ScreenFish

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Sean Baker

The Florida Project – Gleanings from Press Day

I recently had the chance to take part in some round table interviews with some of those involved in The Florida Project. There were three separate interviews: Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite with Broolynn Prince, and director Sean Baker. The film deals with a child (played by Brooklynn Price) who lives with her mother (Bria Vinaite) in a motel near Disney World which is managed by Bobby (Willem Dafoe). I share some of the gleanings from those sessions.

When Sean Baker was asked about the inspiration for the film, he brought up a topic that the others had spoken of as well.

Sean Baker: I?ve always been inspired by and influenced by the Little Rascals. I?ve always wanted to make my own Little Rascals. I love the fact that the Little Rascals, if you think about it, was actually showing the harsh reality of life?in that case, the Great Depression?but it was seen through this joyous viewpoint of children, right? So when my co-screenwriter brought this topic to may attention?children growing up in motels just outside the most magical place on earth for children?I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make my Little Rascals 2017. It was important showing that these children were living in very difficult circumstances, but children are children, so we wanted to concentrate on the universal traits of children: the humor and the heart and the wonderment and innocence and resilience. That?s how it came to be.

When Willem Dafoe was asked about the Our Gang influence (which is noted in the film?s credits) he said:

?Willem Dafoe: And it was also during the Depression, and the adults around them, although they weren?t really featured, they weren?t going through easy times. But the kids had a similar thing. They were kind of grifters and scheming. They were causing trouble, and mischievous. Sean never mentioned that the whole shoot, and then when I heard him reference it in France, it made all the sense in the world.

And Brooklynn Prince (who is now seven) responded:

Brooklynn Prince: I just love that we got a really, really close connection. I was like Spanky, and Christopher was Alfalfa, and Jancey was like Darla, and then Aiden was kind of like Froggy.

The casting of the film included well-known actors such as Willem Dafoe; child actors, such as Brooklynn Prince (who readily reminds people she?s been acting since she was two); and people with no acting experience such as Bria Vinaite (who Sean Baker discovered on Instagram. Baker recounted how Bria Vinaite was cast.

SB: For years we were thinking stunt casting for that role. We were thinking actually an ex-Mouseketeer?you can imagine who we were thinking of. Then we were moving into the A list area, the 20-24 year old hot stars, and you can imagine all those names. We were considering all of them. Then I just kept going back to this girl?s Instagram, saying, ?Yeah, no matter what, if this girl is able to actually act the way she is acting in this Instagram, she would be so much more fresh than any face, any Hollywood establishment that we could bring to the table.? Over the years I?ve been able to prove myself. I?ve been very lucky to find a bunch of first-timers that are unconventionally cast. It helped me with my financiers to say ?Trust me. I know this is very ?crazy of me to think that this Instagram selfie girl can do this. I have a feeling about her. She?s making me laugh. She?s different from others. She has a physicality. She has a real confidence. She?s already putting herself out there, so it?s not like she?s shy. ?She was very enthusiastic about learning. She wanted to learn. She?s like, ?I have less experience than Brooklynn. I need a crash course real quick.? She took the time. She took the whole month before shooting getting into character.

Bria Vinaite was asked about the transition into acting.

Bria Vinaite: It?s definitely been a really surreal experience and at times hard to believe because there?s been so many amazing things every day. It just sometimes doesn?t feel real. There?s just so much thrown at us. I?m really thankful that Sean trusted in me enough to bring this character to life without having any prior acting training. It was a big risk he took, and I?m just so thankful that I made him proud.

Willem Defoe was asked if he needed to take on a teaching role with so many inexperienced actors.

WD: To be honest I didn?t need to. My job was more to fit in with them, because they were very well cast and Sean is very shrewd in how to make them feel comfortable. Sometimes a non-acting approach to acting is more effective. So I tried to be of that world. That?s true anyways. Some movies require performances that are very in your face and very bold and kind of show-off. Other ones, it depends on what your job is, what your function is in the construct of the movie. Other ones you really want to disappear. You almost hope that the audience doesn?t know you?re an actor. I?ve been doing this long enough where maybe someone seen me in another movie, so I don?t fool myself completely, but the idea is nice. So the idea of being in that community and not having there be a difference, I liked. And in a way it?s true almost always, because even in an industry movie, in a studio movie sometimes you have a wide range of skill, because actors come?in our culture, in the States anyway?actors come from a wide range of places. Some are highly trained with lots of experience. Some just have a thing?are beautiful, or just attractive, or charming. They may not be actors. Those are all things that we?re playing with when you make a movie. You can cut around things, you can craft things. You always have to be in the world with these other people. So it wasn?t as extreme as you might think.

Willem Dafoe was asked what appealed to him in the Bobby character that attracted him to this film.

WD: I think it?s interesting that you say that, because there aren?t any big scenes, there?s not a big transformation. On paper maybe Bobby seemed a little bit like a serviceable character?just to keep the narrative going?a device. But so often I sign on to something because of the feel for the people and the feel for the project itself. Miraculously sometimes roles that?It was a very good screenplay, don?t get me wrong. But Bobby did not read as strong on the page as I think it became. That?s partly because Sean added some things. But really why I went onboard was because of the whole project. This world that I didn?t know. The way he was going to shoot it?we were shooting in a real place with real people, mixing real people with first-timers, with street casting, with actors, a very good script, a story that seen through the eyes of this kid who really eexplores the kind of beauty of childhood, but then you also have this shadow of if we don?t take care this is where it could lead. And a basic feeling of community that needs help and what people?s response is to that. It?s only after shooting the movie that I can appreciate that Bobby was kind of a beautiful character in the respect that he?the thing I keep coming back to is somehow he understands that for each person he has a different relationship. It?s practical. He wants things to go smooth. Somewhere he deeply understands that your happiness, my happiness is dependent on yours and vice versa. Which is a very basic thing. But you see it played out in a very real, tangible way. And that?s a beautiful thing to watch in such a precarious world.

Asked if he had a backstory for the Bobby character, he went on:

WD: I had something of a backstory. In research I talked to some people who had this job and had this kind of life. So that was helpful. Not just to get the psychology and where they come from, but get the world and the little details?what kind of watch they?re wearing, whether they have any jewelry, how they cut their hair, how they present themselves and carry themselves. One of the biggest things that I took away from that was that he was very proud of his job, and he was very proud that he made the motel a better place than it was. That was kind of touching. I didn?t recognize it when I was doing the movie, but in retrospect when I see it in the movie, I think that kind of the beautiful thing for me about Bobby is that he?s not an extraordinary person, in the sense of talent or ambition. He?s a quite simple, normal guy, but he has kind of? this big heart and it?s like the average guy who tries to make the world a better place. His world is the world of this little community. So it has real resonance because I think we all have that in our lives. We know our limitations, but we try to apply ourselves because we feel best when we try to make things better.

Sean Baker was asked if this is an advocacy film.

SB: I do. Well, I hope it is. That?s all I can do. I hope that it inspires people to look further into the subject. What we?re trying to do in my Q&As and my interviews is stress that this is a national problem. It?s not just Kissimmee and Orlando. It?s something that?s national and it might be right under your nose. This is a hidden problem so it might just be in your hometown. We know it exists just south in the OC, in San Bernardino, Boston, Chicago, et cetera, et cetera. We are doing our best to bring it to DC. We?re trying to get in front of policy makers, have a congressional screening.

There?s a plethora [of problems in this area]. Almost each individual family that we met had their own circumstance, and sometimes it was many things. A lot of these motels were not acting as welfare motels before 08. They were striving tourist attractions and targeting the same tourists that went to the parks. This really is something that has been a problem in the last decade.

Yeah, there were issues we decided we couldn?t tackle properly in this film. For example, there is a major drug problem there, just as there is throughout the United States right now, with the opioid epidemic. Route 192 had pill mills up and down. They got shut down overnight and you were left with a bunch of opiate addicts and therefore they all turned to heroin. That was there, but that was an issue that we were like, we?re already tackling a lot here and we had to keep in mind, like Tangerine, we were trying to use an entertainment medium to reach a greater audience. We had to still stay thinking Little Rascals, comedy and humor in order to capture people and then hopefully leave them with stuff to think about.

When asked about possible solutions, he went on:

SB: That?s the thing. I?d like to get this in front of policy makers because to tell you the truth I don?t have the answers. I really am only posing the questions. I do know that the agencies that we worked with, especially the Community Hope Center down there, they do have plans in place, they just need funding. They have that funding to a certain degree from the private sector and from philanthropists, but it?s not enough to really make significant change. Right now, I spoke to the office of the Commissioner of Osceola County just the other day and they do have their first?thank God, finally?they have their first low income housing structure going up that will house a hundred families. The rent will be $355 a month. Which is about a third of what they are spending to live in these motels. So it is starting to make a difference now. If they can get more federal funding and Trump doesn?t make cuts, it can help. I hope that attention and awareness is brought to the situation from this film so that possibly there are more people in the private sector and philanthropists who want to help.

On the national level there?s the National Alliance for Homelessness, it?s the website that covers everything. If people want to look specifically at Kissimmee and Orlando, there are two websites I?d recommend. One is RethinkHomelessness.org. That is an organization that covers all Central Florida. And there is specifically for Route192, it?s called the Community Hope Center and their website is Hope192.com. They are wonderful. They are truly making change down there.

 

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Building The Florida Project: 1on1 with Sean Baker

Directed by Sean Baker, The Florida Project tells the story of 6-year-old Moonie (Brooklynn Prince) and her relationship with her young and impoverished mother Halley (Bria Vinaite). However, pulling back the camera, the film also shines a light on the lives of the ?hidden homeless? outside Orlando, Florida. Having no permanent address and residing in local motels, these homeless individuals and families struggle to survive from week to week. Because the issue is rarely spoken of in the public eye, Baker says that he was completely unaware of this problem.

?My co-screenwriter, Chris Bergoch, brought this issue to my attention [and] He knows what I?m looking for,? he recalls. ?This is our third time collaborating together on a screenplay?? I had no idea about the issue of the hidden homeless. I hadn?t even heard that term before and he was showing me articles about how there were families living with children living in budget motels right outside the parks in the tourist capital of the world, Orlando, Florida. We started doing more research and realized it was a national problem:? Boston, San Bernadino, Boston, etc. These are basically families who are technically homeless because they can?t secure permanent housing? They?re literally one step away from being on the streets so I wanted to explore that in the area that Chris showed me, in Kissimmee in Orlando, because of that very sad juxtaposition of homeless children living outside the place that we associate most with children.? The happiest place on Earth.??

?In that way, [we hope that] the audience will pick up on the fact that, if this could happen right here, it could happen anywhere.?

Having spent a great deal of time with the families that live in these Florida hotels, Baker feels strongly that many of them have been driven into these situations as a direct result of the financial crisis of nearly a decade ago.

?There?s a plethora of reasons why they?ve fallen into the situation that they?re in,? he argues. ?Someone asked me who the villain is in the film. I think they were baiting me to point at the corporations or the new administration. But I was like, you know, there are two villains:? the recession of ?08 followed by the housing crisis that continued right after it. It had an effect that continues to this day. The way that it affected families, individuals, local businesses, local governments and even corporations. People are still living in these situations so it?s something that I felt was an important enough issue that had not really had a light shined on it and this was my way of doing that.?

While hardly new to the independent film industry, Baker is perhaps best known for his previous directorial effort, Tangerine.? In fact, he acknowledges that it was the breakout success of Tangerine that helped pave the way for The Florida Project to become a reality.

?This actually came before Tangerine,? he says. ?We?d been trying to get money to make this for a while, close to six years perhaps.? We were looking for money at the time Beasts of the Southern Wild came out so we thought it might be a little too close which might have been why it was so difficult to get funding.? And then, I made Tangerine and that opened doors for us.?

Though some might be frustrated by these delays, Baker believes that they actually benefitted Project by allowing all the proper elements to fall into place.

According to Baker, ?Some people talk about serendipity or ?things that are supposed to happen? but, if we made this film six years ago when we initially wanted to, Brooklyn [Prince] was only 1 years old. Things happen for a reason and so I?m really happy it took this long. Over the years that we were thinking about it, I think my vision became stronger with it.?

Despite their vast differences, Baker also recognizes a relationship between both Tangerine and The Florida Project through their use of style and theme.

?Without having made Tangerine first, it would be a very different movie because of that style we used [in Tangerine] where we went with comedy first and foremost to deliver the message, that dictated the way we made this film,? he reflects. ?I think we?re telling a universal story in a community that not many people know about or have been underrepresented in film and television. I think that might be the common thing and [of course], the stylistic approach is where the commonality is.?

Through his use of humour within the film, Baker manages to bring a sense of light to an otherwise dark situation. By focusing the narrative through Moonie?s eyes, he allows the characters in the film to reclaim a form of innocence that seems infectious.

?It is very bleak, especially for an adult in full consciousness,? he notes. ?That?s one of the many reasons that we decided to focus on children because children are children, no matter where they are or what sort of situation they?re in.? There?s still trying.? There?s still that sense of wonderment.? They use their imagination to make the best of the situation they?re in and that?s what we were trying to show.? Even though this girl lived right outside of these parks and the Magic Kingdom and these amusement rides, they were inaccessible to her yet she was able to turn every day into that.? She was able to turn the parking lot into an nice little amusement park or visiting the cow pasture in the back of the motel was her way of going to the safari.?

Ultimately, however, Baker believes that Moonie?s relationship with her mother, Halley remains the foundation of hope for her in the midst of these painful situations.

?There was a way that this little girl was always able to make the best of things and it was with the help of her mother. Her mother, who comes across as? rough, aggressive, but there is a real love?a maternal love?but she is doing what she can do to always keep her child?s spirits up and make the most of it. Always keeping a smile on her daughter?s face and that?s what I saw on the faces of many of the residents there and I wanted to capture.?

As for the actual residents in these Florida motels, Baker feels that genuine hope exists. With an overwhelming response of support from businesses and local administration, he has noticed a difference in these communities in recent years.

?As far as hope in more realistic terms, all I can say is this:? I do see a change,? he states. ?I do see agencies in the area, non-profits, philanthropists, the local government all working together to try to eradicate homelessness in that area.? Even Disney itself has contributed.? In one of the largest charitable contributions by the private sector to eradicated homelessness ever, they gave half a million dollars to the towards the Homeless Impact Fund in Central Florida. So, everyone is trying and that I see as hope.?

The Florida Project is in select theatres now.

4.02 Working on THE FLORIDA PROJECT

This week, Steve welcomes back ScreenFish’rs Shelley McVea and Darrel Manson to talk about THE FLORIDA PROJECT. Directed by Sean Baker, THE FLORIDA PROJECT follows the stories of the hidden homeless in Kissimmee, FL and focuses on the relationship between Halley (Bria Viniate) and her young daughter, Moonie (Brooklynn Prince). Struggling to live week to week, Halley and Moonie live at The Magic Castle motel, managed with care by Bobby (Willem Dafoe). In the film, PROJECT asks what it means to ‘find your kingdom’ but does it have an answer? And is there a difference between ‘justice’ and ‘charity’? All this and more this week on ScreenFish.

Want to continue to conversation at home? ?Click the link below to download ?Fishing for More? ? some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.02 The Florida Project

Thanks Shelley and Darrel for coming on the show!

Disney Princ[ess]: 1on1 with Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project)

Directed by Sean Baker (Tangerine), The Florida Project tells the story of Halley (Bria Vinette), a young mother and her daughter, Moonee (Brooklynn Prince). Homeless and out of work, Halley struggles to live week to week in the Magic Castle, a motel situated just outside Disney World in Kissimmee, Florida. Managed by the patriarchal Bobby (Willem Dafoe), the Magic Castle is home to numerous homeless families in the area who are simply trying to survive. However, the true star of The Florida Project is 6-year-old Brooklyn Prince. In what can only be described as an Oscar worthy performance, Prince absolutely owns every scene, showing a stunning amount of skill for her young age. Despite the script dealing with such mature subject matter, Prince argues that the preparation for the film wasn?t particularly difficult.

?There wasn?t really anything ?tough?,? she remembers. ?You know, we all got along like a family so there?s nothing so tough.? Something tough was to deal with the last scene. It was kinda heartbreaking to me? Me and my mom would once in a while go over the lines. We would just prepare ourselves for the worst, but there was no worst. We prepared for nothing. [laughs]?

Furthermore, this sense of ease also spread amongst the cast as well. In fact, Prince felt that the cast became extremely close, coming together as a family over the course of the shoot.

According to Prince, ?It was a very big family. Sean was very nice and he was always there for me. He would help me with my lines. He would tell me what the things about. If I was confused, he would help me get my mind straight. Sometimes he would help me, like, before we shot the sad scenes, he asked me if I was okay.? He was very supportive.?

In fact, this family atmosphere was built intentionally by Baker and his crew. Seeking to create a space of fun and family, Baker even brought the entire team to Disney World together.

?The second day, we got to go [to Disney]. He had the whole crew on Small World and every single ride we went on. It was really fun.?

Prince was also excited about how Baker helped her performance during the shoot by encouraging her to improvise her dialogue.

?It was fun because it?s not like we had to go line by line [while shooting],? she beams. ?We could just do it a different way and see how he likes it. Sometimes, he would like it. Sometimes, he would just want to stay with the normal lines. But yeah, he let me improvise a lot.?

Of course, with much of the film wrestling with the problems of the ?hidden homeless?, one would hope that genuine interaction would take place between the actors and those who were genuinely affected by this form of poverty. Here, Prince found herself genuinely moved by the relationships she began to develop with the kids that she met within the area.

?I got to meet Rebecca, she was my stand-in and she lived there so we helped her out a little bit after the movie. There was also Christopher. I?m so sad that he can?t be here. He was a kid that I was working with that lived in the other hotel that Jancey lived in. Actually, the girl who played Jancey?s grandma was his grandma. The family was involved. So, I kinda feel bad for him for not being here.?

Through her experiences onset and with the families in the motels, Prince has learned a great deal at a very young age.

?I learned to always not be complaining,? she says. ?I [also] learned a lot from Willem [Dafoe] to be a nice actor and humble and kind. [I learned] to be a role model for people. Sometimes, I reminded myself to just shine a light for Jesus also.?

In fact, Prince was so moved by her experience that she also found herself working with Hope192, a local organization that provides support to homeless families that live in the motels along Highway 192 in Kissimmee, FL.

?There?s this organization that helps kids like Moonie and they want other people to help so they?re helping people out. I went to WalMart during Christmas and Hope192 got me the idea to get the Christmas presents for the kids.?

?They?re a Christian based group that helps all those motel-based families: food, clothing, supplies,? adds her father, Justin. ?In the movie, when Hailey is asking for bus passes, that is in Hope 192?s office. Sean has worked very closely with them to get to know the families and their background information. The amount of struggling families along 192 has been staggering, increasing over the years so we are happy that this film brings a situation to light that?s national, not just local.?

By its honesty regarding Florida?s hidden homeless population, The Florida Project demonstrates a maturity and creates space for conversations and action surrounding this problem. However, it?s because of authentic and heartfelt performances like Brooklynn Prince?s that ultimately drive that reality home.

For more information on how you can help Hope 192 in their mandate, please click here.

 

The Florida Project – Not So Carefree Childhood

The Florida Project is the story of a carefree childhood summer?except it isn?t. Instead it is a haunting view of a somewhat hidden section of American life?families that are not quite homeless, but nowhere near even a minimal security.

The story, which is made up of vignettes more than a definitive plot, focuses on Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), a six year old girl who lives with her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) in The Magic Castle, a seedy $35-a-night motel near Walt Disney World. Halley is often late with her weekly rent, and is frequently admonished by motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) for various transgressions. Moonee and friends spend the summer panhandling for ice cream, playing in abandoned buildings, and generally having adventures and getting into mischief. Her mother is little more than a child herself. She certainly is not emotionally mature. She tries to provide what she can through hustles, and, if that fails, prostitution and theft.

For Moonee this all seems normal. She has fun. She plays. But viewers know that it isn?t normal. It doesn?t seem to us to be a healthy situation for a girl to grow up in. At times Moonee and her friends do dangerous things because they have no supervision. Halley and other parents in their motel fear arrest or Child Services taking their children. We may think that is needed, but by the end of the film we may not be so sure.

The most interesting character for me, was Bobby. Often stern and seemingly judgmental, he was also an agent that brought grace into the lives of these people. He is an almost constant presence. He seems to see everything and know everything. He provides protection. Even when people fail to follow the rules, he almost never punishes. Theologically, I see him as a cinematic version of the Holy Spirit?the manifestation of God that constantly fills our lives with grace and continuously watches over us. The Spirit can both convict and comfort us. Bobby embodies all of this.

It?s estimated that close to a million people live in such transient circumstances. Because they must move so frequently it is hard to know with any certainty. Many of those living in places like The Magic Castle lost homes in the 2008 crash and have never been able find their way back into regular housing. It is especially hard to track the children of such families to make sure they are in good environments and have access to schools. Even we may want to be judgmental about such situations. We may see Halley as irresponsible and immature, but she is striving to keep her daughter housed and fed as best she can. This film calls us to have compassion on people like this who have next to nothing in a land of plenty.

Even though the film hardly ever specifically references the Disney resorts, they are a constant presence in the film as we see fancier hotels and tourist shops. Places like the Disney parks are a very visible sign of affluence in our society (especially considering the cost to go to them). The ironic contrast that is created by setting the story so close to such a happy place reminds us that this issue really is all around us. We may even consider the possibility that such ?magical? places really hide the poverty that exists nearby. We go to such places looking for a magical experience, blind to the reality of difficult lives just outside the boundaries of our escapist destinations.

Photos Courtesy of A24