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[This is a re-post of our Hearts Beat Loud interview with Simon Baker from the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is now playing in limited release.]

If you had told me prior to the start of the Toronto International Film Festival that Simon Baker would direct one of the best films that I’d see at this year’s Festival, I would have never believed you. After all, he’s never directed a feature, and only been behind the camera on a few episodes of his hit TV series The Mentalist and an episode of The Guardian back in 2003. But with his debut feature, Breath, Baker shows real talent helming the coming-of-age drama, and it’s the type of confident feature that makes me hope this is the beginning of a new career for the busy actor.

If you haven’t yet heard of the film, Breath is set in Australia in the 1970s and is based on the acclaimed novel by Australian author Tim Winton. Without giving too much away, it’s about two teenage best friends (Samson​ ​Coulter ​and​ ​Ben Spence) that form​ ​an​ ​unlikely​ ​friendship​ ​with​ ​an​ ​enigmatic​ ​older​ ​surfer​ ​and adventurer​ (played by​ ​Baker), ​who​ ​pushes​ ​them​ ​to​ ​take​ ​risks​ ​that​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​profound​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​both​ ​their​ ​lives. Elizabeth​ ​Debicki plays Baker’s wife in a pivotal role.

breath-movie-simon-baker
Image via TIFF

Unlike some movies that explain everything, or feel like a Hollywood version of growing up, Baker uses minimal dialogue and exposition in telling the story, and relies on the audience’s intelligence to follow along. In addition, Breath has some breathtaking cinematography that showcases fantastic surf scenes and quiet moments between friends. It’s an all-around great movie that, like I said, showcases a new talent behind the camera. I’m very sincere when I say Baker knocks this out of the park, and I hope this is the beginning of him making more movies.

Shortly after seeing the film I sat down with Simon Baker for an extended video interview. During the wide-ranging conversation he talked about how he’s always wanted to make a movie, that if he didn’t make it as an actor he thought he would go to film school and study cinematography, how the source material for the film hit close to home, if he was nervous to cast two non-professional actors as the leads in the film, how that casting process worked, how his first cut was compared to the finished film, if it was tough getting financing, what cameras he used and why, and so much more.

Check out what he had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.

Simon Baker:

  • breath-movie-simon-baker
    Image via TIFF
    How long has he known he wanted to direct? Talks about the themes he wanted to talk about in the film and how he grew up with the ocean playing a big part of his development.
  • How hard was it to get financing?
  • Talks about how there are 2 drone shots in the film, the great cinematography, and how he’s always been involved with cameras and lenses.
  • How whenever he’s been on a set he’s always watched the camera crew and how they work.
  • How if he didn’t make it as an actor he thought he would go to film school and study cinematography.
  • How he had a water cinematographer with a dramatic background.
  • How he didn’t have unnecessary exposition and scenes were sometimes very minimalist. Was that through editing or was it always intended to be this way?
  • How long was his first cut compared to the finished film?
  • Did he have to be in the film to get financing?
  • Talks about how his two leads had never been in a movie before so being in the film could also help them.
  • Are the rights for sale at the Festival?
  • Is the release date in Australia going to affect other territories?
  • Talks about his learning curve as being a producer on sales and marketing.
  • How did he know he could pull this off with two non-professional actors?
  • Reveals it took a year to cast the leads. Had cut it down to six people and had a weekend retreat where he decided on who would get cast.
  • When did he finish the film and has he started thinking about his next project?
  • What camera did they use and why?
breath-movie-simon-baker
Image via TIFF