Inside Scoop: Director and Writer Allen Sowelle on "I'll Talk About You"
What inspired you to write this episode of FSC?
The inspiration came from a conversation I never really got to have with my father. The first time I heard the word “Metastasized” was such a shock. I had no idea what was going on, let alone that my dad was even sick. Then everything happened so fast we never really got to a calm, spiritual place of acceptance until he was gone. Also my son, Osaze, was only two when my father passed away. I had always hoped they would have these conversations where wisdom is passed down to the next generation. But again, he was gone too soon. So I wrote this in his memory, and in the memories of others. He is a beautiful man.
Some people might not know this, but the boy in your film is your son! How did he get to be such a good actor, and what is it like to direct a family member?
It was somewhat surreal working with Osaze. I mean he knew the sentiment I was trying to reach. Not being a professional actor, I just reminded him to go with what’s given by the other actor. It’s not always about getting the line right as it is to having a conversation that was believable and sincere. But yeah, watching him give life to a moment I wish he had with his grandfather was a little surreal.
Tell me a little bit about the actress who plays the Grandma, and the actors in FSC as a whole. What do you look for when casting a show?
Oh Cassandra was great. She really carried the weight of that moment. We had little rehearsal time so we talked about their bond, where these two just came from before “fade in,” and how she would feel if time were short – stuff like that.
As for casting, we knew the majority of our shots were gonna be medium to extreme close-ups, so the most important thing to consider were faces – faces that could communicate the subtext, the subtleties of silence.
What do you hope people get out of this episode?
I hope people get not only a glimpse of the familiar, but also come away with an understanding that when we have an opportunity to encourage or inspire a loved one, don’t wait for tragedy or illness to say what needs to be said. If you feel it now, why not say it now. It took a lot of courage for both characters to reach the other as they did.
Last thing I would say is we really appreciate folks supporting this type of content. We have so many more topics and moments we look forward to sharing with upcoming episodes. Please keep watching, commenting, “liking” and submitting ideas for future stories.
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Very meaningful piece. Great chemistry between the players. Thanks for sharing….