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

My journey to filmmaking started with Ricky Martin music videos, THE MASK OF ZORRO (with Antonio Banderas), and David Copperfield. As a kid, these guys were my idols. Even today, I can still feel them in my work; I want my characters to whirl through space, save the day, and create spectacles. In high school, I went through many of the usual young filmmaker blunders – making a short film called Writer’s Block, getting another short into what I thought was the prestigious Cannes Short Film Corner, and writing melodramatic poetry to accompany my shorts. Thankfully, I have had a lot of great mentors, room to fall, and a bit of a spiritual awakening. Now, I try to make things for the right reasons with people I love.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

I’m sure all of us can identify with the experience of memories poking at us as we walk through old date-spots, reading journal entries, or wearing clothes loaded with experiences. After a break up a few years back, I began to wonder: how can we both shed and also celebrate memories of past partners?

I danced for some time growing up along with other movement-based practices, like martial arts. I leaned back into movement after the break-up. I found an odd reconciliation between working through things in dance and also letting them go. 

Thinking through this stuff, I hit up my dancer friend Iliana and my writer friend Melina, they are the two actors in the piece. Around the same time my friend Steven, the director of photography, told me he was free to shoot something. In one night, I wrote it, called Melina and Iliana, and messaged Jim-E on Insta to see if we could use his song.

On set and in the edit with Elliot Farinaro, it became a melting pot of ideas; each person brought their own memories of past relationships to sift through. The collective coming together is what makes the piece so alive and textured. I’m super grateful for this small team.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?!

The preproduction process was tight in terms of time – only a few days. I outlined each of the vignettes beforehand and predetermined some of the transitions. However, a lot of the planning, and almost the editing in itself, had to happen on set. I was constantly challenged to remember how we ended or began a scene in order to shoot the next. The easiest part was keeping my composure because it was such a small team that was made up of loving friends that I’ve known for years.

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

FORCE MAJEURE. Talk about drama. I loved it for all the reasons most of us would – the long takes that allow the characters to exist in the space unadulterated by cuts, the stellar performances, the magic of the mountain… One note that cut deep was when Tomas admitted to feeling betrayed by himself. It’s been a minute, but a while back I used to feel that way. it’s a complex feeling to portray: awakening to one’s self-loathing.

5) What’s next for you?

I’ve got two features I’m hoping to shoot soon. After wrestling with both scripts, they are finally financing and casting with really killer teams. I have faith they’ll get made, all in good time.

—

dantebi.com

IG: @dantebi_