Sundance Responses
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“Pretty Much Everything in Life Influences My Shooting”: DP Reuben Aaronson on The Cost of Silence
On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit experienced a deadly explosion that would be the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Over the course of 87 days, 130 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, and deadly chemicals were used in the lengthy clean-up process that civilians and workers were not warned about, leading to the effective poisoning of those in close proximity of the disaster. The U.S. government and the petrol companies have not been held accountable for the misuse of this chemical nearly a decade after the incident occurred. DP Reuben Aaronson […]
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“It Was Primarily a Process of Just Grinding It Out. And Grinding…And Grinding”: Editor Joe Beshenkovsky on Into the Deep
On August 10, 2017, journalist Kim Wall accompanied Peter Madsen on his homemade submarine in order to report a story about the charismatic inventor—but she never emerged to write the story, as Madsen murdered her while the submarine was submerged in the waters outside of Copenhagen. The murder shocked the global community, prompting discussions about protections for journalists and the underlying cruelty of Madsen. Director Emma Sullivan had actually began documenting Madsen the year before he murdered Wall, eventually culminating into the documentary Into the Deep about the culture surrounding Madsen and what led to Wall’s murder. Editor Joe Beshenkovsky […]
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“Getting Things Right Is Always an Exercise in Perseverance”: Editor Steven Moyer on La Leyenda Negra
Aleteia, a teenage girl from El Salvador who has spent most of her life in the U.S., finds herself as the new girl at a high school in Compton, California. Amid the awkward feelings of being an outsider, Aleteia finds solace in underground activism, where she feels valued and heard. But suddenly, her own protected status as an immigrant comes under attack, and she unexpectedly finds comfort in a budding friendship with Rosarito, one of the most popular girls at her school. Finally feeling a sense of belonging, Aleteia takes it on herself to figure out a way to stay […]
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“The Physical Demands Were No Small Challenge”: DP Lincoln Else on Rebuilding Paradise
After a devastating wildfire nearly decimated the town of Paradise, California on November 8, 2018 and left 85 people dead, the townspeople of Paradise decided to embark on an ambitious rebuilding of the town as opposed to abandoning it. While thousands of citizens were displaced—some still effectively remaining refugees—the inherent beauty of the Sierra Nevada foothills and the strong sense of community among the remaining residence was enough to guide the community through tremendous grief and inspire hope once again. DP Lincoln Else talks about the difficulties in presenting the day of the fire and the unique challenges of shooting […]
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“We Wanted the Stories to Speak for Themselves, Without Distractions”: DP Ava Benjamin Shorr on Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen
The portrayal of trans characters and their experiences comes under much-needed scrutiny in Sam Feders Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen. Utilizing an archive of trans representation in media throughout the years along with interviews with transgender creatives and thinkers, Feder argues that the exploration of trans stories has often been one-dimensional, disparaging and reflective of our society’s anxieties regarding sex and gender. DP Ava Benjamin Shorr delves into the importance of shooting anamorphic for this film while also navigating the technical difficulties of lighting (and pesky windows). Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your […]
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“A Bright Slice of Pepperoni”: Max Barbakow | Palm Springs
Whether capturing or creating a world, the objects onscreen tell as much of a story as the people within it. Whether sourced or accidental, insert shot or background detail, what prop or piece of set decoration do you find particularly integral to your film? What story does it tell? Led by our production designer, Jason Kisvarday, the art department was incredibly imaginative, passionate, and a bit twisted (in the best way), spoiling me with inspired options for every design choice. I had a lot of fun with the dream team of Marcy Silver (prop whiz) and Kelsi Ephraim (set dec) […]
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“On Super 16 There is a ‘Baked In’ Feel”: DP Declan Quinn on Sylvie’s Love
The summer of 1957 in New York City serves as the backdrop of Eugene Ashe’s Slyvie’s Love, a story of music and romance that centers around Sylvie, a young woman waiting for her fiancé to return from war, passing the time by working at her father’s record store. However, when the charming musician Robert walks in looking for a day job to support his career as a saxophonist, Slyvie’s head is turned. They embark on a long, whirlwind romance, even as Robert books his first concert overseas. DP Declan Quinn speaks about the various musical and period influences on Sylvie’s […]
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“We Wanted It to be Natural, Believable”: DP Declan Quinn on The Evening Hour
In rural Appalachia, Cole (Philip Ettinger), a health aide working at a nursing home, helps make ends meet by selling off excess pills from the townspeople to other local buyers. While Cole doesn’t see himself as perpetuating a culture of addiction, he finds himself in the center of conflict between the town’s drug kingpin when a childhood friend comes back to town and encourages Cole to assert his dominance in the local drug trade. Cinematographer Declan Quinn discusses the inspiration and technique that went into Braden King’s The Evening Hour. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]
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“My Editorial Philosophy is ‘Every Frame Matters'”: Editor Matt Friedman on Palm Springs
Max Barbakow’s feature debut, Palm Springs, centers around a destination wedding and a reluctant maid of honor, Sarah (Cristin Milioti), whose younger sister is the bride to be. She finds a fellow nihilist, Nyles (Andy Samberg), who is being strung along as the date of one of the bridesmaids. Their bond grows stronger as the events surrounding the wedding become increasingly more surreal. Editor Matt Friedman talks about his part in the process of making Palm Springs, from preserving the strength of the script to the necessity of VFX for small budget indie films. Filmmaker: How and why did you […]
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“We Had to Create Something Consistent Yet Genuine”: DP Quyen Tran on Palm Springs
In Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs, Sarah (Cristin Milioti) is reluctantly assuming the role of maid of honor at her younger sister’s destination wedding. When she meets Nyles (Andy Samburg) after he helps her bail on giving a toast, she realizes she’s found an ally who also thinks that the stuffy conventions of weddings are lame. Nyles is technically the date of another bridesmaid, but he and Sarah can’t help but feel drawn to each other, eventually embracing nihilistic sentiments about the whole ordeal as it becomes increasingly more surreal. DP Quyen Tran talks about playing with subjectivity through camerawork, the […]
