IN CONVERSATION WITH KIT & ARRAN
From KING BABY to FRENCH LESSONS and unexpected ACTING DEBUTS to TANDEM KAYAKING, if you need to HIDE THE MEDICINE, the inspiration in CHARCUTERIE, a forgotten PERSIAN DINNER and KEEPING IT CHILL.
KYLE GREENBERG: Only a few people really knew this (until now), but our new short film French Lessons really came about because of King Baby premiering in Rotterdam and us all grabbing drinks after the premiere... Kit & I both realized we were poorly and slowly trying to learn French at the time, if you recall, so we started speaking atrociously in as much French as we could... and then Anna and I started talking about how it could make for a funny short.
KG: Flash-forward to us shooting our ‘stupid’ short French Lessons (about a year to the date of when we shot Hi! You Are Currently Being Recorded). The timing of the shoot didn’t work for Kit anymore, but with Arran coincidentally in LA visiting, it just instantly clicked. If Kit couldn’t do it, the only feasible alternative was Arran!
ARRAN SHEARING: I was shocked to be asked to act, no one has really seen me, talked to me and thought ‘we need this guy in our film’. But it was honestly so much fun - there was something special about the timing - I happened to be in LA on a writing trip when they asked. And fortunately my French was also terrible.
KIT REDSTONE: Yes, there’s something delicious about a short where the actors are forced into communicating in a foreign language. It somehow gets rid of the ‘acting’ component because the actors sole focus is squarely on trying to forge understanding with very limited tools. Rotterdam was such a joy, and it was made all the more so by Kyle and Anna’s presence and palling around the city. Re Arran’s acting debut, I was genuinely surprised at how good he was. It’s made me want to cameo him in our movies. Arran can be our Hitchcock.
