Dive into the underbelly of a small seacoast town in Maine with writer/director JOE RAFFA and actor/producer GREG FINLEY in this exclusive interview talking about their pot-boiling thriller DOWNEAST.
A character-driven crime thriller set and shot in Maine, DOWNEAST is a real potboiler (and we’re not talking lobsters!) that while immersing us in the seacoast life of lobstermen and generational Mom & Pop businesses, steeps us in the elements of the darker underbelly of mob madness and murder and the ambiguity that creates within everyone. Focusing on our two protagonists, Tommy and Emma, each with their own storyline and purpose which eventually intersect, we meet the people of this rather close-knit community and learn about the events that drive them; family, friends, and fear.
A town run by local Irish mobster Peter “Petey” Kerrigan, he’s got his hand in everything from drug running to gambling to extortion to murder and lords it over all. Then there’s Tommy. Known for his boxing prowess back in the day, now he spends his days on his dad’s boat, Wild Irish Rose, lobstering for a living and surreptitiously trying to pay off his dad’s gambling debts to Kerrigan. But Tommy is haunted by something in his past, something violent and deadly. And that past is about to get a whole lot closer when Emma returns to town. Childhood friends who once might have had a future together, with the death of Emma’s brother and Tommy’s best friend Mikey, life changed. Tommy clammed up and wouldn’t talk about Tommy’s death and what he may or may not know about it. Emma left town. But Emma’s haunted, too. And now after many years, she wants answers about her brother and intends to get them.
In addition to Finley as Tommy, DOWNEAST boasts a cast that includes, but is not limited to, Dylan Silver as Emma, Judson Mills as Kerrigan, Joss Glennie-Smith as Kerrigan’s 1st Lieutenant Brennan, Gareth Williams as Tommy’s dad George, Dennis Cockrum as Tommy’s Uncle Billy and Kirk Fox as Tommy’s friend and shipmate Marty. Character is king with DOWNEAST and there is not a less than stellar performance from anyone. And while character is king, cinematography and ambient visuals are certainly its queen thanks to cinematographer Edwin Pendleton Stevens and production designer Zach Bangma who celebrate the natural tone and look of the area and a winter seacoast, while metaphorically mirroring the ambiguity of the story and the characters, capturing all the shades of life’s greys.
TAKE A LISTEN as JOE RAFFA and GREG FINLEY talk about:
- the story and Greg’s hometown inspiration for this tale
- the importance of authenticity with the people and the places
- developing character
- capturing all the shades of grey and the ambiguities of life not only through story and dialogue but with immersive imagery
- working with Edwin Pendleton to create and capture the unvarnished look and feel of the seedier side of life
- shooting during a Portland winter
- Aaron Bagley’s “moody” emotional scoring
- finding pacing and building tension with the work of editor Marilyn Mantik
- the local community and their generosity
- collaboration
- and more. . . . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview, July 9, 2021
