5 Questions with Peter Pavlakis ("This Whole Emotion Thing, Head On")

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

I love movies and went to school for directing. After graduating, just to make a living I started shooting, but over the years I got really into DPing, which I love (it has some of the creativity of directing, but with much less stress.) But I still find the time to direct my own projects every now and then.

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

I think it’s something that a lot of people struggle with - how to be there for others. It’s certainly something I need to improve on, the noise scene is actually based on something I do. But I also think it’s funny - why do we struggle with something as simple as listening?

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

Hardest was finding a location that wasn’t obscenely expensive. I managed to eventually find an abandoned architects office in park slope that hadn’t been used in a decade - there was no power and the bathroom didn’t work. But it had a weird soulless energy I was looking for and fit in the budget. And there’s never an easy part.

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

I watched Fort Tilden a few weeks ago and loved it. The characters are such terrible people - but in a way that you can understand and relate to.

5) What’s next for you?

I’m writing a feature that I’m hoping to make in the next year . I’ve been writing it on and off for seven years, it’s tough to get into a writing routine while also working as a DP, but I’m finally closing in on it.

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www.petercpavlakis.com | IG: @peter.pavlakis