 on to making my second phone Now, which is which 46 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:44.120 took ten years apart, but I was doing TV series 47 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:44.560 in the middle. 48 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:46.759 Tell me about Radle of the Cage. Where did you 49 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:47.439 actually shoot that? 50 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:51.680 We shot that in Jordan. Was a one location set built. 51 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:55.759 It was a blacklist script by two brilliant writer writers, 52 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:58.800 Ruckus and name Sky, which was a Southern American film. 53 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:01.800 But when I read it, it was all it's a 54 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:04.759 pure genre film contained in one location. I'm like, okay, 55 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:06.719 this is a perfect I was twenty five twenty six 56 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:08.439 at the time. I'm like, all right, if someone going 57 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:10.199 to roll with the dice on me, it must be 58 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:12.960 a smaller film. And ID pictures to majation and we 59 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:15.599 got in and then we shot her in Jordan, and yeah, 60 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:17.839 we finished up there. The production of it was there, 61 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:21.079 and then the post production of it was here in Dubai. 62 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:23.800 Ral Kid was one of the first few films actually 63 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:26.079 might have been one of the first few drama films 64 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:28.160 that came out from the region. And not only in 65 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:31.560 the AE, but now since we've seen a lot of 66 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:35.639 productions coming in from dark scale Hollywood productions like June, 67 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:38.120 but also at the same time, you're seeing a lot 68 00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:42.079 of independent filmmakers here making arac movies, whether it's in 69 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:46.000 different genres. There's horror film, another horror film coming out 70 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.040 from the AE this year, and then there's another dar 71 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:54.639 scale drama, local drama, regional drama that's coming out. So 72 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:56.920 it's nice to see there's multiple films coming out. And 73 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:58.480 back in the days when they roll of the Cage, 74 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:00.759 it was one movie year or two movies a year 75 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:05.040 maybe where are almost five six movies every quarter, So 76 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:08.560 it's nice to see it slowly growing. But yeah, that's exciting, 77 00:05:09.399 --> 00:05:12.040 especially with the Saudi market now opening up because we 78 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:14.000 are from the same age and we consume the same stuff. 79 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:18.240 That's a monster market to be that we all hope 80 00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:21.639 that will sustain us as independent or local filmmakers. 81 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.600 I'll say, do I remember Ry too that you've produced 82 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:25.240 a lot of stuff? 83 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:26.240 Yeah? 84 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:29.319 Yeah, what does that like to be a producer rather 85 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:30.759 than just directing? 86 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:33.560 See, directing by itself is different than that being a 87 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:35.519 director writer, which I've learned in this film because I 88 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:37.639 was the director for h on the Cage. I found 89 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:40.600 the script, but as such I didn't I wasn't involved 90 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:44.199 in writing the script. But it's also very different when 91 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.240 you're a producer on a film. I think I think 92 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:50.079 it's great because to be frank it's great to see 93 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:53.079 other people doing mistakes. That's part of it. And yeah, 94 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:54.480 then you being in the back kind of trying to 95 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:57.680 save it or even guiding them and making their vision 96 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:00.800 come to life without enforcing any And that's one thing 97 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:02.439 that I did as a producer is making sure that 98 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:05.600 I never interfere as a director. That director had is 99 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:10.319 waved far away from the set. But it's nice work 100 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:14.079 with other directors and see how their process is, whether 101 00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:15.920 with the things I agree with or don't agree with. 102 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:19.519 I've learned both ways. So it's always great to be 103 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:23.560 a producer on set. But I do enjoy directing way 104 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:27.079 more than producing, and say, to be very frankly, and 105 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:31.519 I actually do enjoy directing. Of course, I love developing scripts. 106 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:33.600 But this is what I found with the Vow that 107 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:35.839 was a bit tough is when because I wrote it 108 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:38.160 and directed it, it was a bit it was just 109 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:41.160 so person It's a story that comes from my community 110 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:43.040 and it came from me growing up and things. I 111 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.680 had this story, I had it in my head. I 112 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:46.480 just didn't know how to tackle it or the subject 113 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:50.319 matter for fifteen twelve years, So it was tougher for 114 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:52.120 me to direct this one, just because it felt like 115 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:54.360 closer to home. I might not be co writing it. 116 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:56.519 I might give it to very tad to write it, 117 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:57.000 to write it. 118 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:00.759 And I'll just direct it. So it sounds like this 119 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:03.319 one took a long time to just state. Was there 120 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:06.279 a moment where finally like slipped and you go, ah, 121 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:07.959 this is the key to this movie? 122 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:11.319 Yes, yeah, Yeah. It was just a slow process because 123 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:13.199 I knew I wanted to talk about the subject matter, 124 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:15.439 but also knew I wanted to talk about it in 125 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:18.120 a fun way where prison would watch it, would actually 126 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.519 enjoy it and not fall into the drama too much, 127 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.720 but yet respect that the subject matter, which is about 128 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:27.600 polygamy and about multi marriages. For me, it was an 129 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.439 instance where there was a friend that and we were 130 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:33.040 locked in somewhere and he was he wanted to come out, 131 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:36.360 and he was so excited for the weekend. And then 132 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:39.800 I found out that she's Mega's second wife. And this 133 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.800 stage age is very different than my father's generation or 134 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:47.319 my grandfather's generation, where he is really pushing the women's empowerment, 135 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:52.000 where we have women in high position in government and 136 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:57.120 in private sectors, and so it's not as I'd say, 137 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:00.399 as as common as it used to be. But young 138 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:02.480 guy just was going to do it. And it was 139 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:04.759 in fact that we're a group of guys and we're 140 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:07.920 a bit surprised, but I think we're more surprised into 141 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:10.399 the fact that he was doing good and not then 142 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:12.439 the first wife doesn't know about it, she has no 143 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:15.279 true I think that that brought me up to a question. 144 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:17.480 I'm like, how would how a father of two daughters. 145 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:19.399 I'm like, how would I how would my daughters feel? 146 00:08:19.399 --> 00:08:20.879 And how would I feel? How would my wife feel? 147 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:23.360 And I started questioning that and that that really pushed 148 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:25.240 me in, propelled me. And even though I had it, 149 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:28.240 I've seen in my community ten fifteen years, I think 150 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:30.680 that instance and you know, I'm like, Okay, this is 151 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.519 where what my what my angle is for this movie 152 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:35.720 and what I would just buy. But now looking at it, 153 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:37.879 I'm like, it just makes total sense. That's how we 154 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.039 want to do it. It's really take us, let the character, 155 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:43.080 let the money or here, take us on a journey 156 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:45.759 of what she would feel like going through this process 157 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:47.440 step by step and how it comes from the beginning 158 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:50.039 into that. And that kind of spurred me into that 159 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:53.600 conversation spurred me into doing massive research and getting people. 160 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:55.840 Even though I've grown around it, I just wanted to 161 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:58.519 get I want to get the deep cuts essay of 162 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:01.519 the subject matter. And then and through the research, it 163 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:03.559 just kind of started getting clear and clearer of what 164 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:04.440 this movie should be. 165 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.080 Did you run and past any women and say does 166 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:07.799 this ring true? 167 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:11.120 Of course, there's there's lines that were taken from my 168 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:15.600 family household and taken from other fabrics. And also my 169 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:19.480 actress at Badur is a large part of i'd say, 170 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:24.000 rewriting it as we're shooting it, and because she was 171 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.840 very close to the subject matter, so I really leaned 172 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.720 onto her and a lot of times and heard her voice. 173 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:33.360 Whether I like it or not, I just wanted for 174 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:36.320 me was chasing honesty and chasing the truthfulness. And then 175 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:38.320 of course there is the horror. That's the fun part 176 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.600 of it. But I still wanted to be true to 177 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.440 the voice of the women of the region that go 178 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:48.679 through this And yeah, that was technician. 179 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:50.799 Tell me a little bit about your co writer. 180 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:54.639 So Johnny is another writer, brilliant writer who I met 181 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:58.480 from the Blacklist. There was a script I read I 182 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:01.320 might have a blackness reader and I love it. My 183 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:04.600 first cript came from the Blacklist website and I met Johnny, 184 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:07.759 and I met a lot of tanted writers from around 185 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:10.000 the world on the Blacklist. So Johnny was one of 186 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:13.279 the really talented writers I've met, and we've developed a 187 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:16.639 few projects before this one. And then me and him 188 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:19.360 had the conversation. It wasn't easy. I think he was, 189 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:23.000 which rightfully, he come from Canada and he's maybe the 190 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:26.159 subject matter is not the one that should welve into 191 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:27.759 with you, and maybe you need a local writer. But 192 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:30.519 my issue was is I love the way he really 193 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:33.840 thought of structuring the scripts and how he writes. I 194 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:36.840 think we had a great relationship. I'm like, all that 195 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:39.080 the cultural stuff and the stuff that comes will come 196 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.039 from me, and I don't shoo to worry anything about that, 197 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:43.480 but I need your help with how we structure the 198 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:44.960 horror and how we bring it in and how we 199 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.840 bring it out. And so, yeah, he was a great 200 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:49.879 companion and it was a great partner to have on 201 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:50.399 the project. 202 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:52.960 Can you tell me how the cast came together? 203 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:56.679 Essentially, we had a set date to shoot the movie, 204 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:00.759 but then the last second we could which is couldn't 205 00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:02.919 I couldn't find the right money or the right hero, 206 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:07.120 and I really wanted someone that really understands this, whether 207 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:10.360 really when whether she went through it, or she had 208 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:13.600 family members and someone really close to home, close to 209 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:16.720 her home that went through it. And the cinemasine isn't big, 210 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:19.240 you wouldn't understand. But what we have here in the 211 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:23.200 OE is a big theater movement and community. So it 212 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:25.480 was just by accident me going to the charge Um 213 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:30.679 Theater Festival and the first show that came on, which 214 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:33.039 I really loved, was her being the hero of it. 215 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:35.320 I still remember this, and I was watching it and 216 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:36.919 I ended up crying, and then I was just like 217 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:39.200 I was tearing up. I'm like, the story was very beautiful, 218 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:42.399 the stage director was incredible, the acting work, everyone did 219 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:45.360 an incredible job. But she just she has had this 220 00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:47.879 energy in her and that I just kind of I'm like, 221 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:50.679 all right, because we've already casted everyone else but her, 222 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:54.600 so I had to recast everyone and put her in 223 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:57.480 the center point. And of course, after our first meeting, 224 00:11:57.559 --> 00:12:00.120 me sitting other than her being very extremely talented, mes 225 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:02.600 sitting with her and her telling me what she went 226 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.720 through from her family members and what she knows about 227 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:08.240 this subject matter. I knew she was the right person, 228 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.840 and so therefore we recasted everyone so we could have 229 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:15.440 her lead the project. Why the recasting, it didn't fit 230 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:17.720 the way she was, her age group, who she was 231 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:20.159 as a woman, her energy for me, that just didn't 232 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:23.240 It isn't well with the other castle we had already 233 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:26.279 because we had someone to play the money in the 234 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.200 beginning that didn't work out. She pulled out, so therefore 235 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:33.039 I was stuck with everyone else but the lead. But 236 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:35.639 then when a fond lead, that's everything. It's like a 237 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.240 puzzle that everything followed in a striz's place, so we 238 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:41.360 had to Unfortunately, they were very talented and extreme tatle 239 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:43.399 but they just didn't fit the family that I saw 240 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:46.200 in my head with the door or the actress that 241 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:46.799 plays some money. 242 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:49.600 Did you still make your shoot date? 243 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:52.600 We ended up pushing it for two months three months 244 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:55.879 to just prep just to get her because they actually 245 00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:57.559 had the theater and then so we just put for 246 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:00.919 two three months. So almost did you actually shoot this? 247 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.320 We shot this in twenty twenty three. Around the end 248 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:09.679 of August, we started shooting again and then we went 249 00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:16.039 till September and then yeah, and then editing since no editing. 250 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:20.639 Process of editing, which was one of my most was 251 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:24.480 maha moment in this movie where for right of the caid, 252 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:26.399 I knew exact how I'm shooting the film. I know 253 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:29.039 exactly how'm I'm cutting this movie right. I know when 254 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.840 I'm pretty much six seven months, I was done with 255 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.240 editing and we were in the online. I think with 256 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.240 this one it was a bit different that I tried 257 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:38.840 doing that and I realized smack me back in the face. 258 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.120 I was like, all right, this movie's not speaking to me. 259 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.840 And I realized that going with that attitude would be 260 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:46.879 the worst thing to do with this kind of movie. 261 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:49.960 And that's what I've learned. And I spoke to a 262 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:54.039 very close director friend of mine from Jordan, Najiabunoma and 263 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:57.799 who did the incredible movie called Vieb and he advised me, 264 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:01.399 He's like, listen, you are trying fight of taking it 265 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:03.639 from a two hour movie, let's say to an hour 266 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:05.480 and forty five minutes, and then there's something in the 267 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:07.759 middle is not working right, and you're trying to cut 268 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:11.000 and is once you just go to take you to 269 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.440 sacrifice it go to eight five minutes ninety minutes and 270 00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:16.000 then find out what you want to add to the 271 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:17.799 movie that I'm what you want to cut from them? 272 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:20.919 And I think that's that was my biggest moment where 273 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:23.600 I really realized, okay, what this film is and then 274 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.519 that film Then when I started doing that, the film 275 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:27.279 starts speaking to me. The charcter starts speaking to me. 276 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:30.399 Amani has a character and the story itself. The film 277 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.320 starts saying to me, what, hey, what this film needs 278 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.799 and what this what scene is needed? What's not needed? 279 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:39.399 Instead of me enforcing myself and my style and my 280 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:40.200 rhythm into the. 281 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.759 Movie, I wouldn't they actual shoot itself. Did you have 282 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:43.639 any difficulties? 283 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:48.480 That was great, It was incredible. I had a great 284 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:50.919 James who was my first ad. I had, of course 285 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:56.759 one of my incredible partner, my shpotographer Benjamin who shot 286 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:59.080 The Watcher, and then he came which is another spooky 287 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:01.559 imagation movie that he came on desk and we were 288 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.279 a tight ship on time and we shot on sixteen. 289 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:06.919 So that was one of the exciting that I never 290 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:08.840 I've shown in sixteen when I was when I went. 291 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:11.840 I dabbled in the beginning, but to shoot the film, 292 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:16.840 I was in incredible process. I just made it more 293 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.320 to lose. I had way more to if I did 294 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:22.919 mess ups, but but it went smoothly. I couldn't be luckier. 295 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:26.600 Yeah, I could really see the film in the movie, 296 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:28.919 which was so nice. It's almost like a special effect 297 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:29.440 these days. 298 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:32.600 When I did my first we just worked so hard 299 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:36.039 with a fog machine and go into the color grain 300 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:38.120 and put on the grain and so on this one, 301 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:40.279 we just shot it and it went to the and 302 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:43.120 then it went to and to post. We cut it 303 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.519 and literally the color grad was and that's it. We 304 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.080 didn't need to do all the run around that we 305 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:51.960 did we do on digital. I was lucky. I don't 306 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:55.639 think that's film. I'll be able to put it off again. 307 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:58.000 It's just because there's no condac film. So we had 308 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:01.279 to shoot everything here. We had to ship all the 309 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:05.240 film here and then shoot everything, store it and then 310 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:09.279 ship it back to the UK and then process it 311 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:12.519 and then know whether five days later whether our film 312 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:16.039 is intact or not, or if we were not. So 313 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:18.480 a lot of the film was filmed on stage, so 314 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:21.399 it came to a point where we're going to strike 315 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:23.639 the stage and I'm not going to have that stated 316 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:26.240 that that's the set design anymore. But yet the last 317 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:29.320 batch of film hasn't come back and have it's five 318 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:30.960 more that we need to wait five more days. So 319 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:34.360 there was that nervousness to it. But thank god everything 320 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:36.360 that came again, I was okay. 321 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:38.360 Quite a leap of face. Every single day. 322 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:40.759 It sounds, especially when you don't have a lab next 323 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:40.919 to you. 324 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:44.240 Your DP did a wonderful job. It looks so good. 325 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:45.480 Yeah he did. 326 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:50.600 Yeah, was incredible. It was incredible, so professional and so 327 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:53.639 on the point. It was, as I said, like a 328 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:57.200 type run ship. And we just banned out the shots 329 00:16:57.320 --> 00:16:59.840 and and we had a lot of room for improvisation, 330 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:02.519 which we did a lot in this movie because as 331 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:05.799 I said, having bador a mon who plays the main character, 332 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:11.000 even the Nore who plays plays her daughter, we just 333 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:12.720 wanted I wanted to keep that space for the actors 334 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:15.279 to be actors, and I did. I didn't want to 335 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.599 enforce like a certain thing because I think the main 336 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:20.880 thing other than the hard scares and the herd sequences 337 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:23.319 having the movie, which was of course like shot this 338 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:25.759 in and we storyboarded those parts. But for me, I 339 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:28.160 think the heart of this movie is the drama. That's 340 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:31.119 that family dynamic that we have, so I had we 341 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.799 had to just keep that space for them, and we 342 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:37.359 improvised a lot. We provised more than I anticipated. But 343 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:39.279 that was the beauty of it, because there's certain times 344 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.720 to go in. There's a beautiful scene in the movie 345 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:46.880 where Amani or main character or hero is watching after 346 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:48.519 her husband comes to her and says, hey, I have 347 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:51.359 someone else, and they forces this thing on her, that 348 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:54.839 sort of this the situation on her and she's just 349 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.680 watching and reminiscing of her she's watching them on the 350 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:01.440 TV of their weddings. But the good and for our 351 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:04.599 culture that day, and I always hear from my mom, right, 352 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:07.599 she always has that picture of it's just such a 353 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:10.519 big because back in the days, and it happens today 354 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:13.400 not as often happens a lot, I'll saying fift fifty 355 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.319 where it's a lot of his age, marriages and no 356 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.720 family members knowing each other, and it's long a sense 357 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.039 where hey don't see each other. No, not always, sometimes 358 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.519 it happens, but the ar scenario is where they were 359 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:24.200 speaking each other on the phone and when they go 360 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:26.160 out on a date, it's a whole two families together 361 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:30.839 and it becomes it's awkward situation. But for my mom 362 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.279 and I always hear it. For her, that wedding day 363 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:35.160 there was a big thing, and there's a VHS staatee, 364 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:37.559 there is a picture, and so on and so forth. 365 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.920 So there was a moment in the movie where she's 366 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.119 watching and reminiscing them back and looking back at what 367 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:46.720 they were once upon a time, and she just felt 368 00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:49.160 a different way than why we anticipated in the movie, 369 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.119 and for me as a director, I wanted to keep 370 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.720 that space for her, and it turned out to be 371 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:55.559 one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It's just 372 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.359 her watching watching the TV and the emotions they see 373 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:02.359 there as honest as it could be. I was surprised 374 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:05.359 that was floored, and I just didn't know how to 375 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:07.000 speak to her at that moment. I just let her 376 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:09.319 go on, you know what, you know how this feels, 377 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:11.519 So take this will. 378 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:15.400 I'm glad you're able to allow that improvisation, even though 379 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:17.519 you're shooting on film, which seems like that would kind 380 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:18.920 of limit the amount that you could do. 381 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:22.480 I think I was lucky having Steven and having Roy, 382 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:25.839 having Ben and Derek, and the the magation of the 383 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:29.039 Spooky team where they really I remember having the call 384 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.640 also whenever was the first weekend, and I remember having 385 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.720 this called from Ben Ross and his listen, you just 386 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:35.839 go get the movie. You will get to get the movie. 387 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:37.640 Of course, well the women are straight, don't go crazy. 388 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:42.279 But he really pushed me to the facts that are 389 00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:44.160 not if you're not getting the access to get to 390 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:45.880 a point where you want them to get to, or 391 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:47.960 they're not feeling that they got to the point they 392 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:51.400 want to, let's use the extra film. We could buy more, two, three, 393 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:54.319 four or five other roles to get that emotion's cross. 394 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.480 So ten years later, you're back at the Fantastic Fast. 395 00:19:57.559 --> 00:19:58.480 How does that feel for you? 396 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.720 Incredible? Love it. I love the festival. That was a 397 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:05.480 much changing experience for me for the first time. Before 398 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:07.119 that first time I went to I was because I 399 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:09.519 was in the I was again turning the film commission, 400 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:11.920 so you know what, the delegation will go can Sunday. 401 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:16.000