Father & Daughter Film Report

 

 


Interview with Sasha Gordon: 

a journey from music to film


Amanda likes a good romantic comedy,  however, to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of this genre, even the 'good ones' are somewhat predictable.  However Sasha Gordon's big hit It Had to be You had me at the edge of my seat in suspense...and laughing all the way!  

Both Amanda & myself LOVED IT and was totally in agreement this unique approach to describing a relationship being chosen Best Comedy Feature Film at Twister Alley, which is saying a lot, not only in the fact that this is a real winner of a film from a senior citizen like me and a savvy teenager just out of high school, the psychological and philosophical depth in the writing covers something that should be studied at universities....in PhD level classes.

We were lucky to corner Sasha for an interview, for all her life she has been busy in music and a composer for films - Dear Lemon Lima (2009), God of Love (2010) & I Believe in Unicorns (2014) and of course her director debut in It Had To Be You (2015). Unfortunately we don't have a trailer to show you for this gem of a film, however the website's synopsis does an excellent job to give you an idea of the delightful story: 


"Sonia is a neurotic jingle writer who’s always dreamt of a big and exciting life. Surprised by a sudden proposal and subsequent ultimatum from her easy-going boyfriend, Chris, Sonia has to decide whether she’ll join the ranks of her married friends or take a leap and pursue her fantasies. A whimsical romantic comedy that’s raunchy and yet gentle, IT HAD TO BE YOU explores the choices women face today while satirizing cultural expectations of gender and romance."

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Clicking on the storyboard below will take you the film's website, which as you can see, offers a variety of entertainment in and of itself:


 

Interview:


 What stage of your life did you become interested in working with films? 

I've always loved film and music. I was a music and illustration major in college and after I graduated I started pursuing a career in composing, specifically film-scoring. I loved the work but I missed using the more visual part of my brain so I figured I'd try and go to film school. Film seemed like a medium where I could incorporate all my interests at once.

What gave you the idea / What event led you to making films?

This particular film was inspired by my own life. When my husband proposed I totally panicked. The dissonance between my reaction and how our culture expects a woman to react when proposed to seemed funny to me (in retrospect) so I decided to make a film about that clash.

What was the most difficult thing you had to deal with in producing a film? (Either filming-wise, organizational-wise, business-wise, editing, etc....?)

I'd say the most difficult thing was securing the financing and second to that was producing a film that had a lot of locations, even a second country, on a shoestring budget was quite challenging and my producer, Rachel Brenna really did an amazing job with her team to make all that possible.
 
What did you learn about yourself personally by being in the film industry?

I think it's too early to say. This is my first film, I'd hardly say I'm part of the film industry though I'd like to be. I did learn that I had to be far more patient than I'm used to in say my composing work. Things just take a long time to happen in independent film.
 

What advice can you give others who wish to make a film?

Don't wait for the perfect budget, the perfect cast, the perfect script, the perfect anything. Just make it.
 
What have you done to get your films ‘out there’? How do you feel distribution is changing?

We're playing as many festivals as we can. I was lucky enough to get a great sales rep who was able to get us a few options for distribution. We're in the process of settling on a choice.
 
Where do you see the future of films heading? As an industry?  As content?

I'm no expert, but it looks like more and more content will be viewed online from the get go. 

 
In your own words, what makes your film IT HAD TO BE YOU unique?

I think the film is unique in that it's both current and timeless. Or I like to think so anyway. I think the issues it explores and the humor is of today but the emotion behind could be from any period in time.





 Composer, writer, film-maker, & director Sasha Gordon, turns her vision of a female "...flawed, goofy, but real character..." into a truly delightful & entertaining romantic comedy.









Besides recognition for the Critics' Choice Awards, Austin Film Festival, and the Woodstock Film Festival, "It Had to be You" won BEST FEATURE FILM and BEST ACTRESS (for Cristin Milioti) at the 2016 Twister Alley Film Festival.



Writer/Director Sasha Gordon notes this is a very personal film, stating when her husband proposed to her - or tried to, as she puts it - rather than "seeing hearts and hearing violins, I was filled with panic and terror..."

The film's main character, played brilliantly by Cristin Milioti (Wolf of Wall Street, 30-Rock, Fargo, The Sopranos, and was chosen Best Actress in a Feature Film @ Twister Alley) is certainly a personal representation of Sasha, for the jingle writer in the story is indeed a view of the director's early work as a film composer, scoring award-winning works for features, commercials, documentaries, and shorts, the latest being the soundtrack for the Academy Awarding winning short, God of Love.

For more information, check out the film's webite site at: www.sashagordonmusic.com