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Your new movie We
Die Alone - in a few words, what is it about?
We
Die Alone is a dramatic thriller about a guy who hides behind the
internet, ghosting women on dating websites because he is afraid to meet
them in person. Until one day when he meets his new next-door neighbor and
spirals out of control trying to connect with her in the real world.
Among
other things, We Die Alone
is a film about the modern dating world - so is any of this based on
personal dating experiences? And also, to what extent do you see yourself
in Aidan - or maybe in Chelsea or Elaine for that matter?
Yes,
I can certainly identify with each character in some way. Although I am
currently in a successful 7-year relationship, when I was writing We
Die Alone, I thought of the past and how I stood in my own way of having
meaningful romantic connections. When it comes to dating, some of the
defense mechanisms we develop to protect ourselves and avoid vulnerability
can seem crazy! Hopefully something we learn and grow from. Each
of the characters in We
Die Alone represents some things people do to
create emotional obstacles when dating.
(Other)
sources of inspiration when writing We
Die Alone?
I first
got the idea for We
Die Alone while on a hike in Los Angeles. The park
wasn’t overly crowded, but this was obviously a popular time to visit
this particular trail. I studied the other hikers taking in the temporary
escape from the city. Sometimes they offered a courtesy smile if their
eyes met another person’s, but mostly they ignored each other. I
began to think about interpersonal relationships and all of the missed
connections that must occur by people not truly acknowledging the
opportunities right in front of them. I believe everyone desires love
or validation on some level, and I enjoy mulling over the challenges in
finding successful romantic relationships. For some, finding a partner is effortless,
while others find it nearly impossible. I also believe that a person’s
ability or inability to find connection is a choice - whether conscious or
subconscious.
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Without giving too much away, We
Die Alone takes a turn towards the macabre in the finale - was
this at all intended from the get-go or did this only develop when
writing? I
love a good twist. So, I did enter the writing process knowing that one
was coming. For this, I thought about how I would expect the story to go
and then took an opposite approach. At least for me, We
Die Alone is also darkly humourous - would you at all agree, and
if so what can you tell us about your movie's brand of comedy?
I
do think it has humorous elements. Life has emotional layers, and I think
a good story should also have them. For We
Die Alone, I think comedy helped to sell some of the awkward and
endearing moments for Aidan.
What
can you tell us about your overall directorial approach to your story at
hand?
We
Die Alone is my most personal film to date, but it’s also my
most collaborative. Two-thirds of the cast are female, so it was important
for me to collaborate with women in the development and writing of this
project. Because this is a story about relationships, I spoke with
different people about dating and the varying tactics people use to
connect with potential love interests.
I
know directors get most of the credit for a film, but I really do
appreciate the collaborative aspects. It really does take a village, and as
a director, you can learn or discover a ton about your story just by
listening to and considering the perspectives of the crew members you
hired. To me, it adds dimension to a project. Of course, you can keep what
you like and discard what doesn’t resonate with you, but I like to
listen to hear points of view.
Do talk about We
Die Alone's key cast, and why exactly these people?
The
thing about We
Die Alone that I’m most excited to share with audiences
is the remarkable cast:
I
have been a fan of Emmy nominated actress Ashley Jones, who was my first
choice to play Elaine, since I initially watched her on the popular HBO
series True
Blood. At the time of production, she was on the soap opera
The Bold and The Beautiful, so I was excited she was available and
interested in working on the project.
I
immediately knew Samantha Boscarino was perfect to play the role of
Chelsea when she walked into the casting office. We auditioned a lot of
great actors that day, but Samantha had the talent and presence that
perfectly contrasted the other characters in the film.
Baker
Chase Powell, my producing partner, plays the main character Aidan. The
role of Aidan was very personal to me. I needed someone who could convey
the innocence of wanting to fall in love along with the dark realities of
being alone. I had directed Baker on a few other projects and always
enjoyed the experience. I was blown away by the depth and subtle nuances
that Baker brought to Aidan.
Every
time I watch the film, I’m moved by what the actors bring to the screen.
From the table read to production, these three seemed to intuitively
translate what I wanted to say with this film. I had so many wonderful
choices in the editing room.
A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
Thankfully
everything ran smoothly. The entire crew seemed enthusiastic about the
production, especially once we started shooting the scenes. It’s
exciting to see something written played out in front of you.
Our
only issue was that during our busiest day of shooting, there was a fire
drill at the location! My amazing AD, Nicholas Gianforti, was able to work
things out and we wound up finishing everything we had planned for the
day.
Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of We
Die Alone?
So
far it has been amazing. We won awards at nearly every festival we played
at. The audience has been extremely kind to us. We are noticing people
sharing the film and giving it really positive attention on the social
media platforms. The critics have been equally enthusiastic about the
film. You
spend months or years on a project and to even complete the film is a
miracle. The positive feedback and any critique have been appreciated.
Any future projects you'd like to
share? I
am currently developing a feature film. I also have completed two
experimental shorts (A Machine for Boredom & Orbital
Discourse) that are currently being submitted for next year’s
festival run. All the projects touch upon societal issues such as
capitalism, gentrification and each of our responsibilities /
participation in these issues. What got you into filmmaking in the first place,
and did you receive any formal training on the subject?
I
have always loved film. When I was a child, my aunt would bring me to the
movies almost weekly, and to this day we discuss film. Of course, film is a
great escape, but it is also a wonderful mechanism to visually discuss
your thoughts about any topic. I’ve never been the type that can
effortlessly stand in front of a group of people and talk about my point
of view, but I can certainly show them.
I
graduated from NYU where my major was sociology-oriented. This really
helped with story building. For
film technique, I currently take classes at UCLA. They have a wonderful
extension program that allows me to pick and choose the areas I wish to
expand on.
What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to We
Die Alone? I
did a webseries in 2015 with my producing partner Baker Chase Powell.
From there, we learned that we both love horror and suspense driven
material, so we founded our production company Glass Cabin
Films. Since
then we have done a few shorts including Vexed,
which currently has over a
million views on YouTube, and Sloven, which aired on PBS after winning the
REEL 13 contest for Best Short Film. How would you describe yourself as a
director?
As
I was saying, I definitely like to collaborate. Although I may be leading
the pack, I pick whomever I choose to work on my team for a reason. I am
not looking to work with a bunch of yes-men/women.
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Integrity
and communication are important to me. I expect people to follow through
on their commitments or communicate if plans change. A film has a lot of
moving parts and I find things work better when everyone is upfront with
their intentions and expectations.
Filmmakers who inspire you? Darren
Aronofsky, Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick are my biggest
inspirations at the moment. Your
favourite movies?
Black
Swan, anything
Hitchcock, Rosemary’s
Baby, The
Shining, The
Skeleton Key, Clash
of the Titans (1981), and
for my guilty pleasure runner up Can’t Buy Me Love (1986). Your/your movie's website, social media,
whatever else?
Links to watch We
Die Alone:
Amazon
Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08F4XCSPH/
Vimeo
On Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/wediealone
Social media - We
Die Alone:
Website: www.WeDieAloneFilm.com
Instagram/Twitter: @WeDieAloneFilm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wediealonefilm/
Marc Cartwright:
Website: www.MarcCartwright.com
Instagram/Twitter: @McPhotog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcCartwright/
Thanks for the
interview!
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