5 Questions with John de Menil
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
My family is very stoic, and watching movies provided a shorthand, a gateway into a shared emotional language that brought us together. I think that’s where the desire to make films came from. We spoke personally to each other through our discourse around films. My dad is a very stoic guy. But the joke is that he’s always crying in movies. So you get the idea.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
I had met Finn on another project and thought he had such an amazing range, from humor to intensity. Really I wrote the short so that I could have an excuse to work with him again. I was nervous sending him the script, but he got what I was up to and was amazingly generous. Then we just had fun building the character together.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
Shooting in the car was tough. A lot going on in a tight space. The idea to shoot in a minivan actually came from wanting more space. But that was a happy accident, as the minivan’s sliding door ended up being integral to the ending.
The easiest part was working with this cast. The shoot came together very quickly, and I was lucky to get this ensemble. A lot of times on set it was just like, “sit back and let these people go at for a few minutes."
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I just saw Falling In Love with Robert Deniro and Meryl Streep. I had never even heard of it, and I was completely blown away by the powerfully simply directing choices. There’s an amazing moment where they kiss on a train platform, and the crossing extras really builds the intensity. It’s also great to see those two actors in a lighter movie. They bring a gravity that allows the film to exist in this amazing place between comedy and drama.
5) What’s next for you?
Several projects in the works, the most exciting of which is making sure everyone votes.
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IG: @letsbejohnest