Video Interview: Filmmaker Josh Mond (James White)

After producing (as one-third of the Borderline Films crew) such seminal films as Antonio Campos’ Afterschool and Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene, its with a certain trepidation, high expectations and immense anticipation that might awaited James White‘s unveiling during January’s Sundance Film Festival. Simply put, Josh Mond‘s directorial outing will be regarded as one of the best debuts from an American independent filmmaker circa 2015. Viscerally involving, emotionally gut-wrenching, non-exploitatively judgemental, Mond’s deeply personal film wears a certain fragility on its disheveled sleeve with major props going to the direction of one of the best paired performances of the year. Stripped to core, this NYC infused drama demands that the viewer Live Through This.

I sat down with Josh at the Sundance Film Festival where we swiftly touched upon his working process with cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (Son of Saul), we discussed how he fine-tuned the script and briefly touched upon the backstory behind the film’s longest take which also happens to be the film’s most personal crucial sequence. The Film Arcade releases James White at NYC’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema on November 13th, and it will open in other cities in the weeks to follow. Here is my sit-down with Mond.

IONCINEMA.com partnered with Spotful to present this abridged teaser video interview.