The executive producer of the movie, “The Vessel,” Mark Joseph, is interviewed in a question-and-answer session about the new project.
It reveals the story of how, 10 years after a tidal wave destroyed a small-town elementary school and all the children inside, a young man builds a mysterious structure out of the remains.
The project, starring Martin Sheen, sets the town “aflame with passions long forgotten.”
Q: How did you get involved with the Vessel?
A: I first heard about the film through some friends in Hollywood who were really excited about the story and that’s how I met Julio and Marla who had developed the idea and were the creative team behind it.
When I realized they had worked with Terrence Malick and learned filmmaking from him, that made me especially excited to work on the film. I had produced a film with Martin’s brother Joe before so had had some contact with Martin over the years so it was good to reconnect with him.
Q: The film has special meaning to you because of your background and you wrote about it in a piece for TheWrap.com.
A: Yes. It was shot in Puerto Rico but really could be any city in Spanish or Central or South American town. But it especially resonated for me because of the theme of the great wave. I spent summers on a
beach in Japan that was decimated by the great earthquake over there a few years back-it was a favorite childhood haunt – so even though I wasn’t there when the wave hit, to think that such a peaceful place
could be so totally devastated by a tsunami made the story come alive for me.
Q: You’re known for working on blockbusters like “The Passion of the Christ” and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” was working on a small independent film like this a new adventure for you?
A: I actually enjoy doing both. Independent filmmaking is where a lot of the excitement and energy is and it’s just very different. Working on “Narnia” and “The Passion” at the same time was very instructive. With “The Passion” there was no studio to tell us we couldn’t do things whereas with “Narnia” there were a thousand bosses and reasons why something couldn’t be done. With the exception of Madonna and Oprah, I could screen the film for anyone whereas with “Narnia” Disney would only let us show snippets to influencers.
Q: Martin Sheen has been very outspoken politically against Trump calling him a moron. What are your thoughts on the politics of 2016?
A: Martin and I discussed that before he gave the interview and I encouraged him to speak his mind – he speaks for himself and not the film as do I. All of the time and energy people spend attacking or defending Trump I’ve tried to instead use to understand his candidacy and what it means and what a Trump presidency would look like. And of course I’m looking at movie opportunities around this current zeitgeist. Politically, I don’t let any party own my soul – I look at every election and every candidate and party as an opportunity to see
which one is closest to my beliefs. I find that often what is true works and what isn’t true doesn’t work – so if I have an overarching political philosophy that might be it.
Q: The film raises the question of suffering and meaning and the role that God plays or doesn’t. What do you think about God’s role in suffering?
A: This is what the townspeople are wrestling with, particularly in relation to Martin’s character who is a Catholic priest. It is the question that haunts us all of course and always has, back to the time of Job. Since becoming a dad, more and more I see the dynamic that I think is also at work between us and Him. There are times my kids want something so desperately and are inconsolable that I won’t give it to them because I know it would be bad for them. Donna Summer once said to her kids that they can’t see things on a top shelf that she can, because she’s taller than they are, and that they should trust her because she has that vision they don’t have. I’ve never forgotten that and I think that is what it must be like when God allows terrible
suffering. He has a larger view of things that I don’t have.
Q: Where will the film be playing?
A: It will be playing in 30 cities-with special focus on California, Texas and Canada. Of course it will then be available on DVD and online after that.
Q: The Hollywood Reporter recently revealed that the film has achieved a cinematic first – that it was shot in both Spanish and English. How did that come about?
A: Yes, it’s true. I didn’t realize it when I signed on, but it has never been done before. Our director, Julio, literally shot the film in both languages as we went along – he would shoot a scene in Spanish
and then in English. So we have two versions of the film and some theaters will be alternating showing English and Spanish. It’s a groundbreaking moment.
Q: What is next for you after “The Vessel?”
A: My documentary on Gen. George Patton comes out this fall. It’s called “Silence Patton.” I was a producer on a beautiful film called “Max Rose” starring Jerry Lewis that finally hits theaters this fall as
well. “The Unknowns,” a documentary about the men and women who stand watch at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in select theaters now. The Reagan film is just about out of development – we’ve signed our actor to play Reagan, and I’m really proud of a film called “Frank vs God” that I’m a producer on but not sure when it will be released. I’m also involves with the marketing of other movies and that is a lot of fun as well – in some ways it’s more enjoyable to market other people’s films because it involves less pressure on my shoulders and it is fun to help make their dreams come true. I also have a book in the history of rock and religion that comes out next year called “Rock Gets Religion.”
The trailer:
[jwplayer W5iJl7Fh-pszPfxYQ]
