FILM FESTIVAL-CANNES/KRISHA A family film in a different sense as 'Krisha' hits Cannes

Record ID: 154575

  • Title: FILM FESTIVAL-CANNES/KRISHA A family film in a different sense as 'Krisha' hits Cannes
  • Date: 21st May 2015
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 17, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) TREY EDWARD SHULTS' MOTHER AND ACTRESS, ROBYN FAIRCHILD, SAYING: "They respond to that Alzheimer's issue and having elderly parents, they respond to the sister bond, they respond to the addiction, to the son, other people raising people's kids - that's very common now so we've just been so touched by the way peo
  • Embargoed: 5th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAAABQ1JIVCTKW8AEZ9XVIB0U5B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: When American director Trey Edward Shults decided to direct his first feature film "Krisha", he turned to those he could most rely on to get it made - his family.
    The film is based on stories that have happened to his family over the years and it stars numerous family members, including his mother, Robyn Fairchild and his aunt, Krisha Fairchild, who plays the titular role.
    "Krisha" sees the troubled character return to her family after years away for Thanksgiving, hoping to make amends for her previous behaviour.
    Shults explained his reasoning for calling on his nearest and dearest, saying: "I knew that was the only way I was going to make this movie because it's so personal and telling that personal family story literally with family members, shooting in my mum's house in nine days. That's the way we had to do it and I think that's what made the movie special. I wouldn't have done it any other way."
    "My girlfriend and her mum were the caterers, all the actors were friends, the crew were friends, everybody felt it was really special and it felt like the most fun anyone had ever had making a movie and at the same time it might be the best thing any of those people have worked on, so there was a special energy," he added.
    And the energy was noticed by critics and audiences alike, receiving glowing reviews and picking up the prestigious Grand Jury Award at SXSW (South by South West) film festival.
    "Krisha" even features Shults' maternal grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's - although she wasn't aware she was appearing in a film while shooting.
    "They respond to that Alzheimer's issue and having elderly parents," said Shults' mother, Robyn Fairchild.
    "They respond to the sister bond, they respond to the addiction, to the son, other people raising people's kids - that's very common now so we've just been so touched by the way people have come up and told us their personal story and we hoped that would happen but we didn't know that was going to happen until our first screening and then we were just so happy because it was like, 'Oh my gosh, people are really being affected.' And so, I think that's what it is. People project their own feelings onto what they relate to and then they take that piece away and it's personally touching them and that's awesome. We didn't know that," she said.
    Krisha Fairchild, who had hopes as a young woman of being a Hollywood star, has been heaped with praise for her role as an addict. The Hollywood Reporter described her performance as "riveting and grows ever more compelling as the brilliantly off-center story unwinds".
    "Addicts are not happy people, alcoholics are not happy people. They're tortured people so I went to tortured places because I wanted to make people understand what their people were in those rooms doing when they thought they were just shooting up and you have a tendency to protect yourself when you are in the family by... but you know it's like open the door and look in at what they're going through, call them and reach out. You can't save them but you can tell them you love them. You may be able to help. For me, I was glad to go to those places if I thought that anybody would reach out as a result," she said.
    "Krisha" is showing in the Critics Week selection at the Cannes Film Festival and has now had even more success. It's been picked up for distribution by U.S. distributor A24 while at the festival.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register