{"id":40458,"date":"2025-12-01T11:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T19:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/behindthelensonline.net\/site\/?p=40458"},"modified":"2025-12-04T00:10:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T08:10:58","slug":"btl-radio-show-12-01-2025-with-guests-michelle-danner-and-michael-j-weithorn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/behindthelensonline.net\/site\/miscellaneous\/behind-the-lens-podcast\/btl-radio-show-12-01-2025-with-guests-michelle-danner-and-michael-j-weithorn\/","title":{"rendered":"BTL Radio Show – 12\/01\/2025 with guests MICHELLE DANNER talking UNDER THE STARS and MICHAEL J. WEITHORN talking THE BEST YOU CAN"},"content":{"rendered":"

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While today\u2019s films and filmmakers may not be about holiday movies, they do fit with the love and laughter of the holidays as MICHELLE DANNER joins me talking about her new film, the beautiful and romantic UNDER THE STARS, while writer\/director MICHAEL J. WEITHORN is on hand discussing his fantastic film, THE BEST YOU CAN.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s turn our attention to Puglia, Italy, and UNDER THE STARS with MICHELLE DANNER.\u00a0 Directed by Danner with a script by Victoria Vinuesa, UNDER THE STARS stars Toni Collette, Andy Garcia, Alex Pettyfer, \u00a0Eva De Dominici, Rob Estes, and Vincent Riotta.<\/p>\n

UNDER THE STARS follows a struggling romance novelist named Ian played by Alex Pettyfer, in what I consider to be the best performance of his career, trapped in a lifeless relationship and plagued by writer\u2019s block. Hoping to reignite his passion, he travels to Italy for inspiration – only to unexpectedly fall for Ariana, a spirited local who challenges everything he thought he knew about love and himself. \u00a0And as if that\u2019s not enough, how about tossing in Ian\u2019s aunt Audrey and Ariana\u2019s father Giacomo?<\/p>\n

In this exclusive interview, Michelle and I discuss UNDER THE STARS, highlighting its enchanting setting in Puglia, Italy, and the personal connection she felt there, inspired by her late Italian mother. \u00a0Emphasizing the importance of the cinematography in UNDER THE STARS, and the exquisite location, Michelle talks about her collaboration with her DP, Pierluigi Gigi Malavasi, to capture the romantic, beautiful setting. \u00a0Adding to the immersive nature of the film is the work of production designer Franckie Diago and costume designer Chiara Ferrantini, which enhances the visual appeal. Of course, the score is important in a film with romance and Italy, and for that, Michelle turned to composer Andrea Guerra, who delivers a beautiful score that was performed by a live orchestra. \u00a0An interesting element of this conversation is Michelle\u2019s reflections on the relaxed Italian filming schedule and the joyful, uplifting nature of the film.<\/p>\n

UNDER THE STARS is available now On Digital and On Demand.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n