Shana Feste was nominated for a Humanitas Prize for her first feature, “The Greatest,” which she both wrote and directed. She also wrote and directed Gwyneth Paltrow-starrer “Country Strong.”
“Boundaries” premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival on March 12.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
SF: “Boundaries” is a film about seeing your parent for who they really are — and possibly forgiving them.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
SF: After working on a studio film, I knew I wanted my next film to be personal. I wanted to write something that no one could take away from me — that I could make inexpensively, and find my voice again as a filmmaker. It felt natural to write about my father. When your father has been married six times, had six kids with different women, gone to prison for beating casinos, and trafficking marijuana, it’s hard not to be inspired by him creatively.
The film is based on a road trip we once took, and I actually put him in the movie when we did some pick-ups in Los Angeles. His close-up is now my favorite part of the film. He passed away in June so the film has become a way of honoring his spirit. And how lucky am I that Christopher Plummer is helping me with that?
I also loved the idea of writing a movie that had an obsessed animal rescuer as a protagonist. No one likes to talk to me about politics because all I constantly ask is, “When are we going to get a candidate that will stick up for animals?” In the beginning stages of the writing process, I thought how great it would be to make a film that could raise money for different animal groups I work with.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
SF: I want them to think about rescuing a dog.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
SF: The biggest challenge was my closeness to the protagonist. I was writing about my father so in early drafts I discovered that I was afraid of exploring the anger I have towards him. I have real resistance towards anger — I knew I had to face that resistance before writing something honest.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
SF: Lovely Joe Matukewicz read it at Sony Pictures Worldwide and gave us the budget. It was pretty amazing.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?
SF: It means a great deal. I went to film school at the University of Texas and attended SXSW when I was a grad student. I remember hearing Richard Linklater speak, and wondering if I would ever get the chance to make a film. I had no money, no contacts — it was just a dream. And an unrealistic one at that. I never thought I would get this opportunity.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
SF: Worst advice: Smile more.
Best advice: Don’t take the note. I think this advice is interesting because it is so extreme, and I almost always take the note. And when I do take the note, I tell myself I’m not really taking the note because I’m doing it “my way” but I am actually taking the note! I’ve noticed that when I read my original drafts I always wish I had those first draft moments/scenes that I had changed once I’m in the editing room.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
SF: Learn to write your own films because it will be up to you to define who you want to be in this business. If you wait around for amazing scripts to be sent to you, you won’t be making many films.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
SF: Anything by Susanne Bier. I find her work so honest and heartbreaking. She explores characters’ inner lives like no other director I know.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women — and some men — in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?
SF: To be honest, it’s brought up a lot of different emotions for me — I started my career in a very different culture for women. I remember when I directed “The Greatest” I was on location in NY, and a group of six-year-old boys gathered around the set. They asked me to introduce them to the movie stars on the set, and I said maybe they could meet them at lunch, and then they asked to meet the director, and I said, “You’re looking at the director.” And they literally didn’t believe me. They said, “No, you’re not!.” And then they basically left.
I thought to myself afterwards, “What has happened in these boys’ short lives that has told them a woman couldn’t possibly be the director?” And then, God forbid I come onto set holding a jacket or any type of clothing because I will almost always be mistaken for the costume department, and be directed to the costume trailer — sometimes by my own crew!
But my career began in a very different time than now, and sometimes I find myself still apologizing for men. When I read today’s headlines sometimes I think to myself, “That’s not that big of a deal, and the women should just ‘move on’.” But it is a big deal, and you shouldn’t move on!
Unfortunately, I’ve had to dismiss these kinds of slights, comments, and injustices so many times in my career that I’ve become a little numb to it all. I’ve ignored the inappropriate jokes, the offensive comments, the hate letters — all because I was directing a movie, and I didn’t want to stop and cry because if I did I wouldn’t make my day. It didn’t serve what I was doing at the moment so it was easier to ignore. But I don’t want to continue like this. So I thank this amazing younger generation of women for reminding me not to be numb to it all.
And hopefully we are one step closer to abolishing the question I dread being asked most on the red carpet: “What is it like to be a female director?” I honestly think that’s the goal. To do press for our films, and never be asked what it’s like to be a “female director” — to finally have every question actually be about the work.
