In “Tender,” a boy seeks retribution after being attacked. This brutal character study on an unwell son and mother is directed with raw vision by Anthony Lucido. We asked him how the project started, what the biggest challenge was, and a recent film he’s loved…

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

I made films with my dad when I was really young. We'd go out in the neighborhood and shoot stuff till it kinda looked like a movie. Silly things like a man that makes things disappear or rip-offs of SNL Digital shorts. I've never known anything other than movies really, and at this point I'm not capable of having a real job, so it's movies or bust for me.

2) What’s the backstory here - what was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?

I honestly don't really know where half of my stuff comes from. I remember having a couple of images in my head like the forest and some of the backyard stuff and I was also listening to this band called Flanch. The music and the few images I had turned into a one page outline, and with that we went up to Monterey and just started shooting. I used a lot of resources I knew I could get for free. We shot in my grandma's house and my two main actors are my grandma and brother. It was a real family affair.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the best, and the least?

The biggest challenge of the film was working without a script. I wanted to work in a very free-form way and let the location tell us what to do, but in retrospect it just led to a lot of head scratching on the day. That being said, when things did come together, it really felt like magic. We had one scene in the backyard towards the end of the film with the boy. It was the end of a long day of shooting and we were all very tired. I wrote this big monologue for my brother to give to the skull. We started doing takes and he just wasn't feeling it. He was incapable of doing anything dishonest in front of the camera so he kept stopping halfway through and eventually was mumbling the thing. Then after a long break he started crying. I thought in the moment he was going to tell us to fuck off and stop recording but he didn't say anything. I realized he was giving us this moment. Him vulnerable, upset, tired, and defeated. I started crying myself and had to hold my mouth shut so I didn't blow the take. Keep in mind my grandma and dad are sitting in the next room hearing both us crying and I could hear them whispering about us and wondering if it was planned or not. After we called cut my brother and I hugged each other for a long time.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

Mister America. Tim Heidecker is a master. It's hilarious and heartbreaking and he's one of the greatest actors alive and I don't mean comedy actor or funny guy. I mean like academy award worthy acting. I hope he reads this and likes my movie and wanted to act for me. A boy can dream.

5) What’s next for you?

I have my next short film written and hopefully we'll be shooting in January. It's another character driven piece. This time I got a script!

Contact Info:

Website: http://www.anthonylucido.com

Instagram: @anthonyjosephlucido