PART II: OCTOBER 19
KAPUNKA
(returning filmmaker from 2016:
“For Better, For Worse”)
A wild Jewish western comedy
about the conflict of living a traditional
and modern life.
QA with Filmmaker Tal Greenberg
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
Filmmaking is all about magic.
The option of creating a world from
scratch, inventing characters and
living their lives, is something I feel
very lucky to do. In addition, I also
found out I can solve some issues I
have in real life through my films,
so it saves me some money instead
of giving it to a therapist.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
Few years ago, I heard a sentence
that says if you love something
because you own it and not because
of what it is, it’s not a real love. That
sentence stayed in my head and I
wanted to explore it; I wanted to
check how far a man will go and
fight while defending what’s his. I
think we usually forget every win
we achieve contains a great loss.
Though KAPUNKA is a satirical
comedy about the conflict between
living a traditional life and modern
life, I would like to think the film
is more about human nature rather
than tradition.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker?
I’m not thinking about how to be
different from other filmmakers; I
just tell my stories in a way I want
to tell them.
What elements/themes may be
a signature of your films?
My films are about regular and
normal people who struggle with
human problems we can all identify
with. Humor is also an important
ingredient for me, I found out that
if I make people laugh, they listen
more carefully.
NOW OR LATER
In this tale of a Shabbos Goy,
Elise, a young Hasidic woman, and
Mike, a young black man start an
unlikely relationship, after Elise’s
mom, Ruth, drags him into her
home to help with forbidden tasks
on Shabbat.
QA with Filmmaker Mara Kassin
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
I started as an actress, and when
I had kids, I slowly realized I wanted
more control over the quality of
films I was auditioning for. If I’m
taking time away from my kids, I
want it to be really worth it. I’ve
always loved all types of movies and
writing growing up, so I thought
why not just try it? I luckily was
asked to produce a friend’s film,
which ended up being extremely
successful and special. That film
was the 2013 Oscar-Winning short,
“Curfew,” and I have been producing
ever since. “Now or Later” is
my directorial debut. I had the idea
for the story, and as a challenge to
myself, I decided to direct it.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
A friend of mine moved from
Phoenix to NY. She was a black
woman who moved to a part of
Williamsburg that had a large
Hasidic community. She came
to me one day and was all upset
that the man who worked in her
local bodega would never give her
change or take money from her.
She thought it was because she was
black. I told her it’s because she is
a woman, hoping to comfort her.
It wasn’t all that comforting, but
it sparked the idea of a forbidden,
essentially innocent touch. Also,
how much we don’t know about
each other’s culture. I really wanted
to explore the idea of family obligations,
isolation and doing what
“you’re supposed to do.”
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker? What elements/
themes may be a signature of your
films?
I like to find a tone between
drama and comedy and explore
the lightness in dark times. As a
woman, I do like looking at female
characters I don’t often see. I also
like to examine everyday life and
find the extraordinary in it.
KING’S PAWN
(returning filmmaker from 2014:
“Siren”)
A disillusioned former chess prodigy
challenges the undefeated World
Chess Champion, with a powerful
supercomputer he helped design.
QA with Filmmaker Jonah Bleicher
(CONTINUED FROM PAGES 12–13)
16 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ October 2017