Cucalorus / Vimeo Staff Pick 2019 – Sundays
A crew of skateboarders in recovery.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Lije Sarki
Watch Sundays here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Skateboarding and sobriety are huge parts of my life. SUNDAYS gives a small glimpse into the connection of recovery through skateboarding. Having that common thread has had a profound impact on me and so many other people that I know. I was hoping this little idea could be contagious and people could see what we have here in this group and maybe inspire others to do something similar where they live.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It's a group of outcasts connecting on a personal level, being vulnerable. Stuff that I thought wasn't "cool" when I was growing up. This shows how cool it really is. And there's some great skateboarding in it!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Love, Hope, Connection are huge. That's what the whole thing is about. Creating a family to count on that understands you perfectly.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It hasn't much. We really want to do more with the film. This is just a taste. There are so many more stories to tell with this group and how we got here. The plan is to make a long-form when we can get it funded. The whole squad just took a trip to Barcelona together. Would have been awesome to go on that. Stuff like that. Lots more to do here!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Nothing but love. People are always messaging how much they've been inspired. A lot of the skateboarding outlets have responded as well. And not even sober ones. Pretty rad the response it has gotten. Core folks saying great stuff!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Just in the sense of the variety of positive response. It branched out wider than expected. Very inspiring to us actually.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Just more people seeing it and being affected. If we save one life it was all worth it. Hopefully causing some sort of movement of like-minded groups across the world.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists would all be fantastic!!!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Endless. Worldwide.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What do you think is most helpful when trying to recover from drug and alcohol addiction?
Would you like to add anything else?
Please just spread the word. The more people see this, the better. And if you have any ideas or want any help in creating your own version of SUNDAYS please let us know. We'd love to stay in touch. Who knows, maybe we can come to make a piece on your group...
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I just came off producing the film, THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, and that's going into and awards campaign. Working on several TV series ideas and a really cool feature that I can't announce just yet. Has to do with skateboarding though. :-)
Interview: October 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Sundays
A crew of skateboarders in recovery.
Length: 12:04
Director: Lije Sarki
Producer: Lije Sarki
Writer: Lije Sarki
About the writer, director and producer:
LIJE SARKI grew up in Northern Michigan helping out with his younger siblings while his mom worked as a waitress, and skateboarding as much as he could. He planned an escape to California as soon as he was old enough to drive.
After a failed attempt to move out west at 16, he finally made it to California to attend graduate school in San Diego. He eventually found his way to LA.
Since then, he’s produced over 10 feature films, directed two of them, wrote one of them, created a short that went viral, a music video, and produced/co-directed a skateboarding docuseries which brought him back to his roots as a teenage skater working with the men he idolized growing up.
As a writer and director, Lije is drawn to “young people doing extraordinary things”. As a producer, he aims to make impactful material with new directors.
Key cast: Daniel, Bree, Carolina, Nick, Kevin, Eric
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, buyers
Twitter: @fat_lije
Instagram: @fat_lije
Hashtags used: #sundays
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: 1993 and Learjet Media
Funders: Ian Keiser and Pierce Cravens
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Vimeo Staff Pick, Festivals TBD!