Interview with Izabel Pakzad

By Belit Lago

Actress and filmmaker Izabel Pakzad visits Sitges with her first feature film, Find Your Friends, which was screened in the Órbita Section. A shameless rape and revenge film where the director was also screenwriter and producer. We spoke with her during her visit to the Festival.

Before becoming a director, you worked as an actress. How was the transition?

It really helped me a lot, because I feel like I worked from a place where I treated the crew and the actors and actresses the way I would like to be treated when I'm on the other side of the camera. I have a real understanding of what it means to be an actress, so when it came to giving directions or making comments, I tried to be very aware of the state of mind they were in, their preparation, and the fact that they were trying to get inside the characters. This experience gave me a very useful sensitivity to the process, especially because the film is very intense. I think having that emotional empathy helped make the collaboration much richer.

Speaking of actresses: you worked with Helena Howard, Bella Thorne, Chloe Cherry, and Zion Moreno. Most of them had previously worked in horror. Was this a factor when it came to casting?

It's funny, because what I really wanted was to choose women who I believed were ready to take on the challenge, but also who I felt were truly these characters. In Helena's case, for example, I saw Madeline's Madeline and thought, “My God, this girl is incredible.” She's pure talent; I believe everything she says. That film was already something of a genre piece, and I knew she was right for Amber because she's the most difficult character: you have to believe that she will take a turn and go to very dark places, and I think Helena can go there both emotionally and physically. Bella, Chloe, and Zion received the script through our casting directors, who sent it to their agencies, and then I met with all of them in person. I really just followed my gut. I thought, “They're ready, they're excited about this movie.” One of the most important things is to have people on the crew who are as enthusiastic as you are. And they all conveyed that energy to me, I felt they were willing to go all the way, and that was also essential. I wasn't so concerned about whether or not they'd done horror before, because as artists, we're always looking to do different things, and in fact it seemed like they were looking for just that.

In Find Your Friends, you take on the roles of director, screenwriter, producer, and also actress. What was the experience of doing all four things at once like?

It was very difficult because it's also my first feature film. I had made a short film before, which was like a proof of concept, but I knew that to make your first feature film, you have to give it your all. I was willing to take on all these roles to make it happen, because nowadays it's very hard to bring a project to fruition. It was a challenge, but I also felt that it flowed naturally, especially the production side. It wasn't my intention to produce it, but it wound up happening organically. I had my producing partner, Allison, to whom I give all the credit, because without her I wouldn't have been able to do it. You have to activate your producer's brain a little, and that was unexpected, because I wrote it knowing that I wanted to direct it, but producing it isn't something that all directors or screenwriters do. This was an unexpected twist, but I liked it. It's been a very positive experience.

Where did the idea for the film come from?

It's loosely based on a real experience with friends in Joshua Tree. Basically, we went with the idea of having a wild girls' weekend, but none of us had ever been to Joshua Tree and we didn't know what to expect. We thought it would be fun, but from the moment we arrived, I felt something was wrong. There was a weird neighbor who would show up often and make disturbing comments, and we had bizarre interactions with people there. Something eventually happened that required me to leave in the middle of the night to return to Los Angeles. As I was driving away from the Airbnb, a green Ford Mustang flashed its high beams and blocked my path on a dead-end street. It was clearly premeditated because it appeared at just the right moment. I had to drive over the neighbor's lawn to get away from him, and a very crazy car chase ensued, which lasted about ten minutes.

And you were alone?

I was with another girl. And this man was trying to run me off the road, driving aggressively. We tried to call the police, but we had no cell service. When we finally managed to get in touch with them, we didn't even know where we were. The road was forty miles long, and if you don't know the area, it's really hard to figure out where you are. It was one of the scariest moments of my life; I didn't know what was going to happen. Finally, I saw a car in the distance, I started flashing my lights and honking my horn to get their attention, and the guy turned around. His license plate was fake, with numbers drawn on it. We thought it was going to be a fun trip, but for some reason it seemed like we had a target on our backs. And afterwards I exaggerated all of this to make the movie. I also wanted to talk about something else: I went to a very festive American college, a real party school, and my friends and I were caught up in these rituals of partying, drinking, etc. It was the way we had learned to socialize. And I wanted to show this in the film: how we have been taught to be this way and how difficult it is to leave these patterns behind.

The film explores a toxic relationship between women. How did you approach this dynamic without resorting to clichés?

I tried to portray it very authentically, without forcing anything to make it more dramatic. These women, as I said, are trapped in a mindset where they feel they have to pretend that nothing is wrong, not to speak up in order to avoid making others uncomfortable. We project this onto each other. We have been taught to keep quiet, and this manifests itself in many ways. There's an important discussion in the film (without any spoilers) that shows how Lavinia's character is programmed in a very toxic way. But that's what happens, we project it onto our friends. I just wanted it to be as honest as possible.

Which filmmakers have inspired you?

Coralie Fargeat was a huge inspiration; her first film influenced me deeply. Harmony Korine was also influential, especially Spring Breakers. When I saw it, it had a big impact on me because it reflected my college experience so well, but it also satirized it. I found it very interesting. Julia Ducournau is also a big influence; I love her films. And Gaspar Noé - I'm a huge fan of his. He goes all out, he's brave and has no filters. And I think I also made this film knowing that it wouldn't be for everyone, but I made it from the heart. I didn't make it to please everyone, I made it because it came from within, and I knew it could be polarizing, but when I think about someone like Gaspar, I see that he does the same thing: he's honest, and I value that so much.

Would you like to continue exploring genre in the future?

Absolutely, I'm 100% sure. I love genre films. I'm a big fan of horror, but also of all kinds of genre movies: thrillers, black comedies... It's definitely the field I'd like to continue working in.