Interview Sam Brosnan

Sam Brosnan is a writer-director based in Portland, Maine. His instinctually intimate style captures the human spirit and the natural world with empathy and artistry.

Sam, what inspired you to set this story in the 1990s, and how does the era shape the characters' experiences and discussions?

Megunticook is set in the 1990s, primarily because much of the story was based on my own adolescence during that time. Writing it was an exercise in time travel for me, and much of the characters’ discussions are around music and culture from the era. Also it was an opportunity to explore dialogue and wardrobe that was period accurate. One of the big secondary benefits though, is that I could depict teenagers interacting without phones.

How did you approach the portrayal of middle-school life, including the challenges and joys that come with that age?

I wanted to portray middle-school life in a realistic way. Not in that these characters were going through anything too dark, but normal stuff that feels huge for them: divorce, girls, friendship, arguing about dumb stuff like song lyrics and movies… It’s supposed to feel nostalgic and emotional, but not dramatic. It’s an age of great highs and lows, often within the same day or even the same hour. Worrying about the future of your family can be temporarily erased by laughing and screaming with your friends and jumping into a lake. The story is about seeking that soothing balm of friendship.

Can you talk about the visual style of the film? How did you want the cinematography to reflect the mood and themes of the story?

I wanted the visual style of the film to be naturalistic, but also warm, and nostalgic. As most of the film is about two friends walking and talking through nature, the camera is almost always moving with them, keeping them framed in a simple, straightforward way. I love handheld cinematography, and considered filming the whole movie handheld, but during some camera tests, I felt that it took too much away from the kids and their conversations. The characters are almost constantly moving through space, so I wanted constant movement in the film. I designed the shots to be as unobtrusive as possible, consisting mainly of smooth, tracking 2-shots. I did the color grade myself, and I wanted the look to be natural, filmic, and a little warm. Something that felt modern, but could also have been shot in the 90s.