A WIFE ALONE, “a neo-noir thriller about an ill-fated marriage in the suburbs of upstate New York,” directed by Justin Reichman is having its World Premiere on Thursday June 6, at the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival, in Brooklyn, New York City. We had the opportunity to catch up with the director, to talk about how he got into filmmaking , his new film A WIFE ALONE and all about taking the ‘plunge.’ Justin Reichman should know a lot about taking the plunge, after all, he left a pretty stable job as a lab tech at an AIDS research facility on 21st street in New York City to pursue his dream. Now he’s back in New York, years later, to premiere his first major film.
VIMOOZ: Congratulations on your film “A WIFE ALONE” being an Official Selection in the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival. How does it feel being included in the festival?
Justin Reichman: It feels great to have a festival like Brooklyn on our home turf to premiere.
VIMOOZ: Is this your first film?
Reichman: Yes, it is. I did a few shorts, but nothing approaching the scope of A WIFE ALONE.
VIMOOZ: How did you get into filmmaking?
Reichman: I always loved to read and draw. When I was a kid I’d make stupid home videos with my siblings, but the decision to pursue filmmaking came about later in life after working a 9-5 job at an AIDS research institution in NYC and realizing that the sciences weren’t for me. I traveled around a lot after that, lived in South America for a year and started writing, doing some acting and working on sets.
VIMOOZ: Tell me about the film. What is it about?
Reichman: It’s about a ruthless young woman, a former prostitute, who infiltrates the upper echelon of suburbia through marriage.
VIMOOZ: By the way, are you also the writer?
Reichman: Yes, myself and Pete. We wrote the script while I was engaged to be married so a lot of it plays on the fears young people have before taking the plunge. Do I really know this person? Is our love real? That kind of thing. We created a noir story revolving around this collective psychological questions we all ask and then created the nightmare version of that. Infidelity, mistrust, sex tourism, years of misery tied to a lifestyle rather than love.
VIMOOZ: The film is set in upstate NY, whats the connection there?
Reichman: I grew up there. After traveling around a lot, I had a distant, objective affection for Rochester that I had fun playing around with in storyland.
VIMOOZ: What happens after Brooklyn Film Festival?
Reichman: We have a stunning theatrical release and sign a 3 project deal with a reputable studio. We all have agents and don’t have to worry about money ever again. I’d like to make a black comedy.