An Interview with Sasha Gordon NYU Filmmaker

Frenchtowner.com is proud to present an interview with filmmaker Sasha Gordon who chose to use Frenchtown as the location for her new movie "The Tom Doyle Players".

Frenchtowner.com:

Tell me about yourself.

Sasha:

I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia where I began
studying piano at the age of five. After immigrating to the United
States, I continued her musical studies at the Mannes School of
Music. Later, as a student at Brown University, I composed an original musical and began scoring independent films. I also continued studying piano and performed several piano concertos with the Brown symphony orchestra. Upon graduation, I pursued my Masters degree at the Mannes College of Music and was commissioned to write an original score to William Wellman's 1927 Oscar-winning "Wings." The score was debuted live in New York City and Paris. I have scored several feature and short independent films and documentaries as well as co-directed an operatic short film that debuted at the Avignon Film Festival.

Frenchtowner.com:

Tell me about your film.

Sasha:

My film, "The Tom Doyle Players" is a ten minute musical film about a group of traveling musicians who are petty thieves. The troupe travels around from town to town staging elaborate street performances designed to create a diversion so that they can then pull of their thievery. The film portrays their last big show designed to distract personnel at a small Daycare Center (Frenchtown Tots) to enable the leading couple to reclaim their four-year-old son who was taken away from them by the Department of Child Services.

Frenchtowner.com:

How did you get into film?

Sasha:

I had always studied music and the visual arts and at a certain point it looked as though I had to choose between the two. I had chosen music (composition and piano) at first but found myself really missing thinking visually and working in a more collaborative medium. So I made my first short film, which was also a musical, and realized that film was a medium where I could think both visually and musically. So I applied to NYU and continued pursuing composition but mainly for film, and began focusing on directing.

Frenchtowner.com:

Why did you choose Frenchtown for your film?

Sasha:

I chose Frenchtown as my location because it has a look and feel unlike any other small town I've ever seen. It's beautiful and old but not crammed with tourists or fancy antique stores. It has a haunting and nostalgic quality but it's also warm and inviting. I wanted my film to have a very particular emotional core that wouldn't evoke typical musical film connotations. I was looking for a location that was beautiful but not too cute, old but not too antique crammed. So as soon as I saw Frenchtown I knew it was the perfect place. Also, though I realize we're the source of much dissent in the town, when we were scouting locations and as we started preparing to shoot everyone I came across in Frenchtown was unbelievably supportive and welcoming. Many people allowed us into their homes, lent us their cars, their storefronts, their furniture - I have never seen generosity and trust of this magnitude. All the store-owners on Race Street, even those who were disturbed by our presence, treated me with complete respect and civility which meant a great deal to the success of the shoot and to the dynamic on set. I want to extend my deepest thanks to all the people and businesses of Frenchtown. I would particularly like to thank "Sassyfras - Custom Interiors by Laura", "River Edge Design", "Schaible's Barber Shop", "Ned's Furnishings", "Meadowsweet Farm and Home", "Windows Accents", "Love of Art", "Race Street Cafe", "Buck's", "Freeman's Bikes", "Coldwell Banker", "Grecco's Market Caffe and Restaurant", "Thai Chili Restaurant", "Frenchtown Cafe", and "Galasso's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant." and to the Fire Department as well as the Police Department and Mayor Ron Sworen.


Frenchtowner.com:

Will the people of Frenchtown be able to see your film and how?

Sasha:

The people of Frenchtown will most definitely get to see the film when it's done. I know you host a film festival so if accepted that seems like the ideal venue. If not, we will organize a screening when the time comes (which will most likely be about a year from now.)