Q&A with Filmmakers Patrick Curran

Sep 18

Patrick is an actor, writer, director, and producer from Newtown, CT, with over 15 years in independent film. He gravitates toward true stories and intimate, character-driven pieces that inspire social change. Known for using humor to cut through dark, dramatic themes, Patrick focuses on stories about dementia, Alzheimer’s, and making heroes of characters at life’s end. His script Golden and Gone won Best Screenplay at the 2015 Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival, and Fragile won the Industry Insider contest. A 2016 Nicholl Fellowship Semifinalist, he now lives in Los Angeles.

This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series

What inspired you to create this film, and how did the initial idea come to you?

My beloved grandmother, Dorothy, spent the last 10 years of her life battling Alzheimer's. This is my love letter to her.

How do you want people to feel after they see your film?

I really hope people get inspired to call their parents and say hello after stepping out of the theatre.

Were there any films or directors that influenced your approach to this project?

My DP and I watched a ton of Being There, the late 70s Hal Ashby piece, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, when playing with our lenses and deciding what the film's aesthetic would be. We loved what those films did with the old Panavision Super Speeds. And we wanted to replicate that nostalgia energy by capturing that fuzzy glow out in the desert.

Why is filmmaking important to you? Why is it important to the world?

I think more than ever we're in a time that feels really divided. It's in these times that film - and art generally - can bring us together. There's nothing more human than the need to express yourself, and it's my feeling that honest expression will be what gets us out of these polarizing times.

Films are lasting artistic legacies; what do you want yours to say?

We're better together than we are apart.

Can you talk about the festival experience? How does it feel to have your film selected?

The festival experience has been a total whirlwind. I know it's been a competitive year on the festival circuit, and we consider ourselves very lucky to have had as much success with the film as we have with it being a particularly long short. We've been doing so well with small town America, and I REALLY wanted to land a great NYC fest and showcase this with some young, hip, edgey filmmakers. Was gassed up when my favorite, Bushwick, came calling.

What three things do you always have in your refrigerator?

Almond milk, picked jalapeños, some of my girlfriend's skin care routine