Ilir Pristine’s FLORRIE interview at Lake Travis FF 2021 -- talks about not spoon feeding audiences and the crime of shooting a black & white film

Ilir Pristine’s FLORRIE, which just screened at the Lake Travis Film Festival, places us in the world of ‘Florrie,’ a 30-year-old woman dating 3 men simultaneously, is confronted by her complicated past and pressured by her friend to commit to just one man.

Florrie is arguably not a “siren” or film fatale beauty like a ‘Gilda’, but more a pleasant to look at and be in the company of type of person, who the men can project their interest on and attraction to. And she’s fine with that. More than fine with it, that’s where she feels comfortable.

However, being a muse or a social and sexual playmate only works if both parties don’t want more depth. And that’s the rub.

FLORRIE is one of those 70s throwback films where people exchanged ideas, debated concepts, and had emotions flare up as they navigated their way through their own head space and relationships with each other – and audiences were satisfied to call that filmed entertainment. Pristine even doubles down by presenting his film in artistic black and white, so take that. It’s the kind of meditation onscreen we could use more of, I think.

In the interview, we talked about trusting the audience and not spoon feeding them plot points and character beats and allowing them to “solve the puzzle”. We also talk about editors saving our lives. And there is the inevitable discussion about the blowback he got for shooting in black and white (Spoiler: One distributor told him to “Go to hell.” And hung up on him.)