The Italians: Director-Star Michelle Danner Talks Indie Comedies

Congratulations on getting The Italians out. What inspired you to choose to make a slice-of-life comedy like The Italians?

I love comedies, movies that make you laugh, think, and move. I'm a big family person, and I really wanted to tell a story about the importance of forgiveness, not holding grudges, and deep love in families. Those themes really resonated with me in this movie.

The story starts with a son bringing his girlfriend home to dinner with his parents, only for his mother to decide she's not right for him. How did you go about plotting the mother not liking the girlfriend to actively plotting to break them up and setting him up with the girl she thinks he should have ended up with? It has a certain ring of truth about it. In fact, many of the details feel like they come from life, since I've experienced some of them firsthand.

That is very funny that you should say that. A lot of people have come up to me after screenings when we played at Film Festivals, and they felt that these scenes were based on truth. Even though it's about an Italian American family, it could've been about their own family.

How did you find the balance between the characters initially appearing like sitcom stereotypes and showing their deeper nuances while still keeping up their loud, brash comedy? 

It's important that the characters feel grounded and justified. It's all about the casting. I had an extraordinary ensemble that found the truth in each moment. I don't think you can shy away from stereotypical things because they hold up a mirror to the audience in terms of what it really is. It's the job of the actor to justify the intentions of the characters. Everybody had so much fun bringing these characters to life, and I think it really shows on the screen.

These days, getting a movie made is only the first half of the battle. What was it like getting it distributed and then marketing it so that the viewing public knows about it?

We are doing a grassroots campaign to promote the film, and that is the very reason we are grateful for this interview. We want to get the word out for people to watch the movie, get some popcorn like Lainie Kazan says. We premiered the movie at the Italia Los Angeles Film Festival, and played at Cinequest, San Luis Obispo, Big Apple, Nevada, Westchester, and several festivals in Italy. Every festival is a chance to promote the film and have a conversation with the audience. I'm happy to say that people are watching the movie and buying it. We are so grateful for that. The movie is exclusively streaming on Amazon Prime for a few more months, and then it will be released on other platforms like Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.

Do you hope to make more movies using this model?

Absolutely. I'm a champion of indie films. Independent films give you the freedom to tell the story the way you want it to be told, and you get a chance to cast the actors you want to work with. I love theater companies, and I love companies of actors on film. You can work with the same actors over and over again playing different characters, so I hope I get the chance to make many more.

The Italians is on VOD.