CONGRATULATIONS DAISY GRAHAM Directed By Cassandra Nicolaou
Shane: Tell us about your film?
Cassandra: It’s a short film about an old woman. Well, two old women.
S: How did you come up with the idea for the film?
C: I saw a portable sign in front of an old age home that read “Congratulations Daisy” and I wondered what Daisy was being congratulated for.
S: Was this a school project?
C: No.
S: How did you find your cast?
C: One I’d worked with before on my feature, the others I knew from the Toronto theatre scene.
S: How long did the film take? (From conception to final edit)
C: It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but 7 years. I got distracted by a couple of other projects along the way…
S: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?
C: It was actually an amazing shoot – a really small crew, in a beautiful rural location. Very relaxed and we had great weather, which in my experience makes all the difference.
S: Tell us about the films festival experience so far?
C: It premiered last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival and is doing the rounds… festivals in North America, Europe and even a women’s film festival in Korea.
S: What has been your most interesting Q&A so far? What was your favorite question?
How was the dialogue afterwards?
C: It’s all been a blur.
S: What films or filmmakers inspire you?
C: Claire Denis, the Dardenne brothers, P.T. Anderson, Alexander Payne, Francois Ozon
S: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?
C: I love the way some movies make me feel, and I wanted to be able to affect others in the same way.
S: What is next for you?
C: I’m working on two different feature projects, hopefully one of them will go into production in the next year.
S: What is next for the film?
C: Festivals in Provincetown, Warsaw, Milan and San Francisco…
S: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?
C: If you’re writing and directing it, please don’t edit it. And try not to act in it. And the shooting, don’t do that either.