Kosta Nikas, director of the critically acclaimed new Australian thriller Sacred Heart (out now on VOD, DVD and Blu-ray), gives us the 411 on how the film was hatched and how hard it was to get the movie going.
Where did the idea for the film come from, sir?
I came up with the story in 2013 but the idea of theodicy and the peripheral issues that arise in the story have been troubling me for some time.
What about the script? How did it change, if it all, in the time between that initial draft and the shoot?
I had to cut down a lot of dialogue. Went through about 20 odd drafts before I settled on the final version.
Did you have your actors onboard first or did financing fall into place first? I guess it’s a bit of a chicken or the egg scenario, that one?
Financing started first. As an indie filmmaker I had to rely on the script and with it approached private investors to raise the budget. I never imagined I would’ve had David Field on-board when I started out, so I was very grateful when he accepted to play the Priest.
Who of the cast do you think are closet to their characters?
Good question. Naughty question. Lol. I had some concerns and doubts and concerns along the way and then when I finished the cut, I realised everyone was perfectly cast.
Is there a particular moment in the film you really, really enjoyed shooting?
Arriving on location on the first day of my first feature was….well, terrifying. I was so nervous. I enjoyed every day after that. The last day of shooting had a special meaning of course… I enjoyed that the most, knowing that we had well and truly pulled it off!
What’s the message of the movie?
I respect the audience’s intelligence enough not to try and be pedagogic and preachy. There is no message. Just a struggle. Just a contemplation they we might all be able to relate to.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my next feature, romantic comedy, Crooked Chef
