Amir Shah - Interview

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Your film Sister has a heavy focus on ghosts. What is your personal belief on the subject?

I don’t believe in ghosts in the traditional sense (eg a dead person who roams among the living). However, I believe that there are certain energies within people that can remain after they die creating a ghostly presence, such as the feeling of fear and dread when going to a place where someone had been murdered. For example, when I was scouting locations for the film, I found an old building that used to be a space for terminal AIDS patients in the 1980s, and one of the patients apparently had set himself on fire and died. Going to that exact location in the building had a very eerie presence as if the energy from that moment were still present. Quite frightening!

What are some of the real-life horror events/locations highlighted in the film?

There is a scene where Sister Jowi (played by award-winning actress Vasudha Krishnamoorthy) walks down a sidewalk by a creepy old house that once belonged to murderer H. H. Holmes, who would gas his victims. The scene where she encounters the ghost girl (played by Jada Buehler) was shot at the exact address where teenager Sylvia Likens was tortured and murdered in the 1960s. Jada’s horrific appearance in the film is inspired by the pictures of Sylvia’s body as she was found at the crime scene, so the horror of that scene feels so real. It was haunting just to be there! The church where Sister Jowi hears voices is the same church where mass murderer Jim Jones was a preacher when he lived in Indianapolis, and the audio is from a public domain recording of one of his sermons. It was creepy how when we reviewed footage of the scene, we noticed the curtains in the window seemed to be moving on their own even though there would have been no one inside; a ghostly encounter indeed!

What role do mythology and religion play in the film?

I have had a lifelong interest in the study of religion/spirituality. I went to Catholic school in my early years where learned a lot about church history and theology from my priest Father Tim and nun Sister Lenore. I studied mythology in high school, and in more recent years as a Freemason, I have extensively studied The Bible, The Quran, The Bhagavad Gita, and even The Book of Mormon. I also recently graduated from a theology program which I was studying while I made Sister. Outside of the obvious themes of Catholicism with the nun and priest characters and church setting, the film incorporates gnostic texts such as The Secret Book of John, which explores the origins of the universe, with the opening cosmic scene in Sister being inspired by events depicted in the text and the inclusion of the characters Sophia (played by pop star Anza) and the demon Yaldabaoth. I also include some Easter eggs and minor references that only Freemasons and those who have studied sacred texts will get, so to fully appreciate the film, read your Bible!

Sister star Vasudha Krishnamoorthy recently won awards for best actress at multiple film festivals for her role as Sister Jowi. What was it like to work with her?

Vasudha has been incredible to work with on Sister and other creative projects we have made together. We first met a few years ago when I was developing a comedy pilot called Cup of Joe about a group of workers and patrons at a local coffee shop. The production was constantly delayed and ultimately canceled, but I was enamored by Vasudha’s talents as an actress, so I chose to cast her in the starring role in Sister. Vasudha is a very talented actress and knows exactly how to perfectly evoke the emotions of the character in the scenes. I love how she helps me realize how I can be better as a director and always uplifts the cast and crew on the set. She would make a great Hollywood star if given the opportunity. She is one of the best creative talents to come into my life, and I look forward to seeing what movies and shows we make together as our film careers progress.

Do you have any professors or teachers from film school you are grateful for?

I am most thankful for my high school radio/TV teacher Mr. Randy Brist. He taught me the basics of filmmaking and I made my first film projects in his class. He also inspired a deeper appreciation for classic movies and classic rock music which has continued to now. I also am thankful for my high school English teachers Mr. Chuck Herber and Mrs. Janie Norman who taught me classic works of literature that have had a profound effect on my creative work, such as Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, Dante’s Inferno, and George Orwell’s 1984, and how to write creatively and effectively.

You achieve a lot with such a small budget. How were some of the special effects of the film achieved?

The demon Yaldabaoth was created by Derrick Childers, who works in Hollywood as a creature designer and special effects artist. Derrick and I were high school classmates in our radio/TV class. I was amazed by the level of detail in the design and how cool it is to have a physical creature instead of a CGI creation. When filming the demon scenes, I attached fishing wire to the creature and shot it in front of a green screen to make it look like the demon is floating/moving on its own, similar to the approach George Lucas took with the spaceship and creature shots when filming the original 1977 Star Wars. The opening cosmic sequence was achieved through a combination of the clever manipulation of royalty-free stock footage mixed with digital graphics. For the pool of blood, we mixed several bottles of cranberry juice with instant coffee. I was amazed that Vasudha was so okay with doing multiple takes pretending to drown in the liquids. She showed true dedication to her performance!

What are the next films you are working on after Sister?

We recently finished filming the sequel to Sister titled Sister II. The film stars Andi E. and Gabrielle Bousum as new nuns at the church who investigate the events of the first film. I am currently editing the film and intend to release it at film festivals at the end of 2022 or early 2023. We also plan to shoot the 3rd film in the series titled Sister III: The Lesser Key starting later this year with both actors from the first and 2nd film and new additions to the cast. I also have outlined ideas for other potential spinoffs for the series.

After Sister III, I would like to move into the genre of comedy as a way to branch out and not be stuck in just the horror realm. There is a script I have developed called Frieda From Attica, which is about a quirky young woman in a small town who dreams of becoming a “Disney” star. Some cast members from Sister may be involved.

Sister is your first feature-length film. What are your aspirations for your film career?

In the short term, I hope the film and its sequels continue to gain momentum at film festivals. It would be nice if the right people see the film, and we get a distribution deal or possibly investors for future bigger-budget projects. It would be nice to go to Hollywood or foreign countries to film movies if that were an option as well, but I also would love to see the film industry continue to grow in Indiana, as the state is more ideal for filmmaking than given credit for. I would be happy to keep Indianapolis as my base for filmmaking!

Ultimately, I hope my films will be among those which transcend cinema and become some of the favorites among film enthusiasts (i.e. The Criterion Collection, The National Film Registry). When I was in college, I got a chance to have dinner with the legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog, and I remember it being such an amazing experience to finally meet one of my favorite filmmakers in person and discuss deeply all things cinema. It would be a full full-circle experience to become the “Werner Herzog” to a “Colin Denhart” in the future!

How did your family react? 

During my childhood every parent in Iran wanted their children to be either doctor or engineer and every child wanted that too. So, when I went to England and studied at the Drama Centre and graduated as an actor and theatre director and when I phoned my parents and told them about my graduation they said: “We don’t understand your education, but we will call you Doctor”

Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?  

Elia Kazan, Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Curtiz. I want to tell you something very eye opening about Michael Curtiz. He would take a script and he would look at parts that could be very artistic from all aspects and when the film was finished you had Casablanca but when you look at the script in the beginning you would never think that script would have a chance to become one of the greatest movies of all time and that is what Michael Curtiz did, finding a stone and cutting it to become a jewel, that is something. When you look at Casablanca and see the way how he has directed and blocked actors in the street or in the club it is as he was directing a group of Ballerina’s. That’s the way they move.

Who's your biggest fan? 

My DAUGHTER

What brings you inspiration the most? 

When I am challenged to create something that is my happiest moment.  I like swimming in a bundle of problems of creating a film or theatre play and come out of it. 

Which actor or director would you like to work with? 

I like to work with actors who have the skill and like to take the risk and build and bring a character that you could never imagine. It is like being a child and being taken to a mobile theatre for the first time which shows fascinating pictures in two dimensions.

Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?

 I am not going to say better but definitely different because when you read the book you direct it in your head in different ways as long as you read the book first. If you read the book after seeing the movie you need to have a lot of patience to finish the book.

What's the movie that taught you the most? 

Every movie has a different flavour, colour, and stimulation and as you grow older your taste and your priority change. You look at things differently, e.g., you look at everything with deeper angles and that makes you more philosophical, more understanding and more forgiving. As a child if you look at something everything is shallow, and you would not like it anymore when you are older. You learn from all the movies, bad or good. 

About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?

No, never.

On set what excites you the most? 

Good & believable performances like characters larger than life. Quality acting so you forget where you are and takes you away from reality out of your chair. 

And what scares you the most? 

Flop of the show.

What's your next project?

I hope to find a producer to make a feature film of London Gangstah. I think it would be a great and very funny movie and we can make a successful trilogy of it. Hopefully a producer will come along after this festival. 

And also I have more original scripts I am working on in new genres and unusual beautiful and interesting stories which I am open to share with producers who are interested.

You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose? 

I really admire van Gogh. He always amazed me how with one set of colours he showed you the whole world

An actor/director/screen player is made of....

110% feeling and sensitivity

For you Cinema is.... 

LIFE & Creating Magic

Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact? 

Absolutely.

Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar? 

Since I was a child every minute of my life. 

Do you think you're gonna win it? Yes, I will.

 I am waiting for it. Give me a chance and I make it happen.