1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: But your movie has within the aesthetics of the movie. 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:06,679 So it's like the very way the move the story 3 00:00:06,759 --> 00:00:09,039 is told and the very way it's shot, and some 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:13,839 of the images embed the Holy Fool structure in it. 5 00:00:13,919 --> 00:00:16,120 So it's not like, you know, you're using a nice 6 00:00:16,199 --> 00:00:19,359 kind of normal way of people the way people modern 7 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,800 cinema audience looks at a movie like, here's just a 8 00:00:22,839 --> 00:00:25,920 frame a box and I'm watching a story. But you 9 00:00:26,039 --> 00:00:30,039 use aesthetic means in the story to bring about the thing, 10 00:00:30,079 --> 00:00:32,759 and so there's a there's an interesting modern aspect to 11 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:34,920 what you're doing. But that's why I think the movie 12 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:39,240 is so it's so particular because of that, because it 13 00:00:39,359 --> 00:00:41,640 because the very means by which you tell the story 14 00:00:41,759 --> 00:00:45,439 are making you experience what it is the movie's about. 15 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,679 This is Jonathan Peshel. Welcome to this and all the world. 16 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,760 Hello everyone, I am here with Josh David Jordan. Josh 17 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,239 is a Texan filmmaker. You can tell just by looking 18 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,760 at him he has just put out his not put 19 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,040 out like he just finished his second feature film, which 20 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,040 is called Altanto po Cristo. It is a really beautiful 21 00:01:30,079 --> 00:01:34,319 and poetic exploration of this imagery around the Holy fool 22 00:01:34,519 --> 00:01:37,959 and kind of this edge of the world symbolism of 23 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,560 this monastery in Texas. It's a very beautiful movie. I 24 00:01:41,599 --> 00:01:45,799 had the chance to see with Richard Rowland Deacon Seraphim, 25 00:01:46,439 --> 00:01:48,599 maybe a few months ago and was kind of blown away. 26 00:01:48,599 --> 00:01:51,599 I've been following this movie for several months for like 27 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,200 a year now, I think, you know, I met Josh before, 28 00:01:54,599 --> 00:01:56,640 and I'd seen a kind of rough cuff cut of 29 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,120 the movie, but finally seeing the final movie was really 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:04,120 quite And so Josh is doing something that is wild. 31 00:02:04,439 --> 00:02:08,599 It's it's a monastery in Texas. It is it has 32 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,439 this kind of southern feeling to it, but it also 33 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:16,199 is very It has all of this beautiful poetic approach. 34 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,840 Like Igmar Bergmann and Tarkowsky, it really is an art movie. 35 00:02:19,879 --> 00:02:23,479 And so I decided to get involved in any way 36 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:25,919 I could to help promote this because it's definitely worth 37 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,960 your time. And they are right now doing a kickstarter 38 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,960 where they're hoping to do a theatrical release, and so 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,199 they need some funds to be able to get the 40 00:02:35,199 --> 00:02:37,000 movie out there so people can see it. And there 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,599 are all kinds of amazing tiers where you can you 42 00:02:39,599 --> 00:02:42,400 can participate, have your name, the credits. You can you know, 43 00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:44,319 there's the top tiers. You will fly out and you 44 00:02:44,319 --> 00:02:47,680 can watch a movie with with Richard Deacon, Seraphim and 45 00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:51,240 I and Josh and stuff. So, so, Josh, thanks for 46 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,879 coming on and tell us a little bit about like 47 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,400 why you made this crazy movie in the first place. 48 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, what an intro. I'd take you everywhere I go though. 49 00:02:58,759 --> 00:03:01,000 I felt really good. Can you accomplished a lot today 50 00:03:01,039 --> 00:03:01,360 after that? 51 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:02,719 Speaker 3: Yeah? 52 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: So you know, El Tanto for Christo came about really 53 00:03:09,319 --> 00:03:12,960 from me almost not wanting to make a film like this. 54 00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:16,719 So I've been orthodox for eleven years now. I was 55 00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:20,960 a filmmaker before. From Dallas, Texas. I'll even go way back. 56 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,240 My dad was a traveling evangelist growing up, and so 57 00:03:25,319 --> 00:03:27,240 we were on the actual road with my dad. We 58 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,520 were in a station wagon. Me and my brother were 59 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,479 polyester three piece suits. We opened up. We were part 60 00:03:34,479 --> 00:03:37,599 of the act, act, the part of the service, and 61 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,560 in between that there was a lady named Gerald Deane. 62 00:03:40,599 --> 00:03:42,719 She looked like Loretta Lynn and she had a puppet 63 00:03:42,759 --> 00:03:46,039 named Ricky. They went on and then my dad, would 64 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,800 you know, close the White Center Revival down and we 65 00:03:48,879 --> 00:03:51,120 go onto the next town, and as a kid, you 66 00:03:51,199 --> 00:03:54,439 only know what you know, you know. So my dad 67 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,960 was an actor before he became a preacher in high 68 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,840 school and in college. So maybe genetically that's why I 69 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,080 was attracted to it, because I would always find the 70 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,080 puppeteer at the vacation Bible school or the summer camp 71 00:04:06,199 --> 00:04:09,439 or the church. And then obviously being the opening act 72 00:04:09,439 --> 00:04:11,159 for a lady who was eventual reloquest. She gave me 73 00:04:11,159 --> 00:04:13,439 my first puppet, and so I was always in this 74 00:04:13,599 --> 00:04:17,680 world of imagination. My dad said they'd be traveling, you know, 75 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,360 ten hours driving I would pop up from the back 76 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:20,800 seat and. 77 00:04:20,759 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 3: Just do a whole show, a whole puppet show. 78 00:04:23,319 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 2: And you know, growing up like that, this is you know, 79 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,720 this is the eighties, and so we're in the backwoods 80 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,959 of Mississippi. I'm not really even watching TV really, but 81 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,399 I knew I was drawn to this theatrical thing, this drama, 82 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,720 you know. And they talked about Noah's Ark and I 83 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,000 could see. I saw it, you know, I saw how 84 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,639 it looked. And you know, fast forward, You're in the 85 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:47,959 middle of nowhere and I'm not in la or New York. 86 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,560 And to be there you had to go to like 87 00:04:49,639 --> 00:04:51,879 NYU or a USC to do film because it was 88 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,079 film back then. It wasn't digital, and so the closest 89 00:04:55,079 --> 00:04:57,000 thing I could do was really acting. So I went 90 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,920 to Universus Missouri, I did acting, came back to Dalla, 91 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,480 I was in feature films. I did the sitcom, went 92 00:05:04,519 --> 00:05:07,720 out to LA and did the sitcom scrubs for an 93 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,920 episode or two, and the commercial work. 94 00:05:09,959 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 3: And there was. 95 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 2: Something like I felt like something was lacking, like I 96 00:05:13,079 --> 00:05:15,680 wasn't a part of the storytelling because you're there for 97 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,600 a day and people are there for you know, the 98 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,160 months and months and a year's editing. And I didn't 99 00:05:21,199 --> 00:05:23,519 know that I wanted to be a director until I 100 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,360 started making music videos and then I started making short films, 101 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,120 and then I was like, well, let's just make a 102 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:29,720 feature film. 103 00:05:29,759 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 3: So I made this role Won't Break, which. 104 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: Is about a Dallas, Texas singer songwriter who doesn't make 105 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,600 it and how it all comes about and how most 106 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:40,600 of my work comes about. As my wife, I was 107 00:05:40,639 --> 00:05:42,639 watching Netflix one night and I was just scrolling like 108 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:44,399 we all do, and she was like, what do you 109 00:05:44,399 --> 00:05:45,720 want to watch? I said, I want to watch a 110 00:05:45,759 --> 00:05:48,439 movie about a country singer who doesn't make it. You know, 111 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,560 we have the Fall from Grace, you know the old 112 00:05:50,639 --> 00:05:52,199 Guy where we have the guy who makes it and 113 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:53,480 he plays the theater. I was like, what about the 114 00:05:53,519 --> 00:05:55,920 guy who wakes up and he's forty years old and 115 00:05:55,959 --> 00:05:57,040 he's still playing bars? 116 00:05:57,079 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 3: What does he do? 117 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 2: What's that movie? And she goes, why don't you make it? 118 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:05,519 And so challenge accepted. We went and made it, and 119 00:06:06,639 --> 00:06:09,879 I realized I was able to make feature films and 120 00:06:09,879 --> 00:06:13,240 that people wanted to see them, and that film. 121 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 3: Traveled the world. 122 00:06:13,639 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 2: We went to Australia, went to Ireland, Scotland, and this 123 00:06:18,519 --> 00:06:22,399 whole time I'm orthodox and I'm planning my next films. 124 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,720 But in the services, I would look around at these 125 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,800 icons and my mind would wander a little bit. I'm like, well, 126 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,759 what's the story there? What's the story there? And I 127 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:37,000 start reading books. Then I'm really reading The Desert Fathers. 128 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,360 I'm really reading about the Fool for Christ. I'm just 129 00:06:40,399 --> 00:06:42,639 like become obsessed with this and I'm writing, I'm reading 130 00:06:42,639 --> 00:06:44,560 and I'm reading. I'm not even writing yet, I'm just reading. 131 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,199 And then I'm realizing I can't focus on these other 132 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,800 projects that I want to make because I feel like 133 00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:54,199 I need to make this film. And the thing that 134 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,240 dawned on me was like, you know, I'm a convert. 135 00:06:57,639 --> 00:06:59,839 I've only been Orthodox for at this time it was 136 00:07:00,199 --> 00:07:03,439 nine years, and I'm like, am I orthodox enough to 137 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,639 make a film about a holy fool? 138 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 3: I don't think I am. 139 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 2: But I realized, like Jess said, the world that I 140 00:07:12,439 --> 00:07:15,720 live in an orthodoxy here in Texas. You have a 141 00:07:15,759 --> 00:07:18,319 monastery here in Texas and there's only two nuns there 142 00:07:18,319 --> 00:07:20,040 and we go out there and help moull the yard. 143 00:07:20,079 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 3: And it's Texas. 144 00:07:21,519 --> 00:07:24,639 Speaker 2: You know, men and knights live next door, and they 145 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:27,519 they help out in just a whole nother world. 146 00:07:27,959 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 3: And I was like, well, that's my Orthodox world. I 147 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:30,720 can make that. 148 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,839 Speaker 2: And I started looking around, and you know, because you 149 00:07:33,879 --> 00:07:37,279 want to look for things as artists, as inspiration examples, 150 00:07:37,839 --> 00:07:40,279 and there just wasn't anything out there. And when I 151 00:07:40,279 --> 00:07:42,839 would talk about it, it did see foreign and that's 152 00:07:42,879 --> 00:07:45,000 when it clicked, because I love foreign films. I love 153 00:07:45,079 --> 00:07:49,040 European cinema, and you know, I love Wings of Desire, 154 00:07:49,399 --> 00:07:53,879 I love The Seventh Seal, I love Ordette. These are 155 00:07:53,879 --> 00:07:56,199 all films and when you watch Al Tanto per christa, 156 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,399 if you're a lover of films and a cenophile, and 157 00:07:59,519 --> 00:08:02,600 like those Tearan style films, you'll see the inspiration in there, 158 00:08:02,639 --> 00:08:04,839 because it's just like it just flooded through and it 159 00:08:04,879 --> 00:08:08,839 was a subconscious thing. I remember I was We're filming 160 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,000 a scene in the movie. It's the kitchen scene when 161 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,120 they're baking in the bread, and it wasn't working because 162 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,160 I had it like a Bergmann film. It was in 163 00:08:16,199 --> 00:08:19,399 my brain and it wasn't working. It was becoming really 164 00:08:19,399 --> 00:08:22,879 really funny and it was humorous, and our lot we 165 00:08:22,879 --> 00:08:25,519 were losing the lighting, and I remember my actor pulled 166 00:08:25,519 --> 00:08:27,240 me aside and he goes, I think you're trying to 167 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,279 get a certain thing across. 168 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 3: He's like, just let it go. He's like, it feels 169 00:08:31,279 --> 00:08:34,480 like this is like dead Man, like Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man. 170 00:08:34,519 --> 00:08:35,200 He was just let it be. 171 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: Let this be your own film. And that was on 172 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,200 day like three, and it just opened up the doors. 173 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,000 And I think if it wasn't for Frank Mosley, who's 174 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,720 a phenomenal actor, really saying that, and he's you know, 175 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,440 he's not Orthodox, he's not even Christian, but he was 176 00:08:52,519 --> 00:08:57,200 so moved I think by the process the reverence of 177 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,720 how things were going, and he was like, just roll 178 00:08:59,759 --> 00:09:00,000 with it. 179 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 3: So that was a long winded way of saying with Altanta. 180 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 2: For Cristo, how it came about maybe yeah, yeah. 181 00:09:07,039 --> 00:09:07,399 Speaker 3: And so. 182 00:09:08,919 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: When I watched the film, in some ways that you 183 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,440 hinted at it already is that there's something very surprising 184 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,039 about the clash of the different images in some ways 185 00:09:20,039 --> 00:09:22,159 the style of the movie. For people who've seen the 186 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,879 seen clips or images of it, it's a black and 187 00:09:24,879 --> 00:09:27,519 white movie. You know, it's a very composed movie. It 188 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,360 has that that like, it has the kind of composition, 189 00:09:30,639 --> 00:09:32,480 the styles of composition that you see like in a 190 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,679 Bergmann film where there's this black and white, uh, this 191 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,200 kind and it helps because the monks are dressed in black. 192 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:42,080 You know, there's something about already the setting that makes 193 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,320 it very beautiful and very interesting to look at. But 194 00:09:46,399 --> 00:09:50,320 that clashes with this kind of sweaty Dallas, you know, 195 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,039 feeling of the and then you know there there's a 196 00:09:53,039 --> 00:09:55,799 fish shack and there's this whole sense of right, it's 197 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,559 like this really and so you have all of these 198 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,159 these rising clashes, which seems to go well with the 199 00:10:02,279 --> 00:10:05,200 kind of holy fool imagery, but you know, what was 200 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:10,440 your I guess my question is it's like, what attracted 201 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,440 you to this foolishness, like this sense of the because 202 00:10:14,279 --> 00:10:16,080 people you have people I haven't seen yet, but there's 203 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,399 it really is in some ways it's it's one of 204 00:10:18,399 --> 00:10:23,679 the most surprising and deep explorations of imagery of folly 205 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,559 in the context of a monastery that I that I've seen. 206 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,039 So what attracted you to that particular type of the 207 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,240 carnival kind of foolish imagery that you bring into the movie? 208 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,799 Speaker 2: You know, I think it's like, you know, it goes 209 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:36,879 back to my childhood. It was like I was almost 210 00:10:36,879 --> 00:10:38,159 in a carnival in a way. 211 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,039 Speaker 1: Yeah, you said that, like when you talked about the 212 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:42,840 puppeteering and your dad minister. 213 00:10:42,919 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 2: It's like, yeah, And I think it was, you know, 214 00:10:45,399 --> 00:10:48,559 and there was a lot of uh, you know, it's 215 00:10:48,639 --> 00:10:52,559 very evangelical and it was very theatrical, and but you know, 216 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,320 I think if I wasn't doing that, if I wasn't 217 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:55,960 doing acting, if it was like back in the day 218 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 as a vaudeville, I'd probably run away with the circus. 219 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,879 That's just how my mind got how I really see 220 00:11:00,919 --> 00:11:04,879 the world. You know, I'm not a scholar, you know, 221 00:11:04,919 --> 00:11:08,399 I'm not an intellect in that type of way, but 222 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,080 I do visualize and see and I think, you know, 223 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:16,639 being in the theater as an actor, being an actor based, 224 00:11:17,159 --> 00:11:21,240 you really can't have any pride per sale on the stage. 225 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,320 You know, you are sort of a fool, you are 226 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:29,000 sort of a clown. You are entertaining the audience. And 227 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,799 so that part made sense to me. When I read 228 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,600 about saints, I was always attractive to the ones who 229 00:11:36,639 --> 00:11:40,519 did wild things like you know, climbing a tree and 230 00:11:40,519 --> 00:11:42,559 not coming down, and living in a tree and sleeping 231 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,559 in a tree and just praying for some reason, that 232 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,039 makes sense to me, you know. 233 00:11:47,919 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 3: And you know, it's like that. 234 00:11:50,399 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 2: I always tell my wife, I'm like, whenever I'm writing 235 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,639 and creating, if someone were to take my phone and 236 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,399 listen to my voice memos, they would put me in 237 00:11:57,399 --> 00:12:00,840 a mental institution, because I do the characters' voices before 238 00:12:00,919 --> 00:12:04,080 I write everything down. I act things out. It's really 239 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,679 how my brain works. And so when I would you know, 240 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,639 I was just reading so much about the Desert Fathers 241 00:12:10,639 --> 00:12:13,519 and about the fools for Christ, and it made me 242 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:17,519 understand Christ. It made me understand God and that's maybe 243 00:12:18,399 --> 00:12:21,519 a broad way to say it, but in a simple way, 244 00:12:21,519 --> 00:12:27,360 that's how I really understand it. I understand foolishness. I mean, 245 00:12:27,399 --> 00:12:32,039 I feel like, you know, forgive me, father, I'm a fool. 246 00:12:32,399 --> 00:12:35,480 That's something that I say time and time again. Not 247 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:37,600 that I'm trying to be a fool for Christ, but 248 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,240 I'm just like man, I am sometimes just an idiot. 249 00:12:40,519 --> 00:12:42,159 And you know, that word is used a lot in 250 00:12:42,519 --> 00:12:45,080 drama and in writing and stuff, and it totally makes 251 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,600 sense because there's a comedy to it. You know, when 252 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:53,200 people act bizarre or strange, it's borderline humor and comedy. 253 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,120 But in that is one step over. It's you know, 254 00:12:56,159 --> 00:12:59,120 it's seriousness and drama and very focused. I always go 255 00:12:59,159 --> 00:13:01,480 back to like Robin Willilliams, who was like the funniest 256 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,840 person in the world, but he also was like a 257 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,080 very quiet, deep thinker, you know, and it's there, You're 258 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,399 walking this fine line, and this is something so attracted 259 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,480 to that to me, and I really wanted to make 260 00:13:13,519 --> 00:13:16,720 sure that the audience was enjoying themselves. And so what 261 00:13:16,919 --> 00:13:21,360 better than to be able to freely write for a 262 00:13:21,399 --> 00:13:24,840 Texas monastery on this coast with this fool for Christ 263 00:13:24,879 --> 00:13:28,720 who's played by Matthew Posey, father John, and just watching 264 00:13:28,759 --> 00:13:33,399 his exploration from being a fool to being Yeah, I 265 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:34,960 don't want to give away any spoilers. 266 00:13:35,039 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, but so. 267 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,799 Speaker 1: The movie. So the movie is fascinating because in some ways, 268 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:44,799 you know, we talk about we're talking about it as 269 00:13:44,799 --> 00:13:46,759 if it's an Orthodox film. Okay, this is not an 270 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,960 Orthodox film, Like this is a film, and it's not 271 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,360 a there's no, there's absolutely. One of the things that 272 00:13:53,399 --> 00:13:56,960 attracted me to it is that the message or whatever 273 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:01,000 message there is, is embedded within the the entire esthetics 274 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,399 and the entire uh, you know, the story itself. There's 275 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:09,639 no how can I say it's not an evangelical film 276 00:14:09,639 --> 00:14:11,320 the way that a lot of Christian films are. It 277 00:14:11,399 --> 00:14:13,399 really is just a beautiful film. And so I was 278 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,720 curious to get a sense of because now that you 279 00:14:16,799 --> 00:14:18,720 probably had quite a few people watch it, You've got 280 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,600 people that are in the church, that are outside of 281 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,720 the church, people that are that are maybe some Orthodox, 282 00:14:23,759 --> 00:14:25,639 some Christians that aren't Orthodox, and then some people that 283 00:14:25,639 --> 00:14:28,759 are completely secular. And have you seen how do people 284 00:14:28,799 --> 00:14:29,360 react to it? 285 00:14:29,399 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 3: Like? 286 00:14:29,519 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: What is what has been people's take from these different 287 00:14:32,679 --> 00:14:34,320 slices of reality. 288 00:14:34,679 --> 00:14:35,759 Speaker 3: No, that's a great question. 289 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 2: You know, it really does seem like as of right now, 290 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,039 because the film hasn't been released wider, like you said, 291 00:14:42,039 --> 00:14:47,279 it's only been screened, uh privately, maybe a handful of times. 292 00:14:47,399 --> 00:14:49,960 And we have the big showing which had some of 293 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,399 our investors who are not Orthodox. And that's something else 294 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,159 as the majority of the patrons of the arts, the 295 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,480 big patrons of the arts of this film are not Orthodox, 296 00:15:00,559 --> 00:15:01,919 some are not even Christian. 297 00:15:02,919 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 3: I think that. 298 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 2: They saw the the what art we were producing. We 299 00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:10,039 did sort of a look book. We did a test 300 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,440 with Matthew Posey, and we filmed some stuff so people 301 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,039 could see what it's going to feel like. They loved 302 00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:16,519 the idea that it was going to be shot in 303 00:15:16,519 --> 00:15:19,080 this one six six to one ratio, black and white, 304 00:15:19,919 --> 00:15:22,080 a nod to European cinema, and they were all in. 305 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:28,039 You know a lot of people have questioned that are Orthodox. 306 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,000 It's get We get lots of messages and it's you know, 307 00:15:31,159 --> 00:15:32,639 has this film been blessed? 308 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,519 Speaker 3: Is this film orthodox enough? Is that? You know? 309 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,159 Speaker 2: And I get where they're coming from, Like, who's this 310 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,120 based on? How is this fictional? 311 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:42,039 Speaker 3: You know? How is this. 312 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 2: That's the one thing that I was I think because 313 00:15:44,879 --> 00:15:48,080 it hasn't been done in America before, which is a narrative, 314 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,000 fictional feature. Most things that we see in the Orthodox world, 315 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:57,000 as you know, is documentary and they're like mainly made 316 00:15:57,039 --> 00:16:00,519 in Greece or Russia, and they're beautiful and I love 317 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,200 those things, but you know, Orthodoxy is young in America, 318 00:16:05,279 --> 00:16:08,440 and I wanted to put my you know, fingerprint on 319 00:16:08,679 --> 00:16:12,120 making narrative features. You know, there's the Russian film Ostrof. 320 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:15,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the biggest I was just thinking about that movie. 321 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,120 I was thinking, if you want to compare your movie 322 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,679 to a movie that exists, that is the one to 323 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,679 compare it to. In the sense that it's a fictional 324 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,440 story about a monk, it also has this holy fool 325 00:16:25,559 --> 00:16:29,679 aspect to it, and so it's not like there is 326 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,080 no precedent for this, Like there are precedents for these 327 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:36,120 types of stories. But your vision is, how can I 328 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,320 say that it's like this is hard? I think people 329 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,720 will understand. It's like ostrov is a beautiful film about 330 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,200 about this character that is ambiguous to many people, and 331 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,200 it's kind of acting in a kind of holy ful 332 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,679 way and it's affecting people's lives. So it's a really 333 00:16:50,759 --> 00:16:53,639 it's worth watching. Everybody should watch. That movie's beautiful. But 334 00:16:53,879 --> 00:16:58,039 your movie has within the aesthetics of the movie, so 335 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,480 it's like the very way the mo the story told 336 00:17:00,559 --> 00:17:02,720 and the very way it's shot, and some of the 337 00:17:02,759 --> 00:17:07,559 images embed the Holy Fool structure in it. So it's 338 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,839 not like, you know, you're using a nice kind of 339 00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:13,839 normal way of people the way people a modern cinema 340 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,160 audience looks at a movie like, here's a just a 341 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,279 frame a box, and I'm watching a story. But you 342 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:23,400 use aesthetic means in the story to bring about the thing, 343 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,160 and so there's a there's an interesting modern aspect to 344 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,240 what you're doing. But that's why I think the movie 345 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:32,880 is so it's so particular because of that, because it 346 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,240 because the very means by which you tell the story 347 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,000 are making you experience what it is the movie's about. 348 00:17:39,039 --> 00:17:41,640 I don't know if you see the difference between what 349 00:17:41,759 --> 00:17:42,960 I'm trying to bring about. 350 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,079 Speaker 2: Sure, and I think a big thing and the thing 351 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:49,279 that was always uh you know, written in ink was 352 00:17:49,319 --> 00:17:51,400 it was going to be in black and white, and 353 00:17:52,079 --> 00:17:53,400 a lot of people are like, why is this in 354 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,400 black and white, even like a lot of producers or 355 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,279 distribution companies at first were like, because when I was 356 00:17:58,279 --> 00:18:00,319 doing it black and white, wasn't this big thing that 357 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:02,160 now has kind of taken off. Like there's been the 358 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,200 TV show Ripley that was in black and white, The 359 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,720 Lighthouse was light house, and then the Romo which won 360 00:18:09,759 --> 00:18:13,480 Academy Awards is a Catholic film called Eta by a 361 00:18:13,519 --> 00:18:15,759 Polish director, which is a phenomenal It won the Academy 362 00:18:15,759 --> 00:18:19,039 Award is in black and white, and I wanted that 363 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:21,640 was so important to me to make it black and white. 364 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,400 Was if anyone's ever been inside of a cathedral or 365 00:18:25,599 --> 00:18:30,519 an Orthodox church, the icon the iconography is gorgeous. You know, 366 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,599 all of the the you know, the candle the candle 367 00:18:33,599 --> 00:18:36,279 obbers and the candle holders. You have the smell of 368 00:18:36,319 --> 00:18:40,200 the incense, you're constantly moving. It's you know, you're participating 369 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,640 in that way. And I wanted to take away all 370 00:18:43,759 --> 00:18:46,680 of that, you know, and not rely on because we 371 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,680 can as filmmakers or as artists just be like that 372 00:18:49,759 --> 00:18:52,240 shot so beautiful because because of the color, but it 373 00:18:52,279 --> 00:18:54,799 does not help your film. It doesn't push the film along. 374 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,799 And the narrative along. You've you've sort of you've cheated 375 00:18:57,799 --> 00:19:00,799 the audience in a way, right, And I think making 376 00:19:00,839 --> 00:19:05,680 this black and white, the audience almost participates and they're 377 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,640 watching the story and it's not about like you said, 378 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,119 it's not about Orthodoxy. It's about these men who are 379 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,160 at this monastery, and you know, there's not a lot 380 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,279 of them. That was something that was really important to 381 00:19:18,319 --> 00:19:20,519 me because the monasteries I go to here in Texas, 382 00:19:20,559 --> 00:19:22,640 there's not a lot of it, not. 383 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,519 Speaker 1: A lot of monks in Texas. 384 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,039 Speaker 2: No, you know, I've never I haven't gone yet. We're 385 00:19:28,039 --> 00:19:30,680 going this year to Greece and you know, I'll get 386 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,720 a chance to go to Mount Athos. I haven't been there, 387 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:37,599 and I'm glad that i haven't been before making this film. 388 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's also something else like that. I'm going to 389 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,599 say this and probably people are gonna get annoyed with me, 390 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,039 But there's also because of the fact that there aren't 391 00:19:47,079 --> 00:19:51,200 many monks in North America, there is a very particular 392 00:19:51,319 --> 00:19:54,960 thing that happens, which is that not all the monasteries, 393 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:58,279 but some of the monasteries end up being a very strange, 394 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:03,240 ragtag group of very quirky people. That end up becoming 395 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,720 monkst in North America, whereas in countries where there's a 396 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,079 lot of monasteries, you know, things kind of even out. 397 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:12,880 But here in America, some of the monasteries they there's 398 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:17,200 some really uh very strange, strange, strange people that end 399 00:20:17,279 --> 00:20:18,519 up in those places. 400 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was, that was and that was really important 401 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,119 to me. And as uh some a priest also said, 402 00:20:26,759 --> 00:20:28,599 you know, I've been an abbot of a monastery for 403 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,039 a very long time, and uh, you nailed the monastery. 404 00:20:32,039 --> 00:20:33,279 Speaker 3: And I was like, okay, good. 405 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 2: I was a little bit worried, you know, and it 406 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,759 was all you know, lots of grace just writing and 407 00:20:37,799 --> 00:20:40,039 reading things and letting it subconsciously. You know, as an 408 00:20:40,079 --> 00:20:42,480 artist you just have to let things subconsciously come out 409 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,119 and you tell yourself, is this wrong or this ride? 410 00:20:46,279 --> 00:20:49,000 Or will the audience like that? And that's something that 411 00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:53,039 I really had to you know, throw out the window. 412 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,240 Was is the audience going to love this? Is the 413 00:20:56,319 --> 00:20:59,839 orthodox audience going to love this? Our produence protests is 414 00:20:59,839 --> 00:21:02,079 going to get drawn to this? How to really just 415 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:06,240 knock all those things out and just make a film, 416 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,400 you know, make a feature film, make an art film, 417 00:21:08,519 --> 00:21:11,160 and that was that was the most important because I 418 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,640 think if you do that, then truth will come out 419 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:14,160 for sure. 420 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 3: Mm hmmm. 421 00:21:15,559 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: And so what can I say? This's like I'm still 422 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,559 wanting to get a few sense of the reaction to 423 00:21:23,599 --> 00:21:26,000 the people like that. Let your your investors when they 424 00:21:26,039 --> 00:21:28,400 watch it, like what was there? How did they react? 425 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 3: What? 426 00:21:28,759 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 1: How did they see this? Like what because if a 427 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,599 lot of them weren't even Christian, weren't Orthodox, how did 428 00:21:33,599 --> 00:21:36,599 they perceive? Like did they get were they missing some 429 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:38,720 of the cues? It's hard to see from the like 430 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,680 from the outside because you have our own perspective, like 431 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,480 were they able to follow everything? Like was something so 432 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,519 esoteric that they couldn't really catch her? 433 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 2: It's so wild because the non Orthodox or non Christians, 434 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,680 mainly non Orthodox people who've watched it have never said 435 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:55,960 that they were ever confused. 436 00:21:56,079 --> 00:21:59,279 Speaker 3: They totally grasped the picture. 437 00:22:00,599 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 2: I've had several Orthodox say that they need to watch 438 00:22:03,559 --> 00:22:03,960 it again. 439 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 3: I've had several Orthodox people say. 440 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 2: Well, some of those things didn't seem very orthodox that 441 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:14,039 were happening in the film. And maybe I've never a 442 00:22:14,079 --> 00:22:16,519 lot of people have said like I've never seen orthodoxy 443 00:22:16,599 --> 00:22:22,200 like that before. And maybe it's because they have their 444 00:22:22,319 --> 00:22:26,359 own bubble of how they've perceived Orthodoxy, if they've been 445 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,039 you know, cratle or if they've been a convert or 446 00:22:28,039 --> 00:22:31,279 however it's been. We all have our different takes on it. 447 00:22:31,319 --> 00:22:34,319 But if you're not Orthodox, you're almost watching it like 448 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,079 it's the Seventh Seal or wings of Desire. You're not 449 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,640 coming into it seeing if things are correct or if 450 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,240 things are right or wrong. 451 00:22:42,319 --> 00:22:44,079 Speaker 3: But we did. I mean, as you know, we had 452 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:45,960 a lot of counsel in this film. 453 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 2: We had priests and bishops and the Metropolitan. We had 454 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:55,160 a lot of people reading the script giving notes. We 455 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,319 had someone there every single day. Father theophon was there 456 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,160 every single day making sure everything that was liturgical was liturgical. 457 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,799 We have, you know, our composer Michael Paris Gavis, who 458 00:23:07,039 --> 00:23:09,519 has just come off the Disney show Agatha all along. 459 00:23:10,319 --> 00:23:14,559 His dad was the choir director at Saint Saraphin for 460 00:23:14,559 --> 00:23:17,839 forty years and you know he's Orthodox. 461 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:19,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, But the way the music is a big part 462 00:23:19,839 --> 00:23:22,279 of this movie, you know, because it was interesting. I 463 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,279 watched the early cut of it, you know, and I 464 00:23:25,319 --> 00:23:27,960 could kind of get it, but when it came together 465 00:23:28,079 --> 00:23:32,079 with the music, it really it really ties everything together. 466 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,119 The score is really well done. 467 00:23:34,519 --> 00:23:37,599 Speaker 3: Yeah, he Michael wanted to. 468 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,599 Speaker 2: We talked about having like an American Gothics sound at Texas, 469 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,920 a little bit of an appellation sounds. There's banjo, but 470 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,200 there's also banjo and semtron, and then we have my 471 00:23:47,279 --> 00:23:50,079 wife's in the band, the Polyphonic Spree, and so we 472 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:54,319 had the Polyphonic Spree Choir sing on parts, and then 473 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,720 we had the Saint saraph From Choir sing on parts. 474 00:23:57,039 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 3: So there's this back and forth. 475 00:23:59,519 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 2: It's how I feel as a Texas Orthodox is You're 476 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,960 still have your roots, You're still you have your Southern roots, 477 00:24:09,319 --> 00:24:12,519 but you're also entering into Orthodoxy, and you know, how 478 00:24:12,519 --> 00:24:13,079 does that look? 479 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:13,799 Speaker 3: It looks different. 480 00:24:13,799 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 2: When I was first orthodox where there's a film festival 481 00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:20,079 down in Victoria, Texas, and it was during uh Pasca. 482 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,680 It was during a Holy week and we had gone 483 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,400 to service and I was new, it was newly Uh 484 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,000 we're catechumens at this time. 485 00:24:27,799 --> 00:24:28,559 Speaker 3: And I walk in. 486 00:24:28,839 --> 00:24:32,519 Speaker 2: Everyone's got beards and you know, they're uh there's chanting 487 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,839 involved and they're singing, and the main priest comes over 488 00:24:37,079 --> 00:24:39,000 to say hi to me, and I'm thinking in my brand. 489 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,240 I'm thinking he's either Greek or he's Russian. And he's like, 490 00:24:41,519 --> 00:24:43,519 what are y'all doing in town? And it was just 491 00:24:43,559 --> 00:24:48,039 like it's you know, it's so jarring in this. He's like, 492 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:50,359 y'all want to eat? We have some Chilian core you 493 00:24:50,599 --> 00:24:54,119 corn bread, and you're just like, oh, man, I love that. 494 00:24:54,319 --> 00:24:56,359 And that's what you when you go back to why 495 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:57,640 did I choose the Full for Christ? 496 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 3: Or why is it Texas, it's just this. 497 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,319 Speaker 2: I love things that are abstract and things that are constant, 498 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,559 you know, I love things that are you know, both 499 00:25:05,599 --> 00:25:10,640 at the same time. So yeah, I think with with 500 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,680 some Protestants, you know, I think it's more. 501 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 3: It's foreign. It's foreign to them as well. 502 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 2: There's a lot of Catholic people who are really really 503 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,480 excited that have watched it, that are that are really 504 00:25:24,519 --> 00:25:26,559 really moved by it. So I'm really you know, I'm 505 00:25:26,599 --> 00:25:30,279 really interested as you are to see like what everyone's 506 00:25:30,319 --> 00:25:32,759 going to really really think, because like you said, it's 507 00:25:33,799 --> 00:25:36,440 you said I think once this is a dangerous film 508 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,400 in a good way, and I think that's the kind 509 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,079 of cinema I'm drawn to. And I think a lot 510 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,799 of people like to go watch something that you participate 511 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:48,000 and you're gonna you drive home and you're you're processing it. 512 00:25:48,039 --> 00:25:49,400 And that's what a lot of people who are not 513 00:25:49,519 --> 00:25:52,319 Orthodox have said. They said, I've been thinking about your film, Josh. 514 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,720 It's really beautiful and I'm ready to watch it again. 515 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:56,799 So that's encouraging to me for sure. 516 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:57,079 Speaker 3: Yeah. 517 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,079 Speaker 1: One of the things that happens that when you watch 518 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,559 the movie, for sure, is you know, it's it's a 519 00:26:03,599 --> 00:26:07,759 demanding film, Like it demands of you because there are 520 00:26:07,799 --> 00:26:10,119 something that it doesn't give you, right, and it kind 521 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:13,200 of takes you long, and then it doesn't hand them 522 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,359 to you like you actually have to go get them. 523 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,720 And then once you get them, you realize, oh, and 524 00:26:17,759 --> 00:26:20,599 then things kind of come together and you can see 525 00:26:20,599 --> 00:26:24,039 the image you know, let's say, coming together. So it's 526 00:26:24,079 --> 00:26:27,400 a demanding film, but it also is this it smashes 527 00:26:27,519 --> 00:26:31,079 things together that, like you said, people aren't used to 528 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,440 seeing being put together. So you have this kind of 529 00:26:33,559 --> 00:26:37,319 home grown sense of Texas, you know, this kind of 530 00:26:39,599 --> 00:26:43,400 you know, rural feeling of Texas, right, and then that 531 00:26:43,559 --> 00:26:46,079 is smashed. Like on top of that, you have this 532 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,599 sense of Orthodoxy and of liturgical practice and the monastic life. 533 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,200 And then on top of that, you have this whole weird, 534 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,279 kind of fool for Christ carnival imagery for people who 535 00:26:56,279 --> 00:26:58,480 don't know there's actually like an actual little person who's 536 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:00,519 a monk in the movie that you know, and so 537 00:27:00,599 --> 00:27:03,480 it brings that adds all this kind of sense of 538 00:27:03,519 --> 00:27:08,359 a like like, yeah, like an old, old style carnival. 539 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:10,039 I won't I don't want to give things away, but 540 00:27:10,079 --> 00:27:11,680 there are a lot of these elements kind of coming 541 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,720 in together. And then on top of that you have 542 00:27:14,839 --> 00:27:17,920 this whole kind of European vision of cinema of like 543 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,680 Tarkowsky and Bergmann, a kind of surrealist element as well, 544 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,400 you know, this visionary cinema approach to It's like, I 545 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,480 don't never seen anything like it. I don't like when 546 00:27:29,519 --> 00:27:31,359 I try to explain it, it's like it's just all 547 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,400 these layers. But it doesn't. But in the end it 548 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,799 comes together as an experience that is quite powerful and beautiful, 549 00:27:36,839 --> 00:27:38,880 but it will be it is demanding of people. It's 550 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,920 not this is not popcorn cinema. This is this is art. 551 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:42,960 This is an art film. 552 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's times even the opening scene and this is 553 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:48,759 no spoiler, but it's The opening scene is an eight 554 00:27:48,839 --> 00:27:52,400 minute long take. There's no cuts, and I've had several 555 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,640 people have said, like I was waiting for it to 556 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:56,880 cut and turn and see Father John, but you never 557 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,519 never let us, and it sets a precedent for the 558 00:27:59,559 --> 00:28:02,200 film to say, like, sit back, you know, there's not 559 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,960 gonna be you know the Marvel two three second cuts 560 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,119 every you know, every five seconds that we're really gonna 561 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:12,480 we're gonna sit with this, almost like theater. But you 562 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,519 did touch on something when you said you talked about 563 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,279 the small person, the little person Seraphim in the film, 564 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,839 and he's based on Saint John the Dwarf. And so 565 00:28:24,039 --> 00:28:27,000 when people do talk to me and they say, well, 566 00:28:27,079 --> 00:28:28,839 is this you know, is this orthodox based? 567 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 3: All the of the Fool for Christ. 568 00:28:31,839 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 2: And all the monks in the movie are based on stories. 569 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:38,279 Speaker 3: Of the Orthodox saints. 570 00:28:38,519 --> 00:28:42,279 Speaker 2: There's nothing that I made up besides dialogue that was 571 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,279 did not pertain to some some things just filling in 572 00:28:45,319 --> 00:28:49,720 the gaps of dialogue, and but anything that is spiritual 573 00:28:49,759 --> 00:28:53,079 in the film, anything that's full for Christ driven, those 574 00:28:53,119 --> 00:28:56,400 were all taken from from stories. 575 00:28:57,079 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 3: And it was such an honor. 576 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,359 Speaker 2: And it was it's a blast for me to be 577 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:06,079 able to take those stories that we all know and 578 00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:08,680 it's like an easter egg. The people who are Orthodox 579 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,279 have been coming up to me and being like, oh 580 00:29:10,359 --> 00:29:13,119 is this that scene? Is that because of Saint John 581 00:29:13,119 --> 00:29:15,559 of Shanghai or you know. We start to break things 582 00:29:15,599 --> 00:29:17,799 down and it's a conversation and then say, I need 583 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,160 to watch it again because I think I missed I 584 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,519 think I missed that scene like when he's doing the 585 00:29:22,519 --> 00:29:25,720 there's a silent film scene when he's in the cathedral 586 00:29:25,799 --> 00:29:31,160 and he's doing his his gifts that's taken from Orthodox 587 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:31,880 stories as well. 588 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: About it, Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's every like like I said, 589 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:36,480 we don't want to spoil it, but there's like there 590 00:29:36,559 --> 00:29:39,519 really is. Because the thing is that you think also, 591 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:42,720 like you said, we already already hinting in this, is 592 00:29:42,759 --> 00:29:44,960 that you have this sense of okay, it's called the 593 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,960 Fool for Christ, right, But then by the time the 594 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,519 movie's over, you're actually like, well, wait a minute, who 595 00:29:50,559 --> 00:29:54,440 is the fool? Who's the Fool for Christ? Actually, then 596 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:57,119 you realize that it's actually a smashing together of all 597 00:29:57,279 --> 00:30:02,079 these little kind of Christian folly, layers of images that 598 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,039 have kind of been brought together and so anyway, so 599 00:30:06,039 --> 00:30:09,480 we'll let people discover it on their own. But yeah, 600 00:30:09,519 --> 00:30:11,240 so that's also part of kind of the And it's 601 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:14,480 something that I think a lot of people it'll come 602 00:30:14,519 --> 00:30:17,200 to them later. They'll watch it and then you're sitting 603 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,400 at home and you're like, oh, wait a minute, I 604 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,039 thought I got that, and then it's like no, no, 605 00:30:21,079 --> 00:30:23,559 these other images are kind of layering themselves into your 606 00:30:23,559 --> 00:30:26,400 memory and you realize there's something that you you kind 607 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,720 of saw but you didn't really completely understand. So it's 608 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,960 a yeah, I think it's definitely a movie that warrants evil, 609 00:30:33,079 --> 00:30:36,559 will warrant for several people that aren't fifty, people that 610 00:30:36,599 --> 00:30:39,440 aren't used to watching kind of art films and are 611 00:30:39,519 --> 00:30:42,799 used to just being handed everything, like, they'll probably want 612 00:30:42,839 --> 00:30:44,079 to watch it more than once. 613 00:30:44,599 --> 00:30:46,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so bizarre, Like you probably all the same 614 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,200 way here, Jonathan. But like a lot of the stuff 615 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,400 that I create art and stuff like that, it's like 616 00:30:51,839 --> 00:30:52,920 I can go back and watch it. 617 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,319 Speaker 3: Sometimes it could be a little cringey. 618 00:30:55,079 --> 00:30:57,519 Speaker 2: Because of something maybe I was going as dated, or 619 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,200 or maybe I wish I would that's always the of 620 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:00,519 his ours. 621 00:31:00,519 --> 00:31:01,519 Speaker 3: I wish I would have done this. 622 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 2: It's so bizarre with this film that I love watching 623 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,039 it with audiences. I love watching it because even I 624 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,920 watch it and I find new things that I guess 625 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,000 was a subconscious move from the actor, or from my cinematographer, 626 00:31:16,039 --> 00:31:19,440 or from me, or maybe I wrote it a certain way. 627 00:31:20,039 --> 00:31:23,000 But being so busy making the film, being so busy 628 00:31:23,119 --> 00:31:25,920 like editing, doing the sound design, now promoting it, now, 629 00:31:26,079 --> 00:31:29,279 you know, raising the money to put it into theatrical release. 630 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,200 I can watch it as an audience member, and I'm 631 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,559 really excited to keep watching it with people and talking 632 00:31:35,599 --> 00:31:38,079 to people about it, because, yeah, I have a lot 633 00:31:38,079 --> 00:31:38,640 of questions. 634 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: So folks, I would say, you know, we're going to 635 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,599 put the link to the Kickstarter in in the uh 636 00:31:47,799 --> 00:31:48,559 in the description. 637 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:50,359 Speaker 3: You know, we talk. 638 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,759 Speaker 1: About culture on this podcast. We talk about art, we 639 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:58,279 criticize the current state of artistic production. We're also trying 640 00:31:58,319 --> 00:32:02,440 to ourselves kind of create new things, beautiful things, powerful 641 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,240 things that are that are going to transform culture. And 642 00:32:06,319 --> 00:32:10,000 so this is a great possibility for you to participate 643 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,920 in a beautiful, powerful movie that is that is being made, 644 00:32:14,079 --> 00:32:15,759 you know, to be a part of it, to be 645 00:32:15,799 --> 00:32:19,240 able to help advance a new vision of culture, a 646 00:32:19,279 --> 00:32:22,480 new way of doing things and one that isn't naive 647 00:32:22,519 --> 00:32:26,160 but is deeply ingrained in everything we can learn from cinema, 648 00:32:26,279 --> 00:32:29,480 from from from our tradition, all of this kind of 649 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,599 brought together as a vision of what of what's possible. 650 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,920 And so really, folks, I encourage you to go there. 651 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:38,039 And it's cool because some of the tiers are really participative. 652 00:32:38,079 --> 00:32:39,599 You get to have your name in the credits, you 653 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,680 get to you know, have a special credit on IMDb. 654 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:44,920 You you know, like I said, it's they're really being 655 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,559 generous with what they're offering for people to h to 656 00:32:47,599 --> 00:32:50,079 participate in this. So this is a chance to uh 657 00:32:50,279 --> 00:32:53,000 to uh yeah, to not to not just be in 658 00:32:53,039 --> 00:32:56,480 despair of what's happening around us in the state of culture, 659 00:32:56,519 --> 00:33:00,640 but participate in in the future. So so and check 660 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,400 this out. And Josh, thank you for thank you for 661 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,480 doing this. You put a lot on the line. 662 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:05,599 Speaker 3: To do this. 663 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: You kind of you know, obviously you know you were 664 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,799 able to get through it. It's people don't understand how 665 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,839 insane it is to make a movie on your own, 666 00:33:15,079 --> 00:33:18,240 Like it's cleally crazy. So yeah, thank you for holding 667 00:33:18,279 --> 00:33:20,720 the vision and getting that done. And so maybe give 668 00:33:20,759 --> 00:33:23,359 people a last yeah, last sense of what it is 669 00:33:23,359 --> 00:33:26,160 you're hoping to see, like what you want to see happen, 670 00:33:26,279 --> 00:33:28,720 and yeah, and then we'll let people go to the Kickstarter. 671 00:33:28,799 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 3: Yeah. 672 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 2: I think it's really exciting that this is something that 673 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,920 hasn't been done before we talked about, which is a 674 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:38,799 North American fictional narrative feature with the background of Orthodoxy. 675 00:33:39,079 --> 00:33:41,960 And it's very important to watch this in a cinema. 676 00:33:43,039 --> 00:33:44,759 I think, you know, we all get distracted. 677 00:33:44,799 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 3: I do too. 678 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:47,599 Speaker 2: I have the Criterion Channel, and I get distracted, you know, 679 00:33:47,799 --> 00:33:50,039 grabbing a snack or checking on the pizza or looking 680 00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:52,599 at your phone. This film really does demand your attention, 681 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,240 like you're going to the opera or going to the theater. 682 00:33:57,279 --> 00:33:59,839 And so you can be a part of this Kickstarter 683 00:34:00,079 --> 00:34:02,799 and by just donating, you can purchase a ticket and 684 00:34:02,839 --> 00:34:05,240 if it's not coming into your town, you can have 685 00:34:05,319 --> 00:34:07,680 a live screening event where we're going to show it 686 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,920 on your computer on your TV and I'll take questions. 687 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:14,760 But yeah, we're trying to get this thing in most 688 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:18,360 cities in the US, and then we're going to go overseas. 689 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:22,639 We'll be in Romania and Greece this November, and so 690 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:26,360 we're building towards that, and really, I think it's going 691 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,079 to be fun because we're also doing a vinyl record 692 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:30,239 that'll have the soundtrack. 693 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,199 Speaker 3: It's a double vinyl. It'll have the music that's not 694 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:34,000 even in the movie. 695 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 2: It'll have stuff from Saint Sarah from chuir'll have dialogue 696 00:34:36,519 --> 00:34:38,760 like Walt Disney used to put out in those Disney movies. 697 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:41,159 Able to have the dialogue from the movie. So there's 698 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:44,639 so much exciting things that are happening. And if everyone 699 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,559 just shares this and then goes and brings friends and 700 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:52,400 discusses this film, it really will, I think, transform the 701 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:56,199 landscape of what else can come from that other people following. 702 00:34:56,599 --> 00:34:58,320 You know, I feel like I have a machete and 703 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,239 I'm there was no pass to this, and I'm making 704 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,239 it a machete and hopefully people will follow along. 705 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:05,400 Speaker 3: And we can keep creating beautiful art. 706 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,519 Speaker 1: Yeah, and like you know, like you hinted at one 707 00:35:08,519 --> 00:35:11,360 of the lowest tiers on the Kickstarter, it's like pretty 708 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,960 much the price of a ticket. It's like twenty dollars. 709 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,239 You know, you get exclusive VIP showing of the of 710 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,880 the movie, and so it's like if you even plan 711 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,079 to even just see this movie. Like, just go and 712 00:35:23,079 --> 00:35:25,559 support the kickstarter and it'll help them be able to 713 00:35:26,159 --> 00:35:30,360 participate in the Theatrica release. So, Josh, thanks for everything. 714 00:35:30,519 --> 00:35:33,559 And I'm excited to see this come out and I'm 715 00:35:33,559 --> 00:35:35,400 looking forward to seeing it again. I mean I've watched 716 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:41,440 it only once completely finished, and hopefully we'll get that done. 717 00:35:41,599 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you for being a part of it. 718 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,039 Speaker 2: It really means a lot, and I'm excited for everybody 719 00:35:45,039 --> 00:35:46,840 to finally see Altanta per Cristo. 720 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:50,159 Speaker 3: All right, thanks, all right, bye bye. 721 00:35:51,079 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed these videos and podcasts, please go to 722 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,679 the Symbolic World dot com website and see how you 723 00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:59,800 can support what we're doing. There are multiple subscriber tiers 724 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:02,840 with perks. There are apparel in books to purchase. So 725 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,039 go to the Symbolic World dot com and thank you 726 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:06,079 for your support.