Your new movie 9
Windows - in a few words, what's it about?
9
Windows is a re-imagining of Rear Window if it happened in
modern times. Liza is a young woman who loses her parents in a car
accident and has become somewhat homebound by the fact that she cannot
walk. She’s severely depressed and spends a lot of time on this website
where various vloggers post their videos. In
that website, she witnesses videos of murders, and the police
don’t believe her. It sets her on the path to figuring out the identity
of the serial killer.
What were your sources of inspiration when writing 9
Windows? I watched Rear Window for the hundredth time, and it occurred to me that
nowadays you don’t need to look into people’s windows to see what
they’re doing. Everyone is sharing their most intimate lives with people on social media.
Do talk about your movie's approach to both horror and
suspense? Much like the original, it is primarily a thriller film, but it’s the
twenty-first century and we’ve become desensitized to things that would
have scared us in the past. So I borrowed the murders from the most
gruesome serial killers I could find. 9
Windows is credited to be the first movie filmed entirely on an
extended reality stage - so could you at all explain that process of
filmmaking, what are the advantages and maybe also challenges making a
movie that way, and how liberating or limiting (or both) is this for you
as a filmmaker?
Honestly,
it is a great technology, but it still has great limitations. Since
you’re filming against a wall, there are limits to what shots you can
do. At the same time, you can switch from one location to the next in a
matter of minutes just by switching what is being projected on the wall. I
would say that it’s great for a certain type of shots that are difficult
to get in real life, such as a driving scene. What can you tell us about your overall
directorial approach to your story at hand? As
a director, I had to sort of learn directing all over again, because of
the limitations of the technology. In fact, I had to redo my shot list at
least twice. But what was most important to me was to make a film about
finding hope in the darkest of times through finding a purpose in life. With William
Forsythe and Michael Paré [Michael
Paré interview - click here], you have two acting legends in your
cast - so what was it like working with them, and how did you get them
even? They were both so great to work with, and I’m so honored to have had a chance
to do so. They were super prepared for their roles and didn’t just phone
it in. Luckily, I had direct contacts to both of them so that it made
casting them so much easier.
Do talk about the rest of your cast, and why
exactly these people? Diana Garle [Diana
Garle interview - click here], who is the lead, is actually the last person who was cast. I had
seen her in a friend’s film and was blown away by her performance. When
the other actor we were talking to fell through, I immediately thought of
her. Christoper Millan [Christopher
Millan interview - click here] had been in my previous film, 73 Minutes,
and I knew he’d be perfect for the love interest of Liza. He had to know
how to play the role of a sensitive and supportive friend, who slowly
falls in love with her. A few words about the shoot as
such, and the on-set atmosphere? We
filmed in a brand new virtual studio in Full Sail University. Their
professors and some of their students were part of it. We were all
learning and practicing this new technology at the same time. It made for
some very stressful, but also very funny, times. We had a great time
working together. Anything you can tell
us about audience and critical reception of 9
Windows? Throughout
the film festival circuits, we had a great response from the audiences. I
have people reaching out regularly to tell me how much they enjoyed it. I
think that those who are fans of Rear Window will
like spotting the Easter eggs in this film. It’s truly an
homage from a big fan. Any future projects you'd like to share?
|
Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
|
|
|
I have two films in development right now, which I hope to get done in 2025.
We’re in a bit of a weird transition in the film industry right now, and
it’s affecting films of all genres.
Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever
else? @9windowsfilm
and @mslousimon on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Anything else you're dying to mention and I have
merely forgotten to ask? 9
Windows is now available to rent and buy on all major platforms. Thanks for the interview!
|