Hannah Fidell: Forbidden Love: The Movie
Which neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Greenpoint and I’ve been in the North Brooklyn region off and on now for about five years, with short stints in Austin, Texas, and LA. I moved there because most of my friends from college and high school were there when I moved to New York (although as I get older it seems as though more and more of my friends are moving down to more “adult” parts of Brooklyn like Fort Greene). Contrary to popular belief, the G train really isn’t that bad. And being able to take my dog to the McCarren Park dog run is one of my favorite procrastination techniques.
Where did you get the idea for this story?
A TEACHER isn’t based on any one female teacher/male student incident. I was working at a restaurant and a guy walked in who was clearly still in high school. I found myself attracted to him but then quickly realized I wasn’t so much attracted to him physically as I was to what he represented: youth. He didn’t have to worry about student loans yet, or getting his taxes done in time… I didn’t talk to him then and I sometimes laugh to myself because this high school boy has no idea how much of an influence he’s had on not only this story but on my career.
How have audiences responded to the movie?
We’ve had really great responses to the film… the Q&As are almost always more of a discussion about the moral implications of crossing the line that the film’s protagonist, Diana, does as she continues her relationship with her student. I feel that I’ve made a film that I’d want to watch, which to me is the best litmus test of all.