With less than 10 days before "Sister Cities" premieres at the Traverse City Film Festival, I had the amazing opportunity to interview Colette Freedman, writer of the play that inspired the movie, as well as its screenplay.

"Sister Cities" tells the story of four estranged sisters - each one named after the cities in which they were born - that find themselves back at the house where they grew up after the apparent suicide of their mother. You can find more info here, and you can also read the play at indietheaternow.com/play/sister-cities (US$1,29).

Based on what little we've of the movie from set visits and photos, I talked to Colette about the experience of adapting the screenplay, what kind of changes we can expect, and Stana's part on the project. Check in below - but be aware of spoilers!

 
Stana Katic Brasil: You wrote the play as well as the screenplay for "Sister Cities". In the play, the action happens in a span of a few hours, with one flashback to a few weeks prior - when we meet the mother, still alive, interacting with one of the daughters. From what we've seen from set interviews and movie stills, it seems the movie goes beyond that. Flashbacks take us to years before, to the girls childhoods, as well as to their adulthood when the mother was (apparently, at least) still healthy. Did you have to create those new bits of story when you worked on the screenplay, or was it something you already considered "canon" even though it wasn't on the original script?
Colette Freedman: The film version of Sister Cities gave me a terrific opportunity to give these extraordinary women backstories...to show the exact moments in each of their lives where they lost their innocence and thus informed their adult personalities. Before I wrote the film, I wrote the novel which allowed me to delve even deeper into their individual and collective backstories, forging the template for the screenplay.

SKBr: Aside from these new flashback scenes, how faithful is the adaptation of the play into a film? One would think that, since you wrote both scripts, it'd be basically the same story. Did you leave anything out that you thought it wasn't working on screen, even if it works just fine on stage? Or was it more inspired by the play than adapted from it?
CF: There are several differences in the film, which still remains faithful to the original story. Theater is dependent on wordplay: clever banter, strong characters and a compelling story. In film, the visuals take center stage. Luckily, I had two extraordinary collaborators on my creative journey in getting Sister Cities to the screen: Executive producer Alfred Molina, who has been a part of this project from day one, and I pored over the script and went page by page condensing and tightening it. Director Sean Hanish, who possesses a true gift for creating magnificent cinematography, incorporated his own creative storytelling devices so we ended up losing some of the dialogue to make room for some stunningly gorgeous shot compositions.

SKBr: I knew all of the actress that play the four sisters from previous projects, so I was already a bit familiarized with their work. When I re-read the play, after they were all cast already, I actually found it pretty easy to see each of them giving voice to their respective sisters. You got to spend time with them on set and saw them playing their parts. How much alike were they to their characters? Who was the most different? Did you change any line or character trait after you met the actresses, based on personal characteristics they have?
CF: I've seen this play done over a dozen times in different languages and the actresses have always been surprisingly different. Stana, Jess, Michelle and Troian are such seasoned actresses, they brought the exact amount of depth and breadth to their roles while still making them their own. The most different character in casting in every production, has generally been Dallas.....and the film is no exception. I have seen every possible shape, size, ethnicity and demeanor play the uptight teacher with a dark secret. In the film, Michelle as Dallas was probably the most different from the character on paper and, in true Michelle Trachtenberg form, she fearlessly dove into the role headfirst, making it her own and and bringing new insight, strength and humor to the character.

SKBr: Since we *are* a Stana Katic fansite, I gotta ask: how was it working with her? What do you think she brought to Carolina that other actress wouldn't?

CF: Stana is a pro. If you asked 100 people who have worked with Stana which word best describes her, I would have to guess that most people would say pro. She is committed to her craft, engaged in the work and eager to go beyond her comfort zone when delving into the character. Carolina is an incredibly complicated character who has to be the morale compass of the story while remaining likable. The character must go on an incredibly complicated emotional journey in a short period of time and Stana mastered the chaotic nuances of vulnerability and strength which define Carolina.

SKBr: The story has some really heavy thematic - like ALS and assisted suicide -, but it still manages to have some really light and funny moments, even if with some dark humor. Were you ever worried about people's reaction to it? Did you consider making it lighter on some aspects and/or a bit more somber in others - either on the original play or for the film?
CF: I never worry about reactions, I don’t think as artists we can. Our job is to tell the story we are compelled to tell and hope that people are affected by it. My cousin Joycie had ALS and my best friend Jill (who played the original Mary) has Alzheimer’s - BOTH are horrible diseases and it was unbelievably important for me to creatively express my feelings about these death sentences and my opinion that people who are afflicted with them should have a choice. I felt incredibly lucky that Jess Weixler played Austin, the film’s anchor, because she’s the kind of actress who can juggle humor and tragedy with skilled fluidity.

 
Side from "Sister Cities", Colette is also involved in two other film productions: "Quality Problems", a comedy about cancer which she co-produced and is directed by Brooke and Doug Purdy, that is currently being finished and is about to sent out to festivals; and "And Then There Was Eve", a transgender love story, co-written by Freedman and directed by Savannah Bloch which starts filming next week. She also recently released the novel "Anomalies", co-written with Sadie Turner, available on Amazon.

A HUGE thank you to Colette for taking the time to talk to me and for all her patience. "Sister Cities" premieres on July 29 at the Traverse City Film Festival, and tickets are already on sale via the TCFF website. It seems the movie will hit theaters in the US on September 2, but we'll confirm this info when we know more about the film's distribution - both in the US as internationally.

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