Q&A with Director David Garrett, Ten Stories Tall, 2010

Reviewed by Rowan-George Smith.  Viewed at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Film Festival.

After the screening of Ten Stories Tall, the director David Garrett did a brief Q&A.  Attached to this review is a photo taken at a Q&A at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, for the same film, but at another screening time, and unfortunately for me, this Q&A included leading actress, Tovah Feldshuh (pictured in the middle), she played Grace Parker in the film and actor, Jean Brassard (pictured on the left), played Alain.  The Q&A I attended, was only with the director David Garrett (pictured on the right).

David took questions mainly from the timid audience and few from the moderator.  He is very reserved and has a calming affect on the audience, and he was very open and truthful about the accumulation of Ten Stories Tall. David shared with us that the film was shot in four weeks on location in New York City.  It was interesting to learn that significant loss of several family members and friends over the span of six years, in his life inspired him to do the story.  In his film, he manages to capture the truth of loss, with an ensemble of actors depicting the loss of a mother and friend as the core story.  He also explores the loss of a young man who learns of his early fate and his wish is to die naturally.  David leaves the viewer with a rare sensitivity felt throughout the film, he pours his life experiences into the text, characters, and New York City.  He manages to tell an effective story that fully grasps deep loss.  David wrote the screenplay, and also co-produced the film, along with marking Ten Stories Tall a directorial debut feature film.  David said the film was about life, love, and loss, and during the Q&A, I attended, he genuinely articulated his past and present to us, openly and without reservation, and the film was just that, open and without reservation.


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