Danny Sangra’s Goldbricks In Bloom hits Hollywood
You may remember some time ago that we talked to Danny Sangra about his feature film debut Goldbricks In Bloom. Well, we’re pleased to report that it’s about to have its Hollywood premiere on 17th November.
Arthouse cinema group Emerging Pictures have one of their cinemas in mind for the premiere of the film, which stars Zosia Mamet (best known for Girls and soon to be seen as Patti Smith in Mapplethorpe) and Jake Hoffman (who appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street).
The film will then play at the cinema during the following week, and will be launched simultaneously on Vimeo, so everyone will be able to see it globally.
Here’s the link, so you can take a look for yourself: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/goldbricksinbloom
Danny wrote and directed the film, which is a social satire, exploring what it means to be an artist today, interweaving the story of a group of disenchanted young creatives in New York with the mythic rise and fall of a painter.
It’s not Danny’s first film by a long way, just his first full length feature. As well as making idiosyncratic promotional films and commercials for the likes of fashion house Balenciaga and Mercedes-Benz, he’s also made short films like A Lunch Break Romance and I Know. Indeed, he sees Goldbricks In Bloom and his earlier films as existing in the same world, with some characters in common.
Danny isn’t about to rest on his laurels, either, he’s just getting started, and already has a script or two ready to go.
We grabbed Danny for a quick word about Goldbricks In Bloom, and his plans for the future:
Could you tell us a little about the film’s plot? Is it in any way autobiographical?
The film really has two storylines. One fiction and one reality. I don’t want to say too much, but it was my take on the romance we are lead to believe in against the modern reality.
Once it’s released on Vimeo, are interested to see the reactions of a wider audience, who aren’t necessarily familiar with your work?
I know once you put something out, you have to be open to new people seeing it and loving or hating it. You can’t win everyone over, simply because it’s clearly not made for everyone. So I try not to think about it too much.
How did you go about assembling your cast? Will any members of this film’s cast be turning up in future projects?
Most of the cast is made up of actors I have previously made short films with. They are all reoccurring characters. So anyone familiar with my previous work should see the connections. There are also some new cast members who were either friends of mine or friends of other cast members. many of whom take on characters that are mentioned in previous films, but have never been seen.
You can see these connections on my voltaville website: www.voltaville.com
I’m sure you will see them again as different characters. I love working with actors I know, and they already know how I like to work. There’s a trust. Then I bring someone new into the group and see how it develops.
Has it felt like a natural transition, moving from visual artist to film-maker?
Yes. It was something I’ve always planned for. It just took me a while to get round to it. I still paint and do everything else, but I tend to work in areas where I can express new ideas. Sometimes it’s painting or photography, other times it’s writing. Whatever works.
Is your next feature project underway? Can you tell us anything about it?
I finished the script earlier this year and have been working out the cast I’d like to approach. Hopefully we can begin filming early next year.
You seem to be incredibly busy. What else do you have planned for the next year?
There’s a bunch of things I can’t talk about. I’ll be busy because I like to stay busy. I can’t handle not doing anything. However, I tend to work with friends, so busy often feels like hanging out and then realising you made a film somewhere along the way.
