‘The Visit’, a dramatic short film
starring Academy Award Nominee June Squibb (‘Nebraska’, ‘About Schmidt’) and
Sean Maher (‘Firefly’, ‘Serenity’), written, directed and produced by Argentine
filmmaker Romina Schwedler, premiered this September at AMC Burbank 16 Theaters
as part of the Burbank International Film Festival. The piece was awarded ‘Best
Short Film by a Woman’, having come full circle for Schwedler and Squibb as it
was at the same festival’s award ceremony two years ago that the new director approached
the legendary actress with a flash drive containing the script for the film.
‘The Visit’ explores mental health
issues through an encounter between a man and his aging mother.
Hi Romina, it’s great catching up
with you in between your busy schedule. Congratulations on The Visit’s premiere
and award. This must have been extremely thrilling!
Thank you, it really was. On one
hand, this was the culmination of almost two years of nonstop work between
first draft and final cut, so having my cast and crew reunited to see the film
on the big screen was a treat in and of itself, but then the audience’s
enthusiasm made it that much more special for everyone involved in the project.
There comes a point during
post-production when you and your team cannot possibly be objective anymore and
it becomes a mystery how a real audience will react to the film. Will they love
it? Hate it? Will they remember it after the festival is over? But the
reactions we got were heartfelt, sincere and far beyond what anyone expected,
so I couldn’t be happier about that night. And as if this wasn’t enough, my
family was there with me all the way from Argentina. They have been extremely
supportive of me and this project and sharing that evening with them was a
dream come true. So the award on top of it was not only a great honor, but also
an unforgettable start to what I hope will be a successful festival circuit.
How was the process of casting two
great actors like June Squibb and Sean Maher? I understand there is quite a
unique story attached to getting June to be a part of the film.
Yes, I am so lucky to have had the
chance to work with such high caliber talent. June and Sean are not only
exceptional actors but they were also wonderful to work with. They truly went
out of their way to make their characters come to life and to make sure that I
had what I needed. The same goes for supporting actors Sadie Katz and Dominick
Coniglio who also did an outstanding job.
I saw the film ‘Nebraska’ as I was
writing the second draft of my script and was truly taken by June Squibb’s
performance; so much so, that from that moment on, as I wrote each line of
dialogue for one of the main characters, I couldn’t help but see her face and
hear her voice. When the screenplay was completed I thought, “why not reach out
to her agent?” So I did, but I did not receive a response (I learned later that
the agency was moving at the time and most likely never received my messages).
However, weeks later, serendipity kicked
in when I found out that my branded content/ micro-short ‘How a Man Gets Ready’
had been nominated for an award at the Burbank International Film Festival
where June was scheduled to be a presenter! So I came up with a plan to get
that script into her hands: I put the file on a flash drive along with a brief
video of myself asking her to please read the story. I taped the drive to my
business card and then, on the big night walked up to her table. She probably
thought I was nuts but she was gracious and kind and she promised that she
would read it. My heart was beating out of my chest as I walked back to my
table. Three weeks later, I received the nicest email from her… CUT TO: Here we
are!
With Sean the process was a bit more
traditional, I suppose. His manager contacted me when he saw the audition
notice I had posted for the role and said that Sean was interested in reading
the script. Sean has a particular appreciation for June’s work as well, so the
project had caught his attention.
When this happened, I had already
held all the auditions and callbacks for the role, and after a very difficult
process I was finally down to two actors although not really 100% set on
either. So when that call came in (on the exact day I was supposed to notify
the selected actor) it was serendipity all over again, because I couldn’t have
asked for a better ‘Ben’. In fact, not surprisingly Sean received a best actor
nomination for it.
However, it wasn’t easy. Everybody
loves Sean, everybody loves June. These are two busy actors. So getting
everyone’s schedule coordinated, considering –among other things- that we were
on opposite sides of the country, was challenging to say the least, but somehow
we made it happen!
Without giving too much away, give
us an idea of what ‘The Visit’ is about.
‘The Visit’ is the story of a family
changed forever by an unfortunate chain of events in connection with the
questionable past of Ben (Sean Maher), husband of a hardworking and hardheaded
woman (Sadie Katz), and father of a seven-year-old boy (Dominick Coniglio).
June Squibb plays Ben’s mom, and the story is told through an encounter between
them at the visiting area of a public hospital as well as through Ben’s
memories. Two of the main themes explored in the film are loss and denial.
Your debut piece ‘How a Man Gets
Ready’ won multiple awards and played for diverse audiences around the world,
besides getting you selected as one of the top emerging directors of 2014 by
the prestigious ‘SHOOT Magazine New Directors Showcase’. How did you get into filmmaking?
Also, what do you remember most about that very first production? Was it both
nerve-racking and exciting?
I actually sort of stumbled into
filmmaking. I had been performing since I was about 10. I started out as a
ballerina back in Buenos Aires, Argentina (where I was born and raised) and
then continued with singing and acting lessons, which in turn paved the way for
me to become a filmmaker.
Just about the time when my ballet
career was starting to take off in NY, I had a dance related surgery after
which I had to stop dancing for almost a year without any assurance that I’d be
able to dance again. So, during that year I decided to expand my artistic
training with music lessons at Juilliard and acting lessons at the William
Esper Studio. I was so excited to be expressing myself in this new way that I
actually continued on that path and never looked back; even though my ballet background
undoubtedly influences any work that I do today.
I acted for several years until one
day I thought of this idea for a commercial (where I would play one of the
roles), which I thought might be fun to get produced in order to have something
different to show my agent, new directors, etc. So I wrote it and then asked
someone I had recently worked with if he would like to be the DP on the
project. He loved the concept, so I did the casting, prepped the wardrobe,
scouted locations, and we shot it!
I had learned quite a bit about
filmmaking from being on set as an actress so I actually felt pretty comfortable
from the get-go. I wasn’t necessarily conscious of the fact that this was my
‘directorial debut’ though. I was just communicating to my cast and crew what I
had in mind for each shot and what I thought would be the best way to achieve
it.
So to answer your question, I was
definitely excited but I wasn’t nervous. I felt like I was playing, and this
was –or so I thought- just something new for my acting reel. But I loved every
minute of it, including pre & post-production, so when I was done I just
couldn’t wait to do it again.
When and why did you make the
decision of moving to the United States?
I traveled to NY when I was 15 years
old because I had been invited by the School of American Ballet. This was every
young dancer’s dream and it was certainly mine, so my parents supported my
decision both morally and –through great efforts- also financially. But we
didn’t know that this would lead to me moving here permanently -at such a young
age- by myself. I was just taking things one step at a time and somehow,
different opportunities would come up to keep me in NY year after year.
People ask me if I was a runaway
because 15 years old is a pretty crazy age for a girl to move to one of the
toughest cities in the world without knowing anybody or any English! I didn’t
think it was crazy then, but I know it was crazy now.
It was all the contrary to running
away though. I missed my family so much, still do, but this was the place where
I felt I should continue my creative path, and I guess my parents trusted the
way they had brought me up, so despite this being super difficult for them too,
they did what they believed was best for me and for that I’m eternally grateful
to them. I went through some really difficult times and crazy situations to say
the least, but I managed to come out of it in one piece and it all shaped the
person I am today, so I would do it all over again.
Who were some of your inspirations
in the film industry, growing up?
Well, growing up I had no idea that
I would end up making films so I experienced them in a completely different way
than I do today. What remains the same though, is that I couldn’t get enough of
them!
I especially loved the work of
Hitchcock, Kubrick, Nolan, Lynch, Allen and later on Linklater. They all in
different ways, made me feel understood through their storytelling. I’m finding
it fun to now go back to some of the films that made an impact on me then, like
‘2001 Space Odyssey’, and studying them from a different perspective.
I also love everything that has to
do with the human psyche so my favorite films have often been psychological
dramas or thrillers. But I enjoy other styles too of course, and can’t help but
also mention Chaplin, Fellini, Tornatore, Goddard, Puenzo, Subiela, Almodovar.
I could go on of course!
What has been your favorite
production to work on so far and why?
This is a tough question. I
definitely have favorite aspects of each production I’ve worked on, but picking
one over another feels like deciding whether you love your mom or your dad
more, or one of your kids more than the other.
What I can say is that ‘The Visit’
was definitely my most challenging production yet. A lot was at stake in this
case. I was working with the highest budget, the largest cast, the largest
crew, the most difficult locations and the most difficult ‘everything’ I had
ever worked with, so it was a crazy experience but I absolutely loved it!
How do you come up with your
concepts and ideas when making a film and what inspired the idea for ‘The
Visit’?
The idea for ‘The Visit’ came from a
phone conversation with my father where he shared that my late great aunt (at
the time 102) had been telling him about this party she was supposed to attend
where her parents and her sister were going to be. Due to her advanced age she
had lost all friends and family members from her generation so this was the way
her brain helped her cope. As my father and I kept talking, an idea was
triggered in my mind after which I could not think of anything else. I had to
get the story written and produced.
For each concept I’ve had, there has
been a moment when something caught my attention and then an idea came to take
that ‘something’ a bit farther. The less you’re thinking or looking for ideas
the better, in my experience. Ideas can come from anywhere: A trip to the
supermarket, the news, a frustrating argument, etc. So I think it’s important
to be alert and connected to the world around you besides ‘being in your own
world’. None of these are good without the other.
With my boyfriend (who was also the
cinematographer on ‘The Visit’ and my filmmaking mentor in so many ways), we
try to immerse ourselves in diverse cultural activities that go beyond film,
which we feel expands the mind in ways we’re not even aware of. So, we just try
to not let too much time go by without a trip to MOMA, Lincoln Center or an
Off-Broadway play.
What other projects do you have
coming up and what are your plans for the future?
Right now I’m in the process of writing
another short which I’d like to produce in the Spring/Summer of 2017; and I’ve
written a feature screenplay that I’m totally psyched about and hope can be my
next project after that. However, I’m currently in conversations for two
directing jobs which -if they materialize- would postpone my own projects quite
a bit.
As far as the future goes, my plan
is to continue making films and branded content, and to keep involving myself
in diverse and inspiring projects.
What is your best piece of advice to
aspiring filmmakers?
Go out and do it! And work really,
really hard at making yourself a competent professional. Learn your craft,
learn your history, stay up to date with the latest technologies, go to film
festivals, help out on set anytime you can, and know that this is a 24/7 job!
Your vision is like an infant child; its life depends on you.
Last but
certainly not least, use your voice wisely. As filmmakers, it is our privilege
and our responsibility to contribute to making this a better world for
everyone.
For more info:
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