INSIDE BEAT INTERVIEWS DIRECTOR DARYL WEIN

An Interview with Breaking Upwards Director

By Emily Schachtman

Film Editor

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A clip from the scene Breaking Upwards

Independent filmmaker Daryl Wein’s second feature-length film, Breaking Upwards, is sort of like a dissection of the modern breakup. Along with directing and starring, he also penned the screenplay with co-star Zoe Lister-Jones (both use their real names in the film), and the result is a clever meta-narrative about what it means to remove yourself from the life of someone you love, but with whom you may not be in love with. Breaking Upwards is screening at the New Jersey Film Festival this weekend, so Wein answered a few of Inside Beat’s questions about his latest effort.

IB: The script for Breaking Upwards is great! Was any of it improvised?
DW: Yes, there was some stuff that was improvised. The actors were free to add lines if they felt inspired to make something up. But I’d say 95 percent of it was scripted. Peter, Zoe and I worked really hard on the screenplay for about a year or so.

IB: I read one review on IMDb that compared the film to Woody Allen’s New York films. Do you see that?
DW: Yes, I would say Woody Allen was the biggest influence. I miss those early films like Annie Hall and Manhattan. They are funny, sad and serious, and I love that combination. I was trying to create something similar to them in a way but in a fresh, new light.

IB: I noticed you used a lot of outdoor shots. What was your experience with filming in NYC?
DW: Totally renegade. We just went out on the streets and shot. Everyone in the background is real. Nobody ever bothered us except for in Madison Square Park. They guard that park well.

IB: Is it difficult directing yourself? What I mean is, how did you deal with both directing and starring in your film?
DW: Yes, I never want to do it again … I couldn’t focus on both my performance and the other actors at the same time. You have to be invested in one or the other for it to be the best it can be. Sometimes I could watch playback and then give notes and some stuff I wasn’t in, so that was fine, but the rest was hard. I just had to let go and trust sometimes.

IB: What do you see as the one message in this film you’d like audiences to come away with?
DW: There is not one message. I hope people walk away laughing, maybe crying, feeling nostalgic, excited, moved, in love with New York, and asking lots of questions about the nature of relationships.

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