Can you talk about coming across this book and deciding to make it into a film?
Daniel Minahan: My producer Peter Spears and I were looking for material to make a feature together and I knew that I wanted to make a love story. We were passing books back and forth and Shannon Pufahl’s novel came to both of us at the same time, coincidentally. I started reading it and I was about halfway through when I realized that I felt really excited by this story.
When did you decide to make this project together?
Ariella Mastroianni: Well, Ryan and I, we grew up together. We’ve known each other since high school, and we immediately bonded over films.
This is a movie that shows real love for the Bay Area. Where did the story come from?
Ryan Fleck: Well, it starts with that Too $hort song, this really nasty song called Freaky Tales that I heard way too young, maybe nine or ten. I grew up with hippie parents. We had Beatles records and Janis Joplin and then my friends played me Freaky Tales and I was like, What is going on?!
When you were first pitched this story, what really clicked for you? Was there a moment or scene that really convinced you that you wanted to make this?
Peter Cattaneo: Well, it’s based on a memoir, and I think what felt really exciting was that you would never dream up this set of facts.
What is it like finally bringing a film into the world after you’ve been working on it for close to five years?
Gints Zilbalodis: It’s been very intense, and very strange, sitting in a room by yourself for such a long time and then going to twenty or thirty places and meeting crowds of people.