Making movies

Of telling stories and building lives together

It seems glamorous. Exciting. Thrilling. Our collective sense of moviemaking tends to be shaped by the blockbusters that become grist for our common conversation. Of red carpets and gala screenings. Of popcorn and big screens. We forget—if we were ever aware—that telling stories on film is hard, grinding work. There is no clear path to fortune and fame. Instead it is more like every other human endeavour worth doing—it requires commitment, dedication, a high pain tolerance and  a willingness to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

Graham Foy and Daiva Zalnieriunas are in the hard part of that journey. They have assembled a string of decorated short films and collected a wall of awards. Last year they completed their first feature film (The Maiden, which screens at the Regent on August 28. They have travelled the world promoting the film. And amid this busy life, they found time to have a baby, Louie.

“We get up every morning, feed Louie, put on a record, and we talk about our project,” said Daiva, explaining the couple’s process. Yet the work is different each day. Writing one day, cajoling funding agencies another, marketing and promoting another. “It all falls to us,” said Daiva.

Working with a wee budget means Graham and Daiva must take on and manage various responsibilities every day. It is not unlike building a small business from the ground up, then moving on after a few years to do it all again.

(L-R): Daiva Zalnieriunas with partner Graham Foy and son Louie.

The story of The Maiden examines the relationship of three teens coping with loss. The filmmakers needed authentic. They needed real. There could be no veneer—no false notes.

The pair spent the better part of two years casting the film with non-actors. With support from a high school in Graham’s hometown of Calgary, they set up workshops and training programs. Daiva levered her training and experience as an acting teacher. It was slow going.

But eventually, they found the elusive balance of characteristics they needed—vulnerable yet authentic. They found young actors with infectious energy who could lift their characters off the screen.

“It’s a movie about unlikely friendships—bonds forged by circumstances,” said Daiva. “It’s about connections— about overcoming loneliness and a sense of isolation that can overwhelm us all, but can be amplified among teens. It definitely led to some raw moments.”

The Maiden has been well received around the world. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, at the Toronto International Film Festival, Sao Paulo and recently at the Taipei Film Festival and had an extended theatrical run in Canada. It will be in theatres in Australia, the Netherlands and Indonesia in the coming months.

Graham is currently writing his next feature, while the couple juggle the duties of marketing and promoting The Maiden—and parenthood. He says writing, in particular, is lonely but rewarding work. He can’t immerse himself in the task for long, though— for there is always something else to do, some other demand on his attention.

Still, they are able to spend some time in the County this summer. (Daiva is the daughter of Vida Zalnieriunas and Richard Johnston, proprietors of By Chadsey’s Cairns just outside Wellington.) Much needed rest.

Slowly but surely, the couple’s growing body of work and accomplishment is beginning to ease the pathway and open doors. The climb may be a little less steep. It will never be easy and Graham and Daiva are likely to encounter a great many hurdles along the way. But they cannot imagine doing anything else.

“We couldn’t do it if we didn’t love it,” says Daiva, just as Louie begins to fuss.” I think the hard part of making films is being vulnerable— putting your heart into the work and then sharing that with an audience, and then finding the courage to do that again and again. That courage comes from each other and audiences who connected with our films, in addition to that part of us that just can’t help it.”

The Maiden is screening at the Regent for one night only, August 28 at 7 p.m.