Director and writer Kathrine King does the talking about their recent film called "THE DELICATE CYCLE". Find out what we talked about, about this film below!
1. What inspired you to write and make this film?
I live in Santa Monica and rode my bicycle past a certain laundromat every day, and used to imagine the kinds of people who would cross paths there. It also had a Ms. Pac Man video game in there and I would go in there with kids to play it-a very nostalgic, old-fashioned kind of activity. This evolved into The Delicate Cycle, where the characters meet in a laundromat! It’s also a bit of a case study for composite characters of different boys and men from my life-I just wanted to have fun with it and explore things like how they use humor to cope, or show unexpected warmth to a child when they presented themselves as stern.
2. Why did you want to go with creating a short film as opposed to a full-length film?
I think most people would have the same answer to this question-it’s the budget I had! It was also a writing challenge I gave myself at the time, because it is easy for me to write long stories. So I challenged myself to tell a complete story in short form. It’s also a good bite-sized challenge for being a new director.
3. How did you approach working with the actors to bring your vision to life?
The first step of course was casting. I had both Fred and Dean Jr. actually throw a football to each other in the callback. In my female mind, this is the quintessential male bonding activity! Well, these actors were exactly the characters I had written. They had the dynamic I was looking for. And then on set, they were such good sports, doing the all-night shoots. At one point I was doing jumping jacks with them to get the energy I needed. Since I come from a theater background, I’m just used to involving the whole body, and explaining the deep meaning of everything, and I was so happy that they embraced that, even in our limited time. I found it easy to direct them because I knew their process as an actor myself, and just mostly respected what they were doing. They nailed the sort of awkward warmth that the two characters shared. Yassmin was the same-she got the subtle reactions and physical comedy of her part, and even added her own hilarious flair in Spanish that got a big ripple of laughter on set. We really needed that fun energy in the middle of the night. Again, mostly I just explained the character and motivations as I saw it and trusted her interpretation. It was an easy.flow
4. Were there any particular challenges or obstacles you faced during the production?
We had to flip-flop our entire schedule due to unexpected rain. Most of the film is interior shots, but there is an important emotional scene outside, and we had to move it to the first day. That was grueling after an all-night shoot, but of course both Fred and Dean Jr. were rock stars anyway. It helped a lot that my sister-in-law showed up with donuts unexpectedly. I didn’t have one, but I saw the crew go from possibly about to kill me because they were so tired, to smiling and energized. The sugar high got us through the last few shots.
5. What themes or messages were you hoping to convey through the film?
There is a retro vibe to the film-I was going for a timeless look, and I think the laundromat was probably built around 1979 and hasn’t changed much. In pre-cell phone days, strangers would strike up conversations all the time. Friendships and interactions like that were possible, and maybe we should think about the value of that spontaneous human connection and the potential for changing each other-possibly for the better.. There’s another message in the title: The Delicate Cycle. It’s meant to be a little silly, because that’s a setting on a dryer. But it’s also quite a delicate cycle of boy to man to father to son and it’s easy to disrupt that. The characters are a bit comedic, but they are also struggling through that reality of disconnection and need to connect. I hope it encourages viewers to try again with loved ones.
6. Can you share any interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes or experiences from the set?
I love my physical comedy, and my props, I guess…so there is a scene where I make both Fred and Dean, Jr. eat a hot dog loaded with all sorts of crazy condiments. We only had three sets of hot dogs. I really wondered if Dean, Jr. was ever going to forgive me for making him eat that-but he did a great job in the scene, and wisely rationed his bites between lines, so he was still on the same hot dog and minimal relish/ketchup/mustard.. Fred, on the other hand, literally wolfed down the whole hot dog during the scene…three times in a row. That was it, of course, just three takes, because his hot dogs were gone. As we say in acting, you have to commit, and he did. And no complaining, either. I will never forget that. And then, ironically, immediately after that shot, they called lunch.
7. How did you come up with the idea for your film "The Delicate Cycle"?
Like I said, it’s a combination of observations I made about boys and men in my life, combined with actually seeing a laundromat on my bicycle ride every day, and thinking about this story. Incidentally, I didn’t film at the original laundromat on Ocean Park Blvd. because I think they were expecting big Hollywood studio money-they asked for way too much. Instead, I found an amazing family-run business, Rosebud Laundry (402 Rose Ave) on Rose Ave. and Fourth in Venice, really close to where I live. They were so kind and sweet with me as a new filmmaker. I was very upset to find out after we filmed there that the owners of the building are trying to push them out with an 80% rent increase or selling the building. This is happening all over Santa Monica and Venice. You should definitely go do your laundry there, and support small, family-run businesses!
8. Can you tell us more about your upcoming project(s)?
I have several projects that are in development. First of all, I’m very excited to be directing a series of plays in Fall 2024/ Spring 2025 at the Lupe Theater starring Fred Mancuso, who plays Lance in The Delicate Cycle. As excited as I am about film, returning to the theater after the pandemic years is something I really look forward to (I wrote/produced five plays from 2015-2019, often directed by the late Stephen Juhl, dear friend and fellow dedicated thespian, RIP).
My fellow producers Renee Garcia and Dave Haws are developing a reality dating show. If you want to take a chance on love, we are looking for applicants!
I am also developing a documentary project alongside Jimmy Sloan, who was the music producer on the film. The documentary will focus on Jimmy Carter, 92-year-old living legend of The Blind Boys of Alabama.
And finally, I would like to write and direct another short film this year to continue to stretch my wings as a director. I’m looking at Arizona as a filming location, as I was very inspired by the area when we went to The Chandler Film Festival, where we won Best Short Film. 2024 feels like it has a lot of great creative and productive energy!
9. What do you hope audiences will take away from watching this film?
Connection and re-connection. Slowing down and being relational. The female perspective is valuable, and it doesn’t always come in the form of female superhero muscles- it could come in the form of subtle observation and relational empathy, even towards boys and men. Pay attention to what is going on with people around you, their hidden struggles and secret gifts- and be aware of the positive impact you can have on their life, no matter how small.
10. If you were to shoot the film again, what would you do differently?
When I look back on the shoot, honestly, so many things worked out so well. I feel really blessed. If I could have given us more time, perhaps turn the two-day shoot into a four-day shoot, of course that would have been great and more relaxed. Other than that-I just had such a great team around me, great actors, an awesome location…and even the post-production process and team of people were amazing. I couldn’t ask for more! All I hope is that we have a bigger budget, and outdo ourselves on the next one!
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