“I Want Audiences To Have An Appetite For Learning, And A Curiosity For The World.” Interview With Director Garret Price Of LOVE, ANTOSHA

Love, Antosha captures the life of Anton Yelchin, a prolific actor with nearly 70 acting credits, starting when he was just a boy, until his tragic death in 2017. It’s a wonderful movie that injects a real sense of who he was as a person and an artist. I was able to speak with director Garret Price about his hopes for the movie, his creative decisions, and the lasting impact of this memorable star.

Hi Garret. This is Kristy Strouse from Film Inquiry. I love the film, congratulations! I was a fan of Anton’s, and I thought you really celebrated his life and did a great job with it.  

Garret Price: Thanks for showing interest and wanting to talk about the project.

My pleasure! How did you first get involved?

Garret Price: I never had the pleasure of meeting Anton. I met him through this film. I’m very good friends with Drake Doremus who had worked with Anton on Like, Crazy years ago. That movie always had a very special place in Anton’s heart, and Drake and him were close friends. So, his parents reached out to Drake initially and they had this idea of making a film of Anton’s story. Drake convinced them that they’d want a subjective voice to come in and do it, and he very much wanted to be a part of it. So, Drake reached out to me and I met with the Yelchins one afternoon and fell in love with Anton’s story and felt it was one that needed to be told.

There’s a lot of terrific home videos and tapes Anton made. How much did you have to work with?

Garret Price: To the Yelchins’ credit, they archived and saved everything since Anton was a young child. Even after his death they gathered things together, ready to hand it off to somebody. They gave me the keys to the kingdom. I’m a film editor by trade, and to have this much material to already start with, it was incredible. A treasure trove, and it really helped shape a story of someone’s life. It really painted the proper portrait. That was my goal from the very beginning to tell this story from Anton’s point of view as much as possible. That’s why I used the letters he wrote as well, to give him a voice as much as possible.

Right, and it worked. I loved that element. How about the interviews? Were there some that you shot that you had to leave out?

Garret Price: Of course. There are some people who were really close to him that had to be left out, like Susan Sarandon and Glenn Close, and they couldn’t fit in the film. And, if you think about them, it’s the probably the first time someone has cut those two out of a movie. [Laughs]. It’s incredible, and it just shows the testament to Anton and the impact he had. Everybody wants to be part of this film and talk about him, and how he was this special person.

Absolutely, and all of the ones that made it in are great. You can really tell how much they cared for him.

Garret Price: Yeah, they are so unguarded and real.

For sure, very vulnerable and heartfelt. How did Nicolas Cage end up narrating?

Garret Price: So, when I started thinking about the path of using these letters to frame the movie around, I knew that I wanted someone who could read Anton’s words but not be Anton. With that vulnerability, the passion and vigor that Anton brought to the table. I asked Anton’s mom, and I said I wanted someone who had an emotional connection that we haven’t used in an interview yet that could bring gravitas to it. And, her first choice was Nic Cage. He played a big part in Anton’s life, they made a movie together, and he just respected him so much as an actor.

So, we reached out to him and he was on board from the very beginning. What I love about it is that- I think they are kind of kindred spirits, Anton and Nic. If you look at Nic’s career and what Anton did there is a similar trajectory, with the kind of roles they picked, and they were both cinephiles- which I loved. And we went to Las Vegas to record with him, and he got very emotional. He was very honored and moved and he was doing something special. It was really magical how it all came together.

He’s a great choice. It was unexpected when I was watching.

Garret Price: Yeah! It doesn’t even come in…we don’t use his voice until like 22 minutes in, which I loved.

It sort of catches you off guard, in a great way.

Garret Price: We sort of lean into it, in a way.

 

It’s touching to see the relationship between Irina and Anton on screen. How involved were his parents?

Garret Price: They were there whenever I needed them. When I went in and accepted the job it was important for me to have the autonomy to tell Anton’s story. I had worked on documentaries where estates had been involved. It’s a fine line, it’s a balancing act. To their credit, maybe because they are artists, they raised an artist, and they understood the importance of letting a filmmaker tell the story they want to tell, but they really let me explore both sides of the coin, so to speak, warts and all. And whenever I needed to talk about something that was uncomfortable for them, they were there for me. Which is just amazing, ya know?

Yeah, absolutely. I’m sure their support was important. I love that you touch on every element of his personality and his interests, as you said, “warts and all.”

Garret Price: No, it’s, it’s true, and I think it’s really important with these docs. You want to humanize them and I was able to do that with Anton.

It’s important, you don’t want to put them on a pedestal, only showing the positives.

Garret Price: What I love about this movies is not only do you learn about this incredible person, but it’s also a self-subjective film for audiences. You end up questioning your time. Are you doing enough? Are you working enough? Are you taking in enough knowledge and learning about things? Making enough? And taking risks? And that’s what is so inspiring about Anton.

I agree. I mean, it made me feel that way! And I had no idea that he had Cystic Fibrosis, which obviously I think a lot of people didn’t, but  it makes the story especially uplifting with how much he did and how hard he worked and what he accomplished, without anyone knowing that. It’s very inspiring.

Garret Price: Perseverance! And he’s so optimistic about everything too.

Yes, and it does make you feel like you should be doing more yourself!

Garret Price: [Laughs] At least call your parents everyday, or your kids everyday. It’s the first thing I say after a screening, “I completely understand if you want to go outside and call your mother. A family member, just to tell them you love them.” It’s that type of film.

It is! So, what was it like premiering at Sundance?

Garret Price: Emotional, and amazing. And scary. Sundance was a home away from home for Anton. They embraced this project, and we screened it for over 700 people and there were tears and people felt inspired. I brought Viktor and Irina on the stage, and it was just one of those moments that I’ll never have again in my life. Which is a testament to his spirit. The coolest thing was that after the screening we’d be walking down the street and people would just come up to me, “I met Anton one time at line in a movie theater and I’ll never forget the conversation.” That happened numerous times and I loved that. The impact he had on people’s lives, whether it be for five minutes or five years is just incredible, ya know?

Definitely. It’s lasting for sure. So, this is your first film that you directed. Were there any unexpected challenges that came up?

Garret Price: No, I think the biggest challenge was the emotion, it was going to be inherit with the story, because of the tragedy. And, again, I really wanted to make an inspiring story about life and not death. I wouldn’t say it was hard, but that was the challenge I thought going into this. I hope we succeeded in that. As a director, especially with documentaries, you have all this material that you have to find and make a story with. I embraced it. I wasn’t used to the producing side that comes with it, and I embraced that too. It’s been a very rewarding experience. Again, I’m just sending it out into the universe. I’ve kind of done my job and now it’s the films job to get to people. And for people like you, spreading the word, which is really helpful!

 

Of course. Happy to do so! So, what was the first thing you ever saw Anton in and what is your favorite performance of his?

Garret Price: I first remember seeing him in Curb your enthusiasm and then Alpha Dog. My favorite performance of his is, and don’t tell Drake, Green Room. I think it was at the height of his career and he was really finding himself as an actor. And just to think…where he could have gone. I love that film and I love his performance in it.

Yes, Great choice! I love Green Room too. And to watch his career grow since he started so young is incredible and I do believe he was really just starting to go somewhere particularly interesting. We touched on this a little, but what are you hoping audiences will leave people with?

Garret Price: Besides learning about Anton himself and all the works he’s done, just feel inspired to make things, create, take risk and don’t be afraid to fail. It’s a self- subjective experience and that’s what I hope people will take away. As Drake [Doremus] always says: Anton would have hated a movie made about him, because he was so humble, but, knowing that he is inspiring people…he would love it. It’s like a catch 22. I want audiences to have an appetite for learning and a curiosity for the world. Keep pushing forward, we’re here for such a short amount of time.

Great advice! Are you working on anything new now?

Garret Price: I actually just finished editing Drake’s movie that we are premiering at Toronto! So, big things beginning. Drake and I sort of spent a whole year together and we’ve sort of swapped roles.

Exciting!

Garret Price: I’m really excited about that movie getting out there, it’s a really special film too.

We look forward to that as well, and congratulations again!

We want to thank Garret Price for taking the time to speak with us.

Love, Antosha was released in theaters on August 2nd. Read our review here.