Filmmaker Isaac Hirotsu Woofter chatted about writing and directing the film “Bound.”
The synopsis is: In order to escape her drug dealing abusive stepfather, a young introvert flees to NYC. After successfully reinventing herself, she realizes she must confront her dark past, to truly be free.
The movie stars Ramin Karimloo, Jessica Pimentel, Aixa Kendrick, and Aaron Dalla Villa, among others.
Isaac shared that he likes to “watch movies that make him think and make him feel things, and sometimes, they can hurt a little bit.” “Those are the movies that stay with me,” he acknowledged.
He noted that this was an “intense” movie to film. “We were trying to shoot 10 pages in a day,” he said. “Ramin’s character had a little bit more chance to do more breathing and was more of a thinker, whereas some of the other ones were a little more explosive and reactionary. Ramin’s scenes got to breathe.”
Isaac on the importance of good writing
“For me, the audience gets engaged when the writing is good,” he said. “For me, let’s just show the least amount possible so that the audience can fill in the rest. Good theatre does the same thing for me.”
Locations for the ‘Bound’ shoot
Isaac revealed that he shot many of the scenes in “Bound” in New Jersey.
“We shot it in some cool locations,” he admitted. “There was one location with all of the animals such as goats, llamas, chickens, and dog.”
The digital age
On being a filmmaker in the digital age, Isaac said, “There are so many avenues now. In some ways, it is great because there are more things being done, but sometimes for me, it feels saturated. It is what it is.”
“That’s just the way it is and we, as creators and performers, need to adapt to it to whatever it may be (whether it is going to be the eventual takeover of AI or whatever). We will figure it all out,” he elaborated.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Isaac said, “Next Up.”
“I spent four years on this project and now we are in the distribution part and the festival run,” he said.
“That feels like a chapter is over and I am ready to sink my teeth into the next thing whatever it might be while still finishing this one off,” he explained.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Isaac said, “Continuing to tell the stories that I want to tell is a success, and ideally, it’s with the people that I want to tell them with… That involves talented people where we can all inspire each other.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Bound’
Isaac remarked about the film, “The movie is filled with many messy characters, where everyone is a little bit good and a little bit bad. Everybody is going through it, and they’ve all had some very big hardships.”
“No matter what, the hardships one has faced, they don’t have to define us from each new day. That’s the biggest thing for me,” he said.
“If we are open about it, and we can surround ourselves with the right people, we will be able to get through it,” he added.
To learn more about Isaac Hirotsu Woofter, check out his IMDb page, official homepage, and follow him on Instagram.
For more information on “Bound” the movie, visit its official website.
