Sundance Responses
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“The Profound Exchange Between Doctor and Patient” | Gianluca Matarrese, GEN_
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The most memorable day, without a doubt, was the very first day I met the doctor and began filming simultaneously. It was an overwhelming vortex of emotions. In just one day, I observed and listened to the stories of more than ten patients, stories of resilience, pain, and joy. All at once. All ages, […]
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“We All Brought Something Unique to the Table” | Rashad Frett, Ricky
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The most significant day for me was when my editor, Daysha Broadway; my co-writer, Lin Que Ayoung; and I gathered at an amazing restaurant in Chinatown to brainstorm and finetune the film’s edit. Over delicious food, laughter and deep conversation, we made key adjustments that truly elevated the project. That moment of collaboration felt […]
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“Sisyphean, but Ultimately Fortuitous” | James Sweeney, Twinless
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? Positive memories become idealized the more we retell them, and the negative ones vice versa—so I am hesitant to single out a most memorable day, because then it becomes canon… but I will answer the prompt! Being a director means making the tough decisions. My first instinct goes to the worst day, but I’m […]
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“Listening to Them Blew My Mind” | Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Sly Lives
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? There are two days that stand out. The first one is located not in this movie, even, but in my last film, Summer of Soul, which featured a performance by Sly and the Family Stone at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969. The energy of that performance leapt past that film and stayed with […]
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“Merging Aesthetic Elements and Practical Considerations”: DP Patrick Jones on By Design
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“We Filmed a Baby Being Born” | Dea Kulumbegashvili, April
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The most important day on set, not only while making April but also my previous films, is the day when we filmed a baby being born. We have prepared for this day for months, we thought we were ready. However when we actually witnessed and were able to grasp the moment of birth, it was […]
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“Set is a Pretty Box That Holds Me” | Amanda Kramer, By Design
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“I Realized We Were Going to Make this Film No Matter What” | Georgi Unkovski, DJ Ahmet
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? The night before principal photography began, I remember waking up at four in the morning, drenched in sweat, with only one though in my mind: “What am I doing?” That same morning, we started filming. I kept showing up for myself, my colleagues, and the film. I recall it so vividly because that moment felt like the […]
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“All of Us Cracked Up Hysterically” | Violet Du Feng, The Dating Game
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? To me, making films has been driven by the desire to express myself. But for filmmakers like me from more oppressive societies, for our films to reach audiences, we often learn to express ourselves indirectly, through metaphors, creating evocative atmospheres, or embedding subversion into narrative structures. In The Dating Game I was determined to express myself freely without […]
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“A Symbol of Hope and Inspiration for Future Generations”| Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? Casting Elvira, the lead role in my debut feature, was a big challenge. As a fairy tale, the film demands actors capable of embracing absurdity and heightened emotions while remaining grounded in the humanity of their characters. Elvira, in particular, required a unique blend of physicality, emotional depth, innate humor, and stamina for long […]
