I sat down with directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck at Sundance for an interview about the 20th anniversary of their Academy Award-nominated film Half Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling.
The film is playing in Sundance’s Legacy section.
Synopsis:
An inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers his secret.
Boden and Fleck are some of the most interesting directors working today. Having moved from directing Half Nelson (2006), a $700K indie, to Captain Marvel (2019), a $220M Marvel movie.
Their filmography includes:
It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
Cast: Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianakis
Mississippi Grind (2015)
Cast: Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds
Freaky Tales (2024)
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis
In this wide-ranging interview, they discuss how they got up Half Nelson by reverse-engineering their feature script into a short film that took a way different angle than their feature.
They also discussed what they learned from making Half Nelson and how they’ve applied it to their filmmaking approach. They shared how, even on their bigger projects, they leave space to experiment.
Half Nelson has a spontaneity and volatility, achieved through Boden and Fleck’s documentary-esque approach. It’s an approach they're trying to return to.
Half Nelson will play tomorrow, Jan 29th, at Sundance.
