Eco Village — from the Stage to the Screen
Interview w/ Director Phoebe Nir by Daniel Monterroso.
Songwriter Robyn (Sidney Flanigan of Never Rarely Sometimes Always + Only the Good Survive) hitch-hikes her way to a commune. There, she meets an eccentric cast of characters, including commune founder Ursula (Lindsay Michelle Burdge) and handyman Jake (Alex Breaux), the later becoming her lover.
This relationship upsets the delicate equilibrium of the eco-village ecosystem, setting off a drug-addled frenzy of shifting power, manipulation, friendship and lust. Throughout these uncertain alliances and games, music remains Robyn’s salvation and structures the film.
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DM: This story was originally written as a play. What made you want to take it from the stage to the screen, and are there any major differences between the two?
PN: After the end of the play’s off-Broadway run in 2019, I felt like I still had unfinished business with these characters and this world. There’s something so uniquely cinematic about the summer love story as a genre, and I thought that Robin’s yearning and frustration would be felt even more strongly surrounded by actual nature rather than inside of a theater. There are a lot of differences between the play and the movie! A big one is the soundtrack, which I sing on. I was really inspired by Simon and Garfunkle’s tunes for “The Graduate”, and Cat Stevens’s songs for “Harold and Maude”, some of which are played or sung by the characters on screen as well… These dialogues between the characters and the soundtrack blew my mind, and raised a fascinating question: Can they hear the music too, and do they realize that they are in a movie??
DM: The eco village that Robin moves to almost becomes its own collective character here. How did you select this shooting location? (was it through WWOOF / Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms?) Can you describe your experience of working with this location?
PN: This location found us through the grace of God! More specifically, we had lost our location 3 weeks before we were scheduled to start shooting, and I had no clue what to do. Fortunately, our associate producer Perry Straus reached out to his friends Matt and Elena, who miraculously agreed to have a crew of dozens of people take over their house and light hay bales on fire and land helicopters on their front lawn! This was one of many experiences that taught me that you really can’t control how your film gets made; there were so many moments when it felt like we were totally sunk, but somehow or other we would keep catching lucky breaks, and I’m deeply grateful to all of the people who helped make this insane fantasy possible.
DM: The film has a very unique look and editing style. What inspired your color palettes, pacing, and tonal approach for the film? What were you hoping that audiences feel while watching your film?
PN: I wanted to shoot this on 16mm in order to evoke a subliminal sense for the audience that you’re watching a classic summer cult movie from the American canon. My brilliant editor Linds Gray came up with the innovative method of using the flawed and corrupted ends of film reels for the beautiful transitions which feel so psychedelic and lyrical. And the quick, jerky pacing is meant to feel like you’re in a memory play, traveling at a breakneck pace through Robin’s somewhat unreliable recollections.
DM: I’ve read that you wrote every song and sang all but one included in this film. Do you have a background in music? In addition to Sidney Flanigan, who is amazing as Robin and played guitar for “Knock at the Door,” did you collaborate with any other writers or musicians on these songs? Can you comment on the process of collaboration and exchange taking place here?
PN: I don’t have much formal musical training, and basically started writing songs on the guitar about a decade ago as a means of getting over break-ups. A fun challenge for the shoot was figuring out how to record songs live on set with next to no rehearsal time. I conceived of the film as a kind of folk opera, where each character would have a different instrument that they could play to express a private side of themselves. Sidney is an incredible musician, and has serious chops as a vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, fiddler, and I’m sure a few other instruments as well. Her ukulele interpretation of “Thought Experiment” at the end of the movie gets me every time. When we screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, I led the audience in a call and response sing-a-long of “Knock at the Door” after each showing, because I believe that we all desperately need to be singing together, whether or not you’re an experienced musician. It was a beautiful moment of community and I really hope we can keep it going as a tradition on our US tour!
DM: Sidney Flanigan is amazing as Robin and gives a natural and nuanced performance. What was the process of casting and working with Sidney Flanigan like?
PN: Sidney’s incredible performance is the backbone of this film. “Natural and nuanced” is a great description of her work — she’s so intelligent and specific with every choice, and navigates an incredibly delicate balance between what’s ironic and what’s sincere. I’d seen her heart-breaking Independent Spirit Award-nominated star turn in Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, but could never have guessed how funny and mischievous she can be as well! I’m so honored that Sidney took this role and gave to it so generously. The critical response to her acting in particular has been phenomenal, and rightfully so.
DM: What are you hoping that audiences will take away from your film?
PN: I hope that every viewer can relive the magic of that one miserable, ecstatic, immortal summer crush.
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BIFF’s Opening Night Gala film, Eco Village screens on Friday October 11 at 7:15 PM at North Park Theatre.
Cast and crew will also present a free panel on Friday October 11 at 4:00PM Live @ Buffalo Toronto Public Media + live streamed — It Takes an Eco Village.
