1-How would you describe Astrid, the main character from your own newest film, ASTRID?
Grandiose, ambitious, rebellious, depressed, hopeful, resentful… She is a woman who has come to the end of her rope and has experienced the last straw that breaks the camels back. She is self-destructive, but underneath it all I believe she is trying to make real art.
2-The movie, in my opinion, is a mix between old movies, a play, european films, and even a ballet, and all that with a Lynch-esque feeling to it. What was your inspiration during the making of this film? Did you pay homage to anybody? A particular film?
My script premise is a rewrite of my very first feature length script which I wrote back in the early 2000’s (The Audition). I had the lead character filming her own video installation segments while reading her poetry in a voice over and then would go back to the story. I had finished Showgirls 2, which was a huge epic production, I was burned out and wanted to do something small just to have fun and be creative, it was meant to be kind of a “recovering from Showgirls 2” film. Then I saw David Holzman’s Diary and it inspired me to rewrite my old script and do a self portrait themed film. Astrid was originally titled, Astrid’s Self Portrait.. and there was another character that did a commentary about Astrid, but it got cut. I might be doing a sequel which I will use that footage.
3-The locations in the film are a major aspect. Did those locations helped you to create the story? Do you think it could have worked somewhere else?
I improvised the locations as I was shooting. Yes, these locations did help me create the scenes and to some extent, also the story. In the script, I had some scenes originally taking places in other locations, but when it came to the shoot day, I would then see what fit best and what I could actually do. I love the locations in this film and I think at the end of the day, these were the best locations I could choose. But, I do think I could have shot this film other places, it could have worked in Europe or another state. Some of her voice overs were rewritten when I settled on a location, like her poetry about dangerous cliffs. I intended to go film in Bodega Bay, where Hitchcock filmed The Birds, but when it came down to the day, it was too hard to travel up north, so I used the glass beach location in the film instead because it is epic and only minutes away from where I live.
4-Astrid seems to be obsessed with water...and water seems to represent her well, too... Looks calm, but can get stormy and brutal. Do you think Astrid was ever likable and happy or she was doomed no matter what?
I think Astrid is like water, she is like the ocean. And she felt inside of herself that she is unpredictable and unknowingly doomed. I think on the surface she went through her life sometimes appearing calm and safe, but there was another dynamic going on beneath her surface.
5-At some point, your co-star mentions being scared of Astrid. Does she scare you too?
Yes, I think Astrid is very scary! She’s a little like Norman Bates, seeming to be pleasant and put together, or like Rhoda in The Bad Seed.. very nice and dressed so pretty. But her appearance is deceiving.
6-Astrid has a very personal point of view about art, in general. How close her views are from your own views?
I think Astrid is much more extreme than I am. I do believe in her principals and I have always expressed my creativity in a punk rock/independent style. But, unlike Astrid, I don’t get angry over pop art or Hollywood blockbusters.
7-What was your favorite scene to do? Which scene worked the best from the script, to the screen?
The scene where Astrid is drunk and she chops off her hair. And the scenes out on the pier, searching for something, she goes there twice and I was so happy with the visuals of that footage, the fog was just right, I thought it was beautiful and was happy that location added to the mystery. I had been wanting to film underneath that pier for a decade.
8-I won't talk about the ending, but I would love to hear this... Without giving any spoilers, do you think Astrid knew right from the start what she was going to do at the end, or it came later, during the process of her art video?
I think she had it planned from the start. I think she made her decision after she was fired from her job. And she decided it would be her grand finale.
9-Where can people see the film? Available online? DVD?
It’s available now only on Vimeo VOD. I will be making it available on all the other VOD outlets and on DVD soon! I hope to do screenings in art house theaters or museums of art. Astrid will have her own website soon, but for now you can find updates on the Showgirls2movie.com News Feed.
Grandiose, ambitious, rebellious, depressed, hopeful, resentful… She is a woman who has come to the end of her rope and has experienced the last straw that breaks the camels back. She is self-destructive, but underneath it all I believe she is trying to make real art.
2-The movie, in my opinion, is a mix between old movies, a play, european films, and even a ballet, and all that with a Lynch-esque feeling to it. What was your inspiration during the making of this film? Did you pay homage to anybody? A particular film?
My script premise is a rewrite of my very first feature length script which I wrote back in the early 2000’s (The Audition). I had the lead character filming her own video installation segments while reading her poetry in a voice over and then would go back to the story. I had finished Showgirls 2, which was a huge epic production, I was burned out and wanted to do something small just to have fun and be creative, it was meant to be kind of a “recovering from Showgirls 2” film. Then I saw David Holzman’s Diary and it inspired me to rewrite my old script and do a self portrait themed film. Astrid was originally titled, Astrid’s Self Portrait.. and there was another character that did a commentary about Astrid, but it got cut. I might be doing a sequel which I will use that footage.
3-The locations in the film are a major aspect. Did those locations helped you to create the story? Do you think it could have worked somewhere else?
I improvised the locations as I was shooting. Yes, these locations did help me create the scenes and to some extent, also the story. In the script, I had some scenes originally taking places in other locations, but when it came to the shoot day, I would then see what fit best and what I could actually do. I love the locations in this film and I think at the end of the day, these were the best locations I could choose. But, I do think I could have shot this film other places, it could have worked in Europe or another state. Some of her voice overs were rewritten when I settled on a location, like her poetry about dangerous cliffs. I intended to go film in Bodega Bay, where Hitchcock filmed The Birds, but when it came down to the day, it was too hard to travel up north, so I used the glass beach location in the film instead because it is epic and only minutes away from where I live.
4-Astrid seems to be obsessed with water...and water seems to represent her well, too... Looks calm, but can get stormy and brutal. Do you think Astrid was ever likable and happy or she was doomed no matter what?
I think Astrid is like water, she is like the ocean. And she felt inside of herself that she is unpredictable and unknowingly doomed. I think on the surface she went through her life sometimes appearing calm and safe, but there was another dynamic going on beneath her surface.
5-At some point, your co-star mentions being scared of Astrid. Does she scare you too?
Yes, I think Astrid is very scary! She’s a little like Norman Bates, seeming to be pleasant and put together, or like Rhoda in The Bad Seed.. very nice and dressed so pretty. But her appearance is deceiving.
6-Astrid has a very personal point of view about art, in general. How close her views are from your own views?
I think Astrid is much more extreme than I am. I do believe in her principals and I have always expressed my creativity in a punk rock/independent style. But, unlike Astrid, I don’t get angry over pop art or Hollywood blockbusters.
7-What was your favorite scene to do? Which scene worked the best from the script, to the screen?
The scene where Astrid is drunk and she chops off her hair. And the scenes out on the pier, searching for something, she goes there twice and I was so happy with the visuals of that footage, the fog was just right, I thought it was beautiful and was happy that location added to the mystery. I had been wanting to film underneath that pier for a decade.
8-I won't talk about the ending, but I would love to hear this... Without giving any spoilers, do you think Astrid knew right from the start what she was going to do at the end, or it came later, during the process of her art video?
I think she had it planned from the start. I think she made her decision after she was fired from her job. And she decided it would be her grand finale.
9-Where can people see the film? Available online? DVD?
It’s available now only on Vimeo VOD. I will be making it available on all the other VOD outlets and on DVD soon! I hope to do screenings in art house theaters or museums of art. Astrid will have her own website soon, but for now you can find updates on the Showgirls2movie.com News Feed.