Nisha Ganatra is a director and producer of “Transparent,” which won a Golden Globe for best television series, musical or comedy, and received numerous Emmy nominations. She recently sold a half-hour pilot produced by Amy Poehler and based on her life to NBCUniversal television. Ganatra has directed episodes of “Mr. Robot,” “The Mindy Project,” and “Girls,” among other series.
“Late Night” will premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
NG: “Late Night” is the story of the first female late-night talk show host and the chaos and comedy that ensues when she hires her first female staff writer. It’s a timely movie about diversity hires, gender parity, generational divides, and of course the incredibly challenging job of being a great comedy writer.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
NG: Mindy and I share a lot in common of our experiences in Hollywood and she captured them in a funny and poignant way. Also, in two words: Emma Thompson. This is a comedy and the combination of Mindy and Emma was guaranteed to be comedy magic.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
NG: Honestly, the first thing I want to them be thinking is “that was funny!” Then, perhaps as they’re strolling to the bar for a hot toddy, I want them to be thinking about what the world would be like if women supported each other and helped each other when they are in a position of power.
I want women to think about how to hold the door open behind you rather than slam it shut with some false sense of “making it” being a zero-sum game.
I want people to think about how easy it is to actually make your work environment inclusive — to not have endless meetings and committees on diversity but to just hire women and people of color. It’s that simple. Just do it quickly instead of talking about doing it forever and a day.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
NG: Creating an original late-night talk show in less time than it takes to grow a chia pet. Also being across the country from my son and trying to figure out how to stay connected while apart for so long.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
NG: Mindy Kaling always gets what she wants. She basically manifested the funding for this movie very quickly. It was inspiring. This was definitely not the typical long road to funding your indie film, and I suspect she’s a wizard.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
NG: I want to tell stories of people that are missing on screen. Women, immigrants, people of color, girls. I think film is such a powerful medium that it has the ability to affect social change in a significant way. And that’s why I chose to tell stories on film. Basically, to change the world. I like to keep humble goals!
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
NG: “Make a feature before you leave film school” was the best advice I’ve received. The worst advice I got was to “make a movie with all white characters” to show that I could “direct movies with white people.” I mean, “Charlotte’s Web” was not written by a pig, so WTF?
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
NG: I’ll pass on a piece of advice I got from Nora Ephron for female directors: Ask your favors now. Don’t save them up and wait to ask for help from someone. Ask now. Ask everyone you know. And don’t be afraid to keep asking. Nora said, “Men don’t save their favors — they ask each other for help again and again and again.”
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
NG: I’m just going to say that every woman-directed movie is my favorite because a woman beat the incredible odds and directed a movie. I don’t think it’s right to ask us to tell you our favorite unicorn. It’s 2019. And all unicorns are amazing and fucking magical.
W&H: It’s been a little over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?
NG: This is a complicated question with a lot of parts.
I remain horrified and heartbroken by the absolute pervasiveness of misogyny in our industry, and the countless examples of men who abuse their power to the detriment of women. But we have been galvanized by the reckoning. I feel like I have always pushed for a balanced crew, that was always important to me. Now that conversation is happening at all levels, and I believe now that the door to gender parity is open, we cannot and will not go backwards.
