Sundance Film Festival 2016
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Five Questions with The Birth of a Nation Director Nate Parker
For his debut as a feature film writer and director, Nate Parker has told the story of a personal hero: Nat Turner. The Birth of a Nation is also the first major fiction film about Turner, the leader of an infamous 1831 slave rebellion. Parker himself stars as Turner, having appeared in more than 20 films to date, including Red Hook Summer, The Great Debaters and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Below, Parker speaks with Filmmaker about his film’s eye-catching title, Turner’s legacy and what he hopes modern audiences take away from this story. The Birth of a Nation premieres in the U.S Dramatic Competition at […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 25, 2016 -
“I Had a Lot of Growing Up to Do”: Director Tahir Jetter | How to Tell You’re a Douchebag
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? The story behind this movie is one in which I came to realize that I had a […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 25, 2016 -
“Behind the Story of Social Injustice and Abuse”: Director Alejandro Fernández Almendras | Much Ado About Nothing
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? The film is based on a real event, a hit-and-run incident involving the son of a very […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 25, 2016 -
Sundance Dispatch 2: Manchester by the Sea, Lo and Behold and All These Sleepless Nights
The hype machine has gone well into overdrive on Manchester by the Sea, to the point that many not here but monitoring Twitter are already properly irritable/skeptical. I’ll keep it brief: now past the tribulations of Margaret‘s legal travails, attenuated release and masterpiece status (it’s true!), Kenneth Lonergan has made a very, very strong film. Margaret spun out the complications of a moment’s carelessness and tragedy in multiple directions — legally, personally, professionally — from a single starting point. Manchester processes twin strands of tragedy, both immediate and long-term. Immediate: surly drunk Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is yanked out of his Boston handyman routine by his brother’s sudden […]
by Vadim Rizov on Jan 24, 2016 -
“I Came Back Many Times Without My Camera”: Director Maya Goded | Plaza de la Soledad
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? The first time I came to La Merced, where I filmed Plaza de la Soledad, I was […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 24, 2016 -
“Fate Managed to Bring Us Back Together”: Director Andrew Ahn | Spa Night
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? After two weeks of shooting with one week left to go, my lead actor Joe Seo injured […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 24, 2016 -
“Swap Skywalker Out With a Black Kid”: Director JD Dillard | Sleight
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? Pushing for diversity in the movie wasn’t necessarily a mandate of ours, but when Alex and I […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 24, 2016 -
“A Film Reveals Itself As You Go Along”: Director Kelly Reichardt | Certain Women
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? I don’t exactly recall what film I thought I was going to make when I started on […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 24, 2016 -
“Targeting Women of Color”: Director Dawn Porter | Trapped
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? I was very attracted to this story as not just a story about choice, but about political […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 24, 2016 -
“To Portray Life as Joyful and Dynamic Amid the Horror”: Director Anna Rose Holmer | The Fits
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? One of the secrets I discovered while making The Fits was that it was a lot more […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 24, 2016
