In an exclusive interview, Flickering Myth sat down with Alexandra Essoe (The Pope’s Exorcist) to talk about her directorial debut The Carnal Soul starring veteran actor Bob Gunton (The Shawshank Redemption).
Hi Alexandra Essoe, welcome to Flickering Myth! Before we dig in about your new movie, tell us about yourself.
Hi! I was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. My mother was a stage actress and director, and I grew up in the Dhahran community theater, watching every rehearsal for as many productions as I could. I was also an avid cinephile from an early age. Upon moving to Canada at the age of 12, I became involved in acting courses and making home movies with my friends. Upon graduating high school, I moved to Vancouver to study every technique I could get my hands on, at both the Lyric school of Acting and the Beaumont Stage.
What got you into filmmaking and made you realize that it was your chosen path?
While I was in school, I got involved in an arts collective where I wrote and directed short plays and choreographed performance art pieces. Upon moving to Los Angeles, I worked at establishing myself as an actress in a slew of films and shows.
Who are your filmmaker influences growing up that helped to mold you into who you are today?
I have so many but let’s start with John Cassavettes, Ingmar Bergman, David Lynch, Akira Kurosawa, Mary Harron, Rainer Fassbender, Mike Nichols, Elaine May, and Penny Marshall!
Which actors/directors would you like to collaborate with in future?
Anyone named above who is still living, plus Ana Lily Amirpour, The Safdie Brothers, Chloe Okuno and Panos Cosmatos.
You just wrapped your directorial debut, The Carnal Soul, which you also wrote and produced. Tell us about the movie.
The movie is about Mort, a man in the winter of his life. Mort can no longer live with the weight of his regrets. Every day is torture living with an old betrayal. Today he sets out to make amends with his long-time rival. Can he atone for his mistakes before it’s too late?
How did you come up with this story and title?
Larry David is my spirit animal, and the story grew out of trying to come up with a bit that would be at home on a show like Curb. It just made me laugh.
The title is taken from a Rumi poem entitled Death Is Our Wedding With Eternity. The passage I found relevant to the film goes; “For those who live in the light of God, the death of the carnal soul is a blessing.”
How long did it take from page to screen?
From the first word to the final cut took about a year. I edited the film myself, so I had to learn the software first. Then post took forever mostly due to funds being affected by the strike.
Who are some of your key team for the project?
My producer, Alexis Iacono, the wind beneath my wings and the hardest working person I know. John DeFazio, my brilliant DP who was a joy to work with, and Ben Huber, my first AD and such a steady, calm presence on set.
Every person in the crew was so professional, hardworking and such a joy to work with. I only hope I’m in a position to give them all (better paying) jobs soon.
What are your plans for the film?
I’m currently entering the film in festivals and would love for it to play for an audience, but the main purpose of the film is to have a calling card, an example of what I’m capable of making with a shoestring budget.
How can people find and follow your journey?
Thank you, my work can be found on my IMDB and my Instagram to keep up with my daily news!
Watch the trailer for The Carnal Soul here:
Our thanks to Alexandra Essoe for taking the time for this interview, and to Liz Rodriguez from EMR Media for helping us with the interview.
