SOUND OF MY VOICE -- Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling interview
From: Andrea Chase
Series: Behind the Scenes
Length: 13:24
For co-writers Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, making SOUND OF MY VOICE wasn't just a labor of love, but one of passion. Batmaglij directed and Marling stars as Maggie, the enigmatic leader of a cult who claims to have come from the future to save her followers in a film that lets the audience decide what is real and what is fantasy. When I spoke to the pair by phone on April 26, 2012, I was curious about how they had made a first-rate film for what is usually spent on catering for a mid-range film, and why the LaBrea Tar Pits were the perfect location for a decisive moment in the story. The conversation turned to the nature of belief, why people in general are both repulsed and fascinated by the idea of an apocalypse, and the odd way Marling found just the right voice for Maggie.
Also in the Behind the Scenes series
The Hitchock Nine -- SF Silent Film Festival Anita Monga Interview
(24:10)
From: Andrea Chase
San Francisco Silent Film Festival Artistic Director Anita Monga talks innovation, creativity, and why Hitchcock proved his genius in the first frames of his very first film.
THE EAST -- Zal Batmanglij Interview
(10:24)
From: Andrea Chase
Zal Batmanglij talks tribes, alienation, and being soft enough.
THE KINGS OF SUMMER -- Moises Arias, Nick Robinson & Gabriel Basso Interview
(10:17)
From: Andrea Chase
Moises Arias, Nick Robinson & Gabriel Basso talk chemistry reads, pipe dancing, and facing Nick Offerman.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING -- Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker Interview
(09:03)
From: Andrea Chase
Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof talk having no fear, short shooting schedules, and staircase soliloquies.
REBELS WITH A CAUSE -- Nancy Kelly Interview
(24:05)
From: Andrea Chase
Nancy Kelly talks cause, effect, and how saving the Marin Headlands paved the way for Alice Waters.
WHAT MAISIE KNEW -- David Siegel, Scott McGehee, Onata Aprile Interview
(10:32)
From: Andrea Chase
Scott McGehee, David Siegel, and Onata Aprile talk framing shots, casting children, and climbing Alexander Skarsgard like a tree.
FRANCES HA -- Greta Gerwig Interview
(10:38)
From: Andrea Chase
Greta Gerwig talks the addictive quality of multiple takes, the lightness of muscle memory, and keeping secrets from the cast.
AT ANY PRICE -- Ramin Bahrani Interview
(17:52)
From: Andrea Chase
Ramin Bahrani talks corporate corruption, Roger Ebert’s friendship, and calling Werner Herzog for advice.
STORIES WE TELL -- Sarah Polley Interview
(08:48)
From: Andrea Chase
Sarah Polley talks relative truth, the privilege being quiet, and narrative as a tonic for bewilderment.
SIMON KILLER -- Antonio Campos Interview
(21:18)
From: Andrea Chase
Antonio Campos talks religious prostitutes, music as plot point, and the choreography of life.
Piece Description
For co-writers Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, making SOUND OF MY VOICE wasn't just a labor of love, but one of passion. Batmaglij directed and Marling stars as Maggie, the enigmatic leader of a cult who claims to have come from the future to save her followers in a film that lets the audience decide what is real and what is fantasy. When I spoke to the pair by phone on April 26, 2012, I was curious about how they had made a first-rate film for what is usually spent on catering for a mid-range film, and why the LaBrea Tar Pits were the perfect location for a decisive moment in the story. The conversation turned to the nature of belief, why people in general are both repulsed and fascinated by the idea of an apocalypse, and the odd way Marling found just the right voice for Maggie.
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Andrea Chase takes you Behind the Scenes of SOUND OF MY VOICE with Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. SOUND OF MY VOICE is a seductive story about the power of cults, of belief, and of being caught off guard. Marling plays Maggie, an enigmatic cult leader who claims to be from the future and has come back in time to save a handful of followers from the coming apocalypse. Infiltrating her cult are Peter and Lorna, a couple with psychic wounds from their respective childhoods who are hoping to give their adult lives meaning by producing a documentary about Maggie and her followers. Things don’t go as planned when Peter starts falling under Maggie’s spell, and Lorna is unable to follow. Batmanglij directed from a script he co-wrote with Marling. Marling was last seen in the philosophically dense and challenging ANOTHER EARTH.
OUTRO:Andrea Chase has taken you Behind the Scenes of SOUND OF MY VOICE with Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij.
