Andrew De Zen: “Reminding Each Other About the Things That Really Matter Through Stories Is and Always Will Be Important”
Storytelling holds the power to evoke emotion and drive change. Andrew De Zen’s latest project, is a gripping PSA for Amnesty International, is a timely reminder of this. Shot in Madrid ,'The Robbery' is a bold, documentary-style film that brings to life a tense and emotional story set against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Projects such as this play a crucial role in raising awareness and much needed discourse, and bringing such a powerful social message to life comes with its own unique challenges. Chatting to LBB’s April Summers, the Radke director reflects on his personal connection to the subject matter, his creative vision, and the collaborative process that allowed him to craft a film brimming with raw intensity.
LBB> Can you tell us how this opportunity came about? And why you felt compelled to direct this film?
Andrew> I received a brief in May from La Despensa, and as soon as I read it, I immediately knew I had to do this project. This is something important to me. It was also the best script I’d read from an agency in a long while.
Aside from how good it was, I realised I had the opportunity to make something for all of my Ukrainian and Russian friends caught in this horrible war – injecting this film with as much of their collective grief, anger, sadness, and emotion as I possibly could. Many of my closest friends back home in Toronto are Ukrainian and I wanted to make something that spoke to them specifically.
LBB> What were your initial ideas upon seeing the brief?
Andrew> The broad strokes and structure were there from the beginning. Setting up what appeared to be a bank heist inside a car, subverting the bank heist with a protest of some sort, and then an arrest. The details were vague and broad, but that main concept and subversion were there right away. It was captivating.
After spending time considering it all, I realised the film was about consequences. What does it look and feel like when you are building up the courage to deal with consequences you know are going to come, and then letting those consequences play out the way they are doomed to happen. Details like building tension in the car with the ring being taken off, the tension of a person walking by, making us question what these people are doing, to the violence of the confrontation with the police, bystanders and a photographer capturing it, and ending on the driver pinned to the floor.
I wanted to make it personal. And to capture that intense emotion we all feel about the “regimes” of the world or that all powerful thing which is grinding a whole population down. These were some of the things that sparked my mind initially.
LBB> Where did you shoot this and how long did it take to shoot?
Andrew> We shot in Madrid. The shoot was fast and intense. Just a day. Most of us, including myself, waived our fees and came on as if it was a short film. For me, this was no different than making a personal film. Everyone pulled favours to make it as good as we possibly could. In the years I’ve been directing, this project stands out because I’ve never been given so much freedom to just make what I intended to make. It’s rare. The agency, La Despensa, and even the team at Amnesty International–all were incredibly trusting.
LBB> Given the subject matter, what was the atmosphere like on set? And how did you, as the director, foster a safe, sensitive and collaborative environment?
Andrew> We chose a location that was on a busy street in Madrid that worked well for the story and placed it in a more “non-descript” Eastern European looking world. But this meant that our cast would be quite literally playing it all for real in front of a live audience with real people the whole day. Initially, that terrified me. That lack of control. But then the fear turned into excitement because I knew it would bring something real and urgent to the film and performances.
As a director I’m very hands-on and like to be with my cast in the trenches, blocking things with them very precisely, making sure everyone is aware and comfortable, and being completely honest about the whole process. I like to create a sandbox and let everyone fill it. I bring in my initial ideas, try to excite all the people involved, and see if their ideas can be better than mine. The best ideas win. Material like this is difficult though, so you have to keep that nervous tension alive, while also simply having fun on set. I’m a bit of a kid that way.
LBB> Did you face any challenges or difficulties in executing this creative? If so, how did you overcome them?
Andrew> It was hard, for everyone. The crew, art department, locations, wardrobe, sound, cast. Working on a shoestring budget trying to get Russian police vehicles with vinyls, creating authentic Russian riot police outfits, finding a talented cast in Madrid that speaks Russian fluently, everything. For me personally that early choice of favouring a location that was more real but less controlled was the most difficult. Our crew was small so having to stop traffic, hold people on sidewalks, while having our vehicles speed into the scene and make a violent arrest with freedom of the camera to capture it in a visceral docu-style way, that was tough. But having people you can put faith in and trust is how you get through it, and I’ve never seen a crew work harder than on this film. It’s thanks to them we pulled any of this off.
LBB> How did you manage the tone of this spot to ensure the artistic vision was executed with sensitivity?
Andrew> When I approach any project or film I distill everything down to a simple throughline or theme so everyone can easily understand what we’re making. Every intention and motivation stems from that simple foundation. The Robbery is a film about knowing the consequences and going through with it anyway. From beginning to end you try to stay true to the feelings, questions, and ideas that expand from that one line. It just so happens that this is about real people with real lives being impacted and a severe importance surrounding the subject.
LBB> Do you have a favourite scene or shot from the final film?
Andrew> I’m a very visual and editorial person, with either images, an emotion, or a particular sequence usually being the thing that gets me initially going on a project. With this film I didn’t want it to be pretty, or too glossy, or too staged. So I worked with my DP and friend, Carlos Feher, on wanting it to be as raw and experiential as possible, where it’s all about the build up of eyelines, perspectives, and details to establish tension in the car. That scene is my favourite of the film. Everything hinges on that sense of pressure building before the exit. A single look or reaction can be so powerful and I’m very proud of what Georgy, Alexandra, and Sam all brought to their performances.
LBB> Have you received any feedback since the film was released? If so, what has been the most meaningful?
Andrew> Knowing it resonates with people and reminds us that there is a brutal war still happening is a meaningful thing. Even if the news no longer publishes about it anymore there are still lives being destroyed on both sides. I remember watching the first videos coming out online of Russians protesting against the war and seeing them slowly get crushed into silence over time. It made me think, would I be able to do what these people are doing? I want people watching this to wonder the same thing, and I’m proud that it is striking a deep chord with audiences.
LBB> Have you worked on a similar project before or was this an entirely new experience?
Andrew> This was a pretty new experience for me. Building out a longer scene like this and letting it play out. Working with material as intense and as charged as this. The big takeaway for me is letting go a bit more as a director and allowing more room for that controlled chaos to do its thing on set.
LBB> Any other interesting insights you would like to add?
Andrew> I suppose the last thing I would like to say here is to remind people to care. We can so easily move on from horrible things after enough time passes, so reminding each other about the things that really matter through stories is and always will be important.
