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Your new movie The
Long Way Back - in a few words, what is it about?
I’d
say it’s about redemption. Also, overcoming certain obstacles.
It is all of that, but mostly focusing on the central character - Max
Lyons, and ex-con who has been given a second chance in life. With
The Long Way Back
being a gangster movie of sorts, is that a genre especially dear to you,
and some of your genre favourites? And what can you tell us about your
movie's approach to the genre? I’m
a huge fan of films from the early 70s - Scarecrow, Night
Moves, Five Easy Pieces, French Connection, Death
Wish, Fingers. All
those movies play a part in one way or another. Other sources of
inspiration when writing The
Long Way Back, and is any of it based on personal experiences or
the like? Not
really. I mean I know of people who have had second chances in life, and
I do believe people should be forgiven for wrongs they have committed.
So, I guess I wanted to take a character who was down and out, and see
him through the hurdles he needs to overcome. To what extent could you actually identify
with The Long Way Back's
lead character Max - or any of the other characters, really? Well,
the underdog, really. Five Easy Pieces is a perfect example.
Nicholson’s character in that, he’s a guy who has a past, but
you’re not quite sure. But you know he can do better than what he’s
going through when we are introduced to him. Night Moves and The
Conversation with Gene Hackman are two of my personal favorites. I’m
drawn to deeply flawed characters, because let's be honest, life is hard
much of the time. What
can you tell us about your directorial approach to your story at hand?
This
is my 3rd feature film, and they are all very different, from conception
to completion. In regards to working with actors, I have worked
with many. But I like to give them room to move. I don’t like the term
- but “actor's director” I suppose it fits to
an extent. But I’m very detailed in my approach, and I know when an
actor needs tweaking if the scene isn’t going right.
Do
talk about The Long Way
Back's key cast, and why exactly these people? Well,
mostly all New York based actors. The lead, Denny Bess, has an extensive
theater background, as does Mark Borkowski and Sayra Player - both
members of the Actors Studio. I cast the film, and they were all
invested from day one - and it shows. Reyna Kahan is a NY actress, she
played in my short film Harsh Light, so I knew I could rely on
her. Conor Romero is another one to watch for. After he shot my film, he
starred on the Michael J. Fox Show, playing Michael’s son for
2 seasons. A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? It
was shot over a period of time, mostly because of financial
restrictions. So continuity was key. Shooting indie features - things pop
up, always full of surprises. I had to recast two parts after shooting
some earlier scenes. So, that wasn’t easy either. Shooting in New York
was challenging, and also without permits. But the crew was small, and
that certainly helped. The
$64-question of course, where can The
Long Way Back be seen?
Taking
offers from distributors as we speak. I have about three offers, so
figuring out which one is the right fit. Anything you can tell us
about audience and critical reception of The
Long Way Back? So
far so good. It has screened at about five film festivals, but of course
it’s all very different at the moment with Covid - and everything being
mostly virtual. The reviews have been wonderful. It’s a pretty
straight forward film. Any future projects you'd like to
share?
I
have several. I shot a few projects for writer Garry Michael White (writer of
Scarecrow with Al Pacino & Gene Hackman) last year.
One was a filmed stage play. I have a project called City of
Silence that is making the rounds with investors, and another film
with Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects) that I am trying
to get off the ground.
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Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever
else? At the moment there is a
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Long-Way-Back-552584021456390/ Anything else you're dying to mention and I have
merely forgotten to ask? Just
finished the trailer, and very happy with that, and can’t wait to
share this film with everyone. Thanks for the interview!
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