SLFS Interview: Efi da Silva – Director of FOUR WAY STOP

FOUR WAY STOP screens Thursday, July 23 at 7:15pm at The Tivoli Theater as part of this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. Ticket information can be found HERE

Writer/director Efi da Silva’s FOUR WAY STOP tells the story if Allen (Paul Craig), a 17-year-old inner-city African-American desperately trying to improve his life but he lacks essential support from family: His absent father is a needy drug addict, and his seriously ill mother offers only relentless criticism. Although offered illegal work by childhood friend Tay, Allen resists the lure of the street and instead seeks legitimate employment. But in his hunt for a better job, Allen ends up jeopardizing his current fast-food position by chronically arriving late or simply failing to show. Legitimately angry at the racism he confronts and the limited options he’s given, Allen all too often engages in self-sabotage, thwarting his attempts to do the right thing.

Efi da Silva took the time to answer some questions for We Are Movie Geeks before the screening of her film at the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase

Interview conducted by Tom Stockman

We Are Movie Geeks: What was your filmmaking experience before you made FOUR WAY STOP?

Efi da Silva: Four-Way Stop is my first feature film. I had studied film in college knowing that eventually I would make an indie.

WAMG: How did you get the idea for the FOUR WAY STOP story?

EdS: Some years ago, I was yearning to write something, but had no grasp on what until listening to the presidential debates that were held in St. Louis and sponsored by the Urban League. Obama, Hillary Clinton, and one other guy were discussing what changes they would affect within minority communities. Each had something inspiring to say, but I didn’t believe they could realize their words. I also understood that many people believe(d) that the problems within minority communities are problems minorities create. Knowing these things, I wanted to tell the story of our own city (St. Louis) and what I witnessed in minority communities. I wanted to take the audience into a deeper look at the life of Allen, a 17 year-old African American  boy, so that his reality instead of common stereotypes could be examined.

WAMG: Is FOUR WAY STOP an autobiographical story? Were these characters based on people you know?

EdS: Four-Way Stop is not autobiographical nor is it based off of specific people I know.

WAMG: How long did it take you to make the film and what was the budget?

EdS: The idea of the film began 7 years before we shot it. But the actual filming was completed in about 2 and a half weeks. We shot for 16days.

WAMG: At what St. Louis locations did you film?

EdS: We filmed primarily in South St. Louis. Some locations include, Adam’s Smoke House,  T-Rex (downtown),. Dr. Kevin T. Thorpe’s Dental Office (in Brentwood), and  Southern Commercial Bank in the Bevo Mill area. Our mainstays were the South Grand and Cherokee areas.

WAMG: Did you get permits to shoot on St. Louis streets or just go guerilla?

EdS: We didn’t need permits for the shots we captured.

WAMG: Tell me about the casting process. How did you find Paul Craig for your lead?

EdS: The casting process ran smoothly for the most part. Character descriptions were posted on STLAuditions.com (I think that’s the right site). We didn’t have a huge turn out, but the right people came including Paul, the lead. Finding someone to play Terri, his mother, was a little difficult. We found Marty K. Casey, through a local actor’s list of actresses to reach out to. Marty and I connected through Facebook, she sent an audition tape, and after watching it was clear that she was it.

WAMG: I really liked Marty Casey as his mother. Tell me about her.

EdS: First, Marty is nothing like her character Terri, but she’s played the role so well that audiences have had very strong opinions about Terri. Which is a good thing. She stirred emotions in people. Marty has been acting, writing, singing, producing, etc for the past 20 years.

WAMG: Did the actors improvise much or did they stick closely to the script?

EdS: Actors improvised and used the script. While the crew was setting up shots, the actors and I would rehearse the scene. If something worked we kept it. If there was something key in the script that I wanted to be sure to preserve we did.

WAMG: Did you grow up a movie buff? Who are some filmmakers that you admire and inspire you?

EdS: I’ve never been a huge movie buff, but I do admire Vittorio De Sica and Italian neo-Realsim. They used mostly non actors, in real places (e.g. not on sets), to tell stories of everyday life. That’s what Four-Way Stop is—a slice of life.

WAMG: What’s next for Efi da Silva?

EdS: We’re working towards distribution and starting a dialogue about some of the issues the film raises. I’d love to tell more stories, but first, we push Four-Way Stop out as far as we can.