Carra Patterson On Her New Film “The Subject,” “Turner & Hooch,” New York, Harlem, Eazy-E & More
The Subject is the new film from director/producer Lanie Zipoy, as set for an October 22, 2021 release to theaters and key TVOD outlets — and now on pre-order — via Gravitas Ventures. The film directorial debut of Zipoy, The Subject is a riveting performance driven tour de force starring Jason Biggs (Orange Is The New Black, American Pie), Aunjanue Ellis (If Beale Street Could Talk, Lovecraft Country), Anabelle Acosta (Quantico, Ballers), Carra Patterson (Straight Outta Compton, Turner & Hooch), Nile Bullock (Ray Donovan, Bull) and Caleb Eberhardt (Judas & The Black Messiah, The Post). Per screenwriter Chisa Hutchinson, who also worked on Showtime’s Three Women and Hulu’s Tell Me Lies: “This is a film about all the nuanced little ways in which notions of supremacy distance white people from other humans. It’s a long ramp with a barely perceptible incline that ultimately leads to someone standing by and watching while a black person is killed. Or maybe even doing the killing.”
Within the film, Phil Waterhouse (played by Jason Biggs) is a successful documentary filmmaker with a thriving career, brilliant girlfriend and a lovely suburban home. His last film was a rousing critical and commercial success. During its making, though, baby-faced Harlem teenager Malcolm was murdered. Now, journalists hound Phil about his role in Malcolm’s death, and he is haunted by fears he could have prevented it. As his world collapses around him, he prepares for a showdown with the person who threatens all that he holds dear. As shot on 4 different cameras — 1 for the documentary about Malcolm, 1 for Phil’s new documentary footage, the narrative camera and a consumer camera that is used to record Phil — each camera within The Subject offers a different viewpoint on the world. In turn, The Subject is a film that stay with you long after you have seen it. And on the critical end, The Subject has already won more than 30 awards at film festivals around the globe, including honors from the California Women’s Film Festival, the Catalina Film Festival, the DC Black Film Festival, the Madrid Film Awards, the Milan International Film Festival, and The Art Of Brooklyn Film Festival.
On October 6, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with the aforementioned Carra Patterson again via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond The Subject, we spoke about Patterson’s work on the Disney+ series Turner & Hooch, her time studying at NYU, living in Harlem, her role in Straight Outta Compton and more. Additional information on Patterson can be found by clicking here, here and here.
