Bronwen Hughes surprised everybody at the Sundance Film Festival with her edgy, fun and dangerous film Stander starring Thomas Jane.
Stander is based on the true story of Andr Stander, a South African homicide/robbery police captain who became one of the most notorious bank robbers in the country. After participating in the brutal killing in a riot in the line of duty, Stander decided to defy the very system he was part of, and set off on an audacious crime spree; robbing banks during his lunch hour then returning to the scene of the crime to lead the investigation. Finally, caught by the same police force he worked with, he was jailed and, subsequently befriended Allan Heyl and Lee McCall. After a daring jailbreak, the 'Stander Gang' committed a large number of robberies, which grew increasingly bold over time.
Check out the official website for Stander
Daniel Robert Epstein: All three of your feature films are very different from one another. What made you decide to do a movie like Stander?
Bronwen Hughes: I had some great opportunities with Harriet the Spy and Forces of Nature but its such a huge piece of your soul thats required to make a movie so I wanted to want for a story that would allow me to go very deep into it. It took a long time until I read this script. There was no logic to it other than I opened the script, the electrifying riot scene was on page ten, the script kept surprising me and I just wanted to be a part of it.
DRE: Did you relate to Andre Stander?
BH: There is nothing in my life that I could draw a true parallel to Andre Stander. But I was always fascinated with Africa. Ive traveled on the continent many times although this was my first time in South Africa so I was attracted to that. I was lucky enough to work with an actor that could pull off this level of complexity. I had a true appreciation for building this character.
DRE: Maybe its my ignorance but I had seen your two previous films but never knew that you are a woman.
BH: Mr. Bronwen Hughes [laughs].
DRE: Was anyone ever surprised when they first met you after seeing your work?
BH: Apparently everyone is surprised but I cant even think about that kind of thing. I just hold my breath and dive into something I believe. I barrel forth with such speed and conviction that I forget to notice that people are expecting otherwise with me. I just need to make it matter of fact that I make different kinds of movies and I do that by making movies faster than I can be stopped.
DRE: I read you actually met with someone from the Stander gang, Allan Heyl.
BH: Yeah, its been a life changing experience. One pivotal moment when I was researching is that in all the years of people trying to make this story no one had ever gone to visit Allan Heyl who is sitting in jail in Johannesburg. So I weaseled my way into an interview because you cant go to a prison in Johannesburg and just say Its Hollywood. They would rather keep you out. I had to go in under the guise of a psychological assessment. Allan was reluctant to talk at first because hed been so badly portrayed by the slanted press in South Africa yet he must have sensed the sincerity in me because he started to open up. The things he told me were a real revelation. He upended all the clichs from the original script. The Stander gangs camouflage was not the sleazy motels and trailer parks but living in the richest neighborhoods. Their love of anarchy and desire to upset the system was revealed by Allan. It was a goldmine and Im trying to get him out on parole because its long overdue but he just gets shoved to the back of the pile and I dont know why. I cant wake up every morning feeling good about letting him rot there because he has spent 20 years transforming himself and is ready for another chance.
DRE: Im not going to the ending to the movie but why do you think Andre did what he did at the end?
BH: I think that Andre Stander might have robbed his first bank not having thought it through completely and how it might lead. But having crossed the line once it started to dawn on him that there was no going back. By the end of the movie so many things have fallen out of his grasp such as the people he loved and the people he worked with so he can no longer have his life back. Then he started just making stupid mistakes on a level he never would have made when he believed in what he was doing. Its like he was throwing in the towel.
DRE: What made you want to work with Thomas Jane?
BH: First and foremost Thomas is an incredible actor. I knew that from seeing him as Mickey Mantle and in Original Sin. His scene in Boogie Nights is my favorite one. Also I needed someone that could transform himself the way Andre Stander did as the ultimate chameleon.
DRE: Unlike many independent films Stander is not slow at all. What could the expectations be for this film?
BH: When Im going into the film Im not really thinking about box office. All my decisions are about just trying to get it right. When you get into post-production you can make decisions that could send it into the more obscure realm of independent film where things could become more intellectual. For this film the idea was to make it very visceral. I think if we achieved any of that such as the adrenaline of the robberies or the confusion of the riot scenes then thats the kind of film language that connects with a broader audience. Maybe people that wouldnt go see the film based on the idea that a South African apartheid era bank robber might go see it because someone recommended it to them.
DRE: What is Newmarket Films expectations for it?
BH: Well they are a very special distributor that handles this kind of film very well. They know that word of mouth and allowing the film to spread slowly is the way to go. The buzz on the film is causing peoples expectations to go up.
DRE: Do you feel like there is a theme to your films?
BH: I dont know. I cant see if there is because at the time they were opportunities that came about at the time. The films I have on my slate now seem to be connected. I would like to make films about extraordinary people who bust the envelope open. I also seem to be attracted to true life stories.
DRE: How did you get that first job directing Harriet the Spy?
BH: I started getting offers based on the short films I had done for the Kids in the Hall TV show.
DRE: Which ones?
BH: I did their last block of films before the broke up like the Cyclops in the pickup bar and the gazebo.
DRE: The gazebo is one of my favorite Kids in the Hall bits.
BH: Oh my gosh! I dont know anyone who knows that one. Those got me a bunch of offers of broad comedies in Hollywood. The one I could connect with was the story of a young girl who wanted to be a writer.
DRE: Who wrote the gazebo sketch?
BH: Kevin [McDonald].
DRE: Did you grow up in Canada?
BH: Yes in Toronto but I moved to New York 13 years ago.
DRE: When did you decide you wanted to do films?
BH: It was kind of a default. I meant to be a journalist. I always meant to go to journalism but when I visited the campus of the school I wanted to go to it was minus 40 degrees and I didnt want to move there.
DRE: How did you get the job on the Kids in the Hall?
BH: They needed to work with Canadian directors, which was one foot in the door. They had worked with lots of directors but they seemed to like me.
DRE: What film is next for you?
BH: Im working on different things. One is called The Journey Is the Destination and is based on the life of Dan Eldon who was a great artist, that traveled the world and was the youngest photojournalist ever to work for Reuters and Orlando Bloom wants to be Dan.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Stander is based on the true story of Andr Stander, a South African homicide/robbery police captain who became one of the most notorious bank robbers in the country. After participating in the brutal killing in a riot in the line of duty, Stander decided to defy the very system he was part of, and set off on an audacious crime spree; robbing banks during his lunch hour then returning to the scene of the crime to lead the investigation. Finally, caught by the same police force he worked with, he was jailed and, subsequently befriended Allan Heyl and Lee McCall. After a daring jailbreak, the 'Stander Gang' committed a large number of robberies, which grew increasingly bold over time.
Check out the official website for Stander
Daniel Robert Epstein: All three of your feature films are very different from one another. What made you decide to do a movie like Stander?
Bronwen Hughes: I had some great opportunities with Harriet the Spy and Forces of Nature but its such a huge piece of your soul thats required to make a movie so I wanted to want for a story that would allow me to go very deep into it. It took a long time until I read this script. There was no logic to it other than I opened the script, the electrifying riot scene was on page ten, the script kept surprising me and I just wanted to be a part of it.
DRE: Did you relate to Andre Stander?
BH: There is nothing in my life that I could draw a true parallel to Andre Stander. But I was always fascinated with Africa. Ive traveled on the continent many times although this was my first time in South Africa so I was attracted to that. I was lucky enough to work with an actor that could pull off this level of complexity. I had a true appreciation for building this character.
DRE: Maybe its my ignorance but I had seen your two previous films but never knew that you are a woman.
BH: Mr. Bronwen Hughes [laughs].
DRE: Was anyone ever surprised when they first met you after seeing your work?
BH: Apparently everyone is surprised but I cant even think about that kind of thing. I just hold my breath and dive into something I believe. I barrel forth with such speed and conviction that I forget to notice that people are expecting otherwise with me. I just need to make it matter of fact that I make different kinds of movies and I do that by making movies faster than I can be stopped.
DRE: I read you actually met with someone from the Stander gang, Allan Heyl.
BH: Yeah, its been a life changing experience. One pivotal moment when I was researching is that in all the years of people trying to make this story no one had ever gone to visit Allan Heyl who is sitting in jail in Johannesburg. So I weaseled my way into an interview because you cant go to a prison in Johannesburg and just say Its Hollywood. They would rather keep you out. I had to go in under the guise of a psychological assessment. Allan was reluctant to talk at first because hed been so badly portrayed by the slanted press in South Africa yet he must have sensed the sincerity in me because he started to open up. The things he told me were a real revelation. He upended all the clichs from the original script. The Stander gangs camouflage was not the sleazy motels and trailer parks but living in the richest neighborhoods. Their love of anarchy and desire to upset the system was revealed by Allan. It was a goldmine and Im trying to get him out on parole because its long overdue but he just gets shoved to the back of the pile and I dont know why. I cant wake up every morning feeling good about letting him rot there because he has spent 20 years transforming himself and is ready for another chance.
DRE: Im not going to the ending to the movie but why do you think Andre did what he did at the end?
BH: I think that Andre Stander might have robbed his first bank not having thought it through completely and how it might lead. But having crossed the line once it started to dawn on him that there was no going back. By the end of the movie so many things have fallen out of his grasp such as the people he loved and the people he worked with so he can no longer have his life back. Then he started just making stupid mistakes on a level he never would have made when he believed in what he was doing. Its like he was throwing in the towel.
DRE: What made you want to work with Thomas Jane?
BH: First and foremost Thomas is an incredible actor. I knew that from seeing him as Mickey Mantle and in Original Sin. His scene in Boogie Nights is my favorite one. Also I needed someone that could transform himself the way Andre Stander did as the ultimate chameleon.
DRE: Unlike many independent films Stander is not slow at all. What could the expectations be for this film?
BH: When Im going into the film Im not really thinking about box office. All my decisions are about just trying to get it right. When you get into post-production you can make decisions that could send it into the more obscure realm of independent film where things could become more intellectual. For this film the idea was to make it very visceral. I think if we achieved any of that such as the adrenaline of the robberies or the confusion of the riot scenes then thats the kind of film language that connects with a broader audience. Maybe people that wouldnt go see the film based on the idea that a South African apartheid era bank robber might go see it because someone recommended it to them.
DRE: What is Newmarket Films expectations for it?
BH: Well they are a very special distributor that handles this kind of film very well. They know that word of mouth and allowing the film to spread slowly is the way to go. The buzz on the film is causing peoples expectations to go up.
DRE: Do you feel like there is a theme to your films?
BH: I dont know. I cant see if there is because at the time they were opportunities that came about at the time. The films I have on my slate now seem to be connected. I would like to make films about extraordinary people who bust the envelope open. I also seem to be attracted to true life stories.
DRE: How did you get that first job directing Harriet the Spy?
BH: I started getting offers based on the short films I had done for the Kids in the Hall TV show.
DRE: Which ones?
BH: I did their last block of films before the broke up like the Cyclops in the pickup bar and the gazebo.
DRE: The gazebo is one of my favorite Kids in the Hall bits.
BH: Oh my gosh! I dont know anyone who knows that one. Those got me a bunch of offers of broad comedies in Hollywood. The one I could connect with was the story of a young girl who wanted to be a writer.
DRE: Who wrote the gazebo sketch?
BH: Kevin [McDonald].
DRE: Did you grow up in Canada?
BH: Yes in Toronto but I moved to New York 13 years ago.
DRE: When did you decide you wanted to do films?
BH: It was kind of a default. I meant to be a journalist. I always meant to go to journalism but when I visited the campus of the school I wanted to go to it was minus 40 degrees and I didnt want to move there.
DRE: How did you get the job on the Kids in the Hall?
BH: They needed to work with Canadian directors, which was one foot in the door. They had worked with lots of directors but they seemed to like me.
DRE: What film is next for you?
BH: Im working on different things. One is called The Journey Is the Destination and is based on the life of Dan Eldon who was a great artist, that traveled the world and was the youngest photojournalist ever to work for Reuters and Orlando Bloom wants to be Dan.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
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[Edited on Feb 15, 2005 by stockula]