“Gazer”, interview with director Ryan J. Sloan and actress Ariella Mastroianni

June 3, 2024

Ryan J. Sloan: “GAZER is my first feature, and in many ways, a love letter to the films that first inspired me. It is also a testament to the power of community”

“Gazer”, interview with director Ryan J. Sloan and actress Ariella Mastroianni Chiara Nicoletti

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At the 77th Cannes Film Festival, in the Director’s fortnight, this year director Ryan J. Sloan and actress Ariella Mastroianni brought their dream come true: “Gazer“.

Shot in 16mm, Ryan J. Sloan’s debut feature was conceived, written, produced and financed by the director and lead actress Ariella Mastroianni.

In his director’s notes Ryan J. Sloan wrote: “It is also a testament to the power of community” . With this declaration he’s not only thanking the people supporting his project and turning it into a reality but he’s sending a message out there in the cinema world.

To really welcome a new generation of independent filmmakers, we need to create a community, a film movement.

Ryan J. Sloan and Ariella Mastroianni unveil how they came across this time perception disorder, dyschronometria, that had never been represented on screen. It comes from a novel, The man who is took his wife for a hat by Oliver Sacks, that Ariella Mastroianni was reading at the time they were desperately looking for a good film subject.

Shot in 16 mm, the film, to quote J. Sloan again, is a love letter to the films that first inspired him.

Plot

Frankie, a young mother with dyschronometria, struggles to perceive time. Using cassette tapes for
guidance, she takes a risky job from a mysterious woman to support her family, unaware of the dark
consequences that await.

Written by: Chiara Nicoletti

Guest

Ariella Mastroianni Ryan J. Sloan

Film

Gazer

Festival

Festival de Cannes

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