Filmmaker Hannah Fidell stormed the indie scene in 2013 with her terrific debut “A Teacher,” essentially announcing herself as a director to watch. She’s back with an indie relationship drama that was mostly improvised. Starring up and comers Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield (“Boardwalk Empire”), “6 Years” focuses on a long-term relationship between two young adults, how it evolves and also how it devolves into trouble. She convinced her actors to take the risk of committing to a mostly improvised movie with only a barebones script by creating an extensive look book for visual reference, and then got on Skype and told them the deal.
“’Here’s how we’re going to shoot this: we’re all going to live in a house together, it’s going to be improv, and it’ll be like summer camp,’” Fidell told the Playlist in a yet-to-be-published interview from earlier this year. “’So if you’re into that, and doing something totally different than what both of you have done before, then great.’ Luckily they were both into trying something different.” Here’s the official synopsis:
A young couple in their early 20s, Dan and Melanie, have known each other since childhood. Now their 6-year romantic relationship is put to the test when Dan receives an attractive job offer from the record label with whom he interns, and he must choose between a move forward and a future with Mel. Growth and temptation happen – but will their relationship remain part of their future? Writer/director Hannah Fidell explores the struggles of young love as it begins to face the next steps into adulthood. Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield give warm, genuine performances as Mel and Dan, alongside Lindsay Burdge as a colleague of Dan’s who entices him in more ways than one.
Co-starring Lindsay Burdge (the star of “A Teacher”), Joshua Leonard, and Jennifer Lafleur, “6 Years” lands in theaters August 18th via The Orchard. Watch the first trailer below.
