The Brooklyn Directors of Sundance
Kate Barker-Froyland
Song One
Anne Hathaway stars in this debut feature about an anthropology PhD candidate getting to know the Brooklyn music scene after her musician brother goes into a coma.
What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Williamsburg, on the border of Greenpoint. I moved there about five-and-a-half years ago after living in Manhattan for a couple of years. I was in Paris before that, and even though it’s really different from Paris and has a distinct New York feeling, the neighborhood also has a European quality that I like. I love living there.
Just how Brooklyn-y is song one?
It’s Brooklyn-y in the sense that we shot a lot of the film in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and Bushwick. I wanted to shoot in music venues that I love and also to shoot all the musical performances live to capture that experience of going to shows and hearing music live. Music is such a big part of the neighborhood. We also shot scenes in Morocco and at Bowery Ballroom on the Lower East Side, so the film isn’t entirely Brooklyn-centric.
Did you think Sundance was overrun with Brooklyn films?
Not at all. There were films from a lot of different places, really. The films I got to see while I was at the festival were shot in India, Scotland, California and Germany. And given the extraordinary amount of talent that can be found in this borough, I don’t think in any way that Brooklyn was disproportionately represented.
What’s your favorite movie theater in Brooklyn?
I love Nitehawk, and especially the montages they make to show before every movie. They’re really well done!
What’s the most cinematic spot in Brooklyn?
For me the most cinematic spot is Transmitter Park in Greenpoint. We shot a couple of scenes right by there for Song One. I love seeing the lights of Manhattan and the Williamsburg Bridge from there, especially at night. It’s a place that’s somehow peaceful and urban all at once.
When can audiences expect to see Song One?
Sometime in 2014.