5 Questions with Ryan Weatrowski
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I am a proud Gay, Polish/Mexican-American writer and director of (pretty exclusively) dark fantasy tales. From a military family, moving state to state in my formative years, there was continuous opportunity/necessity to reinvent myself. Storytelling was a social-survival tool for me. Now, I often use the wondrous to express the darker truths of my experience and those I deeply empathize with. I am directly inspired by ever evolving beliefs through history and aim fantastical metaphors toward aspects of life that are often argued about, because they're quite hard to communicate in general. For me, communicating through filmmaking is extremely effective and rewarding, therefore extremely worth the risks...?!
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
I knew I wanted to tell a contained story about a family. The inciting thought was considering how much of what makes up our personality are the peculiar and endlessly varied bonds of family. ABF tells the story of opposing sisters who've grown up in improbable circumstances, with only traumatic adolescent memories of their parents' volatile relationship as influence. I considered nature vs nurture and wondered what might occur by removing nurture at a fragile age and cranking up nature. The result is a fantastical depiction of sibling rivalry, full of metaphor and symbolism, familiar perhaps to Cain and Abel. In the end, Wren is a character who survives her family story in the most literal sense.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
Beyond finances and logistics, the biggest challenge was finding the right team. After 4 years of failed attempts, all of a sudden the most beautiful, supportive, talented women and queer creatives presented themselves. From there, things got easier. We all picked up and went to the desert with 5k, a truck full of furniture and far too much to accomplish. Not to sound dramatic, but divine intervention was at work. To be brief: the location we booked before the shoot fell through in Fall of 2019 and rescheduled for February 2020 (2 weeks before the whole world shut down), was sold to a massively supportive stranger, who ended up giving us total creative freedom for 4 days, for pennies. With no work lights, we happen to arrive on a full moon weekend (which made the pitch-black visible). On our final shooting day, an unexpected storm took our sunlight the moment after we shot our last daytime scene and instead of pummeling us with rain, provided an amazing flurry of wind for our night-fight. Against all odds and in the right place at the right time. My greatest take away from ABF, regardless of how it may be received, is the importance of working with the right people. It truly makes the impossible feel kinda chill.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I had no idea Faust, directed by F.W. Murnau (1926), existed until a few weeks ago. It completely ignited me. The way special effects were achieved at that time is masterful and so unlike anything we see today, it feels nearly forgotten and it's a shame. The shot in particular of the devil towering over the miniature village, how he eclipses the sun with his bat-like wing to cast a shadow of 'plague' upon them. Chills.
5) What’s next for you?
I wonder! I'm writing as always, trying to stay buttoned up for the right opportunity to present itself. I hope to shoot a second narrative short with operatic singer Holland Andrews come Spring 2021.
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IG: @ryweatrowski