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Your new movie Reunion - in a few words, what is
it about?
The story involves a weary God seeking some peace and quiet by hiding
away in human form in a retirement home, and being tracked down by Satan
because "deviling's no fun without a nemesis." What were your sources of inspiration when writing Reunion?
I wrote the story when I was at
university studying English. I was doing a creative writing course and we
were tasked with writing a story about two characters. I thought that
characters don't get much bigger than God and the Devil!
Reunion revolves about
nothing less than a meeting of God and the Devil - so how much research
have you done into the religious side of your film, and in what way does
the movie reflect your personal views in religion and the like?
There are so many Gods and
Devils that when I wrote the story I wasn't thinking about one particular
religion. It's more about two characters who have been around for so long
that they have witnessed the entire history and prehistory of planet
Earth. I see the essence of the film being about friendship and the way
that people can fall out over meaningless things and then years later
forget what it was they quarrelled about. Except in this case it's been a
few millennia.
Do talk about Reunion's
brand of comedy! I guess a lot of the humour
comes from having two biblical characters in a very ordinary setting and
having very relatable human characteristics. God is like a celebrity who's
grown tired of being asked for an autograph. The Devil just wants to party
all the time. A few wprds about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand?
With all the films I've
directed I'm quite practical in my approach. On a short film you usually
have a short amount of time and a limited budget so you can't flounce
about pretending to be Cecil B. DeMille.
Do talk about
Reunion's cast, and why exactly these people? Well, that's really down to
the film's producer and casting director, Stuart Morris [Stuart
Morriss interview - click here]. It was his
inspired idea to have Nicola Bryant play the Devil. Stuart and Jen of
Misty
Moon have such a great wealth of talented and experienced actors
that they are able to call upon when there's a script in need of a cast.
What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
We always shoot with a small
crew, which enables us to work faster. And we all know each other from
previous productions, so the atmosphere on set is always fun. Short films
are very much a labour of love, so you have to enjoy making them.
Reunion has been produced by Jen and Stuart Morriss for
Misty
Moon, with whom you've worked before many times. So what's working
with them like, and how did your collaboration start?
They're
fantastic. We've always had such a great experience working together over
the years. Like so many things in life, it started with a random encounter
in a pub. I popped into the Ladywell Tavern and saw that Anita Harris was
giving a talk, and the event was organised by
Misty
Moon. After going to a
few events, I got a sense that the guests would still love to act but
weren't being given the opportunity, so why not write a film!
The
$64 question of course, where can
Reunion be seen? I know it's playing at Darkfest
soon, but that's really a question for the producers as they deal with
submitting it to festivals. Eventually, it will come out online, but you
really have to wait until it's finished playing at any events.
Anything you can tell
us about audience and critical reception of
Reunion? People at the premiere seemed to
like it, and even God (Bill) was suggesting I wrote a sequel, so that's a
positive. Any future projects you'd like
to share? There's going to be more short
films and a doc, hopefully, in 2026. Watch this space... What got you into filmmaking in the first
place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject? I was always fascinated by films
and special effects as a kid. I always wanted to know how things were done. I
didn't have any training; I just got a camera and started making stuff.
Funnily enough, I have now taught filming and editing to many people, even
though I have no formal film education myself (shhh! Don't tell them).
What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to
Reunion? Looking back, it's actually a
lot of projects now with some great people. I still feel very lucky to
have been given the opportunity to work with actors I saw on TV and film
when I was young. How would you describe yourself
as a director? In the 80s, there was a TV
series starring the great Derek Griffiths called Film Fun, and he had a
character whose catchphrase was 'Get on with it!' - that's me.
Filmmakers who inspire you? So many. Obviously, there are
all the big hitters, but you know, hats off to anyone that gets a film
made! Your favourite movies? I love going to the BFI or
Prince Charles Cinema to see movies I saw on TV as a kid on the
big screen. Not only have I seen some great films in their full glory, but
it also takes you back to a happy time and place. I went to see
Poltergeist recently and remember how on the day that our first
VCR arrived, Mum rented that and Any Which Way You Can. Happy days.
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... and of course, films you really deplore?
Prometheus. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else? I have a website:
www.thejase.co.uk Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Be excellent to each other. Thanks
for the interview! Party on, dude! |
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