5 Questions with Sophia Sabella & Pablo Feldman
1) Can you talk briefly about your backgrounds, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
We met in our high school theater program, so we’ve known each other through more than a few phases of our lives. We didn’t actually start writing and directing together until a few years ago. Pablo graduated from the acting department at Emerson College and started auditioning, while Sophia was finishing school at NYU. Graduating from college is a wonderful wake up call. We wanted to find a way to create without relying on other people, so we thought we would give writing a shot. We wrote... and it wasn’t great. We started watching a ton of movies and reading scripts. We became fascinated by all aspects of filmmaking and found our own way of telling stories. Typically, one of us will pitch an idea, hoping to ignite a spark in the other. If we’re both excited, we run with it.
2) What was the initial idea for this project, and how did it evolve from there?
We sat down on the couch one day to write a short film that we had been brainstorming for some time. As we began to write, we found ourselves lost in an unproductive argument over which one of us would act in the film. In the midst of our foolishness, we began laughing. This was the story we needed to tell, and it was far more captivating and honest than the story we were trying to write. From there, we built the script by modeling the absurdities displayed by eccentric people in our lives and pushed them even further.
3) What was the biggest challenge in creating the film? And the easiest part?
The most challenging part was getting the paint to splatter just right. Sophia created two identical paintings so we would have more than one shot at capturing the moment. The easiest aspect was working with our crew. We generally collaborate with the same group of people, and they are always down to get their hands dirty, which always makes for an exciting process.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
We recently watched “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” We can’t get enough of Yorgos Lanthimos. We love his absurdist yet straightforward style of filmmaking and find that watching his films push us to be more creative with our own ideas.
5) What’s next for you?
We recently wrote and directed a dystopian thriller short film based on the idea of loneliness and what people are willing to do to find human connection. It’s very relevant with everything that’s going on right now, and we can’t wait to share it. Also, we’re almost done writing our first feature, which has been in the works for almost two years. It’s a psychological thriller that follows a woman who will do anything to escape her current life. We are planning to shoot next year. We’re also writing another feature about a single parent who refuses to conform to society.
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Sophia Sabella: IG - @sophsabel | Facebook - Sophia C Sabella
Pablo Feldman: IG - @pabs.feldman | Facebook - Pablo Feldman