Jared MoshéCourtesy of Well Go USA
Forget Westerns: “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” director Jared Moshé is going on a whole different journey.
In “Aporia,” which world premieres at Fantasia, Sophie (Judy Greer) is trying to keep things together after her Mal husband is killed in a drunk-driving accident. Struggling to comfort teenage daughter, she makes a shocking discovery: his friend, a former physicist, has managed to build a mysterious machine.
Edi Gathegi, Faithe Herman and Payman Maadi also star.
“I like to call it a time-traveling movie that never goes back in time,” Moshé tells Variety.
Forget Westerns: “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” director Jared Moshé is going on a whole different journey.
In “Aporia,” which world premieres at Fantasia, Sophie (Judy Greer) is trying to keep things together after her Mal husband is killed in a drunk-driving accident. Struggling to comfort teenage daughter, she makes a shocking discovery: his friend, a former physicist, has managed to build a mysterious machine.
Edi Gathegi, Faithe Herman and Payman Maadi also star.
“I like to call it a time-traveling movie that never goes back in time,” Moshé tells Variety.
“I started writing this when I became a father. I was getting ‘The Ballad’ off the ground, I moved to L.A. Everything felt so uncontrollable and yet I had to take care of my kid. I wanted to put that into a screenplay,” he explains.
Despite introducing “the most powerful machine in the world,” Moshé was more interested in emotions than special effects.
“My big direction to [production designer] Ariel Vida was: ‘Make it look like a fire hazard’,” he laughs.
“It’s like the junk you throw away, because these aren’t rich people. I wanted it to feel like it could happen in the most unassuming building, on the most unassuming street. When they finally use it, you are not sure if it’s even going to work.”
When it does, however, his grieving characters are forced to make some very difficult choices.
“I like to say it’s ‘Blue Valentine’ meets ‘Primer’ or ‘Ex Machina’ meets ‘Moonlight,’” he observes.
“They are outsiders. Jabir is an immigrant, Mal wanted to build rockets and had an accident that hurt him physically, but mental damage was even worse. Sophie wanted stability, that’s why she became a nurse. They have built this little world for themselves, so what happens when it falls apart?”
He adds: “I wanted to explore what makes human connections, what makes a family. Even shared pain is better than not sharing anything, but I didn’t want to make a depressing movie. I want people to walk out of the cinema and go play with their kid or hug their husband. The world feels so scary that cinema should be a place of hope now.”
Following its premiere at Fantasia, “Aporia” – an Armian Pictures Production in association with Soapbox Films and BondIt Media Capital, with Well Go USA attached – will be released theatrically in the U.S. on Aug. 11, despite the ongoing writers and SAG strike.
“We are not changing dates at this point,” stresses Moshé.
“It’s awful that the AMPTP [Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers] has forced creators to take to the streets rather than give them a fair deal. I 100% support everything that’s going on. It’s bittersweet, but I hope people will still see these great performances and realize the value that writers and performers bring to this industry. And hopefully AMPTP will come back to the table and pay people what they deserve.
Due to the strike, Greer couldn’t be interviewed by Variety.
“She is such an incredible actor,” enthuses her director, however.
“There was this scene in ‘The Descendants’ with her and George Clooney. Suddenly, she was the emotional heart of the movie! She can turn on a dime between nuance and broad comedy, and David Gordon Green uses that amazingly in ‘Halloween.’ Her face is so expressive and Edi [who plays her husband] is like a rock. Together, they sparkled on screen.”
Despite his love for Westerns – apart from “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” he also directed “Dead Man’s Burden” – Moshé is not giving up on science fiction anytime soon.
“As a kid, I read every single book by Isaac Asimov and that’s a lot of books. I have another sci-fi project I am hoping to get off the ground. And it’s really nice not to direct horses.”