Warning: Undefined array key "sharing_networks_networks_sorting" in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/monarch/monarch.php on line 3904
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/monarch/monarch.php on line 3904
Shot in five countries over the course of three and a half years, Meet Me In Montenegro was a very ambitious undertaking by directors Alex Holdridge and Linnea Saasen. Geography and timeline aside, Alex and Linnea had their hands full otherwise as the two also co-wrote, produced and starred in the film. Shortly after its completion in March 2015, Meet Me In Montenegro was acquired by The Orchard for its North American release. A few months after that, the film received a full-scale release in theaters, on iTunes and through VOD outlets in July 2015.
After my cousin Aaron March told me about Alex and his background, I felt that he would be an excellent interview subject for “Really Busy People.” Here’s a guy who has carried out multiple titles and roles for low and high-budget films. Also, Alex has lived all over the place — now based in Germany – and worked with producers, financers and studios from all around the world. He took a risk by pursuing a creative path within the film world, and the gamble has paid off in recent years. However, Alex had a lot of advice to offer up with regards to how he wound up where he is today and which factors were most essential for that to happen. Ultimately, I came away from this Q&A very inspired and hope that readers will find resonance in his line about “getting some pages written today.”
For more information on the critically-acclaimed Meet Me In Montenegro, go to http://www.meetmeinmontenegro.me – for your viewing pleasure, its trailer is embedded below.
As an actor, writer, director and producer, when people ask you what your occupation is, what do you usually say?
Alex Holdridge: Writer/director. Acting is really fun, but I only do it when someone asks specifically to come play a part. Producing is a matter of getting your movies made.
What brought you to Germany?
A: I spent a lot of time in Europe in 2008 premiering In Search Of A Midnight Kiss, which had a bigger release abroad than in the U.S. Along the way people kept saying to go to Berlin. In 2011, when I had a moment to take a vacation before “beginning” my first Hollywood film, I went to Berlin. I loved it and met the love of my life and future collaborator, Linnea Saasen. Little did I know we would end up writing a movie together, shooting it in Berlin — as well as four other countries — and ultimately settling there permanently. But the city is special, inspiring, and it fits what we want to do.
For someone who hasn’t yet seen Meet Me In Montenegro, how would you describe the film?
A: It’s a personal love story that’s funny and dramatic and takes place all over the word. It’s fiction but is inspired by a real-life experience. It follows an American filmmaker, Anderson, who takes a vacation to Berlin and meets a Norwegian dancer, Lina. They take a spontaneous train trip to the Balkans, which is magical and romantic but ends horribly. Three years later, these two run into each other in a bar in Berlin when Anderson is in town for a make-it-or-break it meeting. We follow Lina and Anderson over these handful of days as they potentially reconnect while they explore the city and must decide what is next in their lives. Meanwhile their friends, Stephen [Rupert Friend from Homeland and Agent 47] and Freiderike [Jennifer Ulrich from The Wave] are in a long-term relationship. They are in the opposite situation. They love each other but are beginning to drift apart. Instead of dealing with it, they flirt with the fantasy of going to the famous Kit Kat sex club together for a wild night. Meet Me In Montenegro follows these two couples over a handful of days and along the way we get to travel from the cliffs of Montenegro, to the underground clubs of Berlin, to the famous Kit Kat sex club and beyond. If you like travel, real-life romance, and some comedy and drama, you should check it out.
Richard Linklater was part of your screening in Austin. How did that come to happen?
A: Rick first came to a screening of a film I made years ago called Sexless. He really liked it and thereafter we became friends. He’s always checked in and we’ve just kept in touch over the years. Having someone like that simply treat you as an equal and with such kindness for so long has always been inspiring. This movie took us four years to make, so we’ve talked about it over the years with him. I’ve kept it a bit secret as we’ve been working and shooting and reshooting. When it was finally going to show in Austin, I wrote to Rick to see if he was around to make a night of it. Since we’ve been long-time friends and his collaborators have worked on all my projects, it would be particularly fun. And it was. The screening sold out immediately so they added a second screening which also sold out. Having Rick there to talk with me and my crew about the film and encouraging people to see it and to tell their friends to see it meant the world to us. He’s so generous and such a champion of film and creativity that I feel lucky to have met him years ago and to have called Austin my home for so long. It’s the one city I sorely miss. I am thankful he and the Austin Film Society are there and to be so supportive. Donate to that non-profit and become a member, if you’re not. They do fantastic work bringing films to Austin, and that influenced me greatly when I was very young.
Your first film, Wrong Numbers, was supposed to be re-made as a studio film. Was this your first studio experience? Did this experience influence you to go more of an independent route?
A: Yes, yes and yes. The bottom line is we will find a way to keep making movies and telling stories we care about. Not being beholden to one way to get things made I think is liberating and effective. Sometimes it’s at a studio and sometimes it will be independent. Just keep moving forward in a positive direction is the one thing all the experiences at studios and out have taught me.
What does the European film market offer to you that you wouldn’t get by living in New York or Los Angeles?
A: If you’re organized and plan ahead, you can apply and work with European producers to get state funding. That is extremely powerful and something I’m hoping to be able to do in the future. And often this can work well in concert with partial funding from New York or Los Angeles. All in all, it lets investors lower their risk and thus be able to fund movies that might be a bigger financial risk. Culturally, I just love Berlin. It’s interesting, artistic and affordable, relative to other European capitals. All of that feeds you in a way and exposes you to things you might not otherwise discover. There are people pursuing all sides of the arts there, not just film, and I find that inspiring.
When it comes to the kinds of projects you write for, what is it about film that appeals to you more than television?
A: I still love a really well-done movie. I think about them after the fact in every way — its setting, characters, story, music, artwork…There is something very contained and permanently captured in a film that I think is a strong snapshot of that collaboration. However, it’s all evolving so the way stories are told, whether it’s TV or film, is becoming extremely blurry. Many TV shows now feel like long great films. In fact, our next project might be a TV show. I like things made with heart, TV or film.
For someone who wants to work in film, that’s not earning a full-time living from the business, what are the tools they need to survive?
A: Perseverance. Keep moving forward in a positive direction. It’s not glamorous ever. Even when you win a big award at a major festival, you’ll be taking the trash out at a restaurant in two days. Don’t let that define you or get you down, it’s just part of the process. You just keep focusing on what you can control which is the script for your next project. Financially, you’re up and you’re down, but it doesn’t matter at all. Just focus on the actual work. If you write the script, it’s much more powerful than just talking vaguely about the idea. Just do it and ask questions later.
Are there particular apps or tools you rely on to keep yourself focused and prolific?
A: Fear. You are slowly dying, so you better get some pages written today. It’ll be over before you know it.
Does creativity come to you in spurts? Or are you more the creative type who writes every day just to keep you mind active?
A: Moments of inspiration are great, but you can’t rely on them. You have to go to the table every day. When big ideas strike, it’s just like you’ve been given a bit of good luck and something more to work with, but you have to keep molding and shaping and looking. It’s all straight-forward typing, reading it out loud, rewriting, listening to music, rewriting. And so on.
Do you have an accomplishment that you’re proudest of?
A: I think when you’re young you want to control every aspect of the process. As you get older, you open the door to more voices and collaboration. I like that process. I am really proud of our latest film, Meet Me In Montenegro, because it was such an enormously big film we tried to capture. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I hear the voices of Linnea and our collaborators, and with that I really like the texture that was created. That can be scary, but I really enjoy when things become much bigger than yourself. And I think Linnea is the most talented person with which I have ever worked. It will be fascinating to see all the things she will produce in the future. Being part of that at the start is really exciting.
An upcoming film you co-wrote, Frank And Cindy, has some big names in it. Since the film is based on a documentary, how did the opportunity to co-write a feature film come about?
A: I had just finished In Search Of A Midnight Kiss. I knew GJ, who made the documentary, which is hilarious. Scoot McNairy was a producer and recommended me to work with GJ on adapting it into a fiction film. So we wrote it together and I really liked the script. It took them a long time to actually get it made, but GJ should be really proud. He is absolutely brilliant. If you see the film you’ll understand that GJ was a child prodigy and his brilliance carried into adulthood.
Beyond Montenegro and Frank And Cindy, any other upcoming projects or events you can talk about?
A: We are writing our next project now. I never know what exactly will happen next, but we are heading out to pitch a TV show this month. We’ll see if it comes to fruition. And we’re writing a film, so I just don’t know anything other than we’re back at the table typing away.
Finally, Alex, any last words for the kids?
A: Thanks for taking the time to read this interview and/or watch any film we’ve made. I know what it’s like to be broke and earn minimum wage and have dreams. Done it for over two decades. So if you have ever bought a ticket or rented a film I’ve been part of, very simply I just want to thank you. That really does mean something to me.
-by Darren Paltrowitz