A reclusive, insomniac photographer, is hired to shoot a mysterious client in the forest late one night, and soon finds himself pulled into a bizarre, otherworldly quest.
Let's Dream is a feature film directed by Eric Gorlow. It is our pleasure to speak to Eric about the making of his film.
What draws you to filmmaking and the cinematic language? It's a bit of a compulsion, and hard to pinpoint, but I know it's connected to the same simplicity of wanting to play pretend as a kid. There is something about the recording process, capturing a moment, that turns the pretend into a form of reality. Of course theatre has this nature too, but films' ability to cement a moment is hard to deny.
Do you believe in film schools or does making a film teach you more than film school?
I certainly don't believe one is better or worse than the other. It seems like there are as many ways to approach film making as there are people who take the journey.
What makes cinema stand out more than the arts for you?
Cinema has a powerful mirror effect. To be able to watch as a character experiences what is happening around them in real time - there is something undeniable and entrancing about it.
Did you choose a certain directing style for making "Let's Dream" based on the script?
The style for the film largely mimics the state of mind that the main character - Let, is experiencing.
How did you choose the cast and the crew of your film?
Me and Douglas Eames (co-producer) were very much in this together from the beginning, we have many projects we work on together, in fact at the moment we have a pulpy buddy cop dramedy called "Give Me Some Skin" that we are trying to get made. The rest of the cast and crew fell into place very naturally, it was a bit of a blur really, taken from people we had worked with in the past and fellow actors who were working with on other projects at the time. Kara Schaaf was a true gift, I remember talking to her about the script in passing and secretly hoping she would be interested. And Kenny Ware is a long time friend, and I was lucky he was available. Tony Lerma is one of my best friends and seems to have a natural talent in everything he does. And Shaun Eduward Bacca wore many hats and was instrumental in helping us get it made.
What were some of the challenges of making this film?
Oftentimes the most challenging stuff is the most mundane. Something as simple as weather, or batteries running out, can bring numerous elements that have been built up toppling down around you, but what comes out of these limitations and challenges seems to be connected to the very fabric and stitching that builds the world. And every challenge seems like it was difficult at the time, but always feels easy or for the best in retrospect, and if it doesn't then that means the challenge is still there, so it gets a bit circular.
Do you consider yourself an indie filmmaker and what would most be the most difficult thing about being an independent artist? I don't consider myself an indie filmmaker. For me filmmaking is such a collaborative effort with the world around you and everyone involved that it seems impossible to draw a line between something being independent or not. Even if I was working with a studio, within that studio it would boil down to the simplicity of other people I would be collaborating with. But at the same time I'm not against someone using that label, and the phrase can mean many different things to many different people.
What is your cinematic goal in life and what would you like to achieve as a filmmaker?
We shall also see, but I know my thirst to explore new cinematic realities and characters is far from quenched. But at the moment, I'm playing a, quite...shall we say...eccentric character in a new Michael Wild project. And I have several scripts that I would like to see come to life.
What kind of impact would your film have in the world and who is your audience?
The film is meant to be more of an experience, it's impact would be too personal to nail down. It is like having a waking dream that begins to take over as reality, because of the film's psychological themes, it is possible that certain people may come away with or reconnect with perspectives of multidimensional and personal-vs-shared reality. The audience could be anyone with an interest in the line of dream vs reality, or someone who just wants to watch this insomniatic photographer go down the rabbit hole.
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