A widowed mortician receives a life-size male doll named Pedro, which unexpectedly complicates her life in ways she could never imagine.

Interview with Director Cyrus Mirakhor

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Wake. was originally a play that began its life at Jeff Daniels’ The Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Michigan. Paul Stroili, one of our executive producers on the film had a theater company in Los Angeles at the time that debuted Wake. in LA. Based on the audiences’ reaction to the play, he asked me to attend a performance because he believed the story had the potential to be a great independent film. When I saw Wake. and experienced how this special story moved me and fellow audience members, the story about the lives of three women and what it said about love, death and moving on, I knew he was absolutely correct. This story really deserved to reach as wide an audience as possible. We just needed to find a way to make the play cinematic.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Films today seem to rarely connect with viewers on an emotional and personal level. This film is one of those rare films that introduces you to characters you’ll root for as they experience issues you’ll find profoundly familiar and who by the end of you won’t want to say goodbye to.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Love (old and new), loss, and healing are all handled in this story. It’s really best described as a romantic “traumedy”.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I was very lucky that the playwright Carey Crim was willing to work with me to evolve the script from a stage play into a feature film script. It was an incredible amount of work for her to accomplish (and by that I mean four years and probably over 20 versions of the script). In doing so some storylines were lost, new ones were formed, some characters were merged, and a new character was created.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The reaction to Wake. has been as amazing as we dreamed it might be. The film has won several awards and played throughout the US at many festivals. It’s great to know the essence of the story that really pushed us to turn this into a film was not lost in the process.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The honest answer is largely no. However, I would say we’ve been approached by several in the mental health profession that has suggested this would be a great movie for those going through the grieving process to watch.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

For those who are truly interested to learn more about Wake.. Watch it, love it, and suggest it to others that will appreciate this moving and unique story.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I’d love for people that watch Wake. to feel the same way they feel about grabbing one of their favorite books to read again and again. The story truly is heartwarming and inspirational for those that have experienced any form of loss or grief so if this film becomes “required viewing” for those dealing with grief that finds with all of us.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Do you ever truly get over the loss of a loved one? How do you deal with the guilt of needing to move on?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Thank you for asking this question. Archana Shinde (executive producer and editor) and I are developing a horror film set in India as well as a film on the middle eastern immigrants’ experiences in Los Angeles. Carey Crim has several plays out there, one of which just premiered at The Purple Rose Theater this last summer. Paul Stroili will have his play Jukebox at the Algonquin premiere next year.

Interview: November 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

Wake.

A widowed mortician receives a life-size male doll named Pedro, which unexpectedly complicates her life in ways she could never imagine.

Length: 1:36:00

Director: Cyrus Mirakhor

Producer: John N. Dvorak, Christopher Handman, Cyrus Mirakhor, A.J. Rinella. Archana Shinde, Paul Stroili, Lawreen K. Yakkel

Writer: Carey Crim

About the writer, director and producer:

CYRUS MIRAKHOR attained his Master’s Certification in Documentary Film from the George Washington University in 2002 and completed the UCLA Extension Directing Program in 2012. Wake is his first feature-length film following his three previous shorts, Gratitude, Resonance of Love, and The Beating.

CAREY CRIM is an actor and writer, known for Wake. (2018), Law & Order (1990) and One Half Gone (2002).

Key cast: Myndy Crist (Molly Harrison), James Denton (Joe Frederickson), Caroline Lagerfelt (Ivy Rose), Jo Koy (Peter Lewis), Paige Searcy (Sam Lewis)

Looking for: journalists

Facebook: Mirrorcore

Twitter: @wakeflick

Instagram: @wakeflick

Hashtags used: #wake #supportindiefilm

Website: www.mirrorcore.com

Other: IMDb

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play