It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Thiago Dadalt about his film DUKE. DUKE is about “a nonverbal autistic teen’s family is falling apart, he must find his voice to keep them together.” (Source: IMDb)
Hi, Thiago! Thank you for granting the interview. We’re excited to speak with you. You recently directed and written a film called “DUKE.” Tell us more.
DUKE is about a nonverbal autistic teenager, who started to type after 17 years.
In 2016, through Dru Miller, I was fortunate enough to meet the real DUKE and his family. I was struck by their journey. I was touched by DUKE’s strength, the resilience of a mother’s love for her son, and wanted to bring this story to life.
Throughout my research for this film, I discovered that there are so many others out there just like Duke–people struggling to be heard–whose friends and family have given up on communicating with them. Just like Duke, they couldn’t find their voice until they were given the outlet and the opportunity to do so, changing their lives forever.
For me, this film is about equality, about not judging a book by its cover and really seeing who someone is on the inside, regardless of any differences you may have. Duke is so much more than a story about someone with a disability, it’s about learning to listen, and forces us to open our eyes, reminding us that every person is unique and has their own story to tell. It also teaches us about community; society as a whole needs to come together as one and realize that all humans are equal, regardless of race, class, or disability, and should all be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
DUKE is beautifully played by Robert Solomon, a young and talented actor from Atlanta. Piercey Dalton, a very experienced actress, did an amazing performance playing Duke’s mother, she’s based in L.A. All the cast and crew on this project will blow your mind, so good they are.
Did you come across any budget challenges during the production?
Budget is always a challenge. In the “perfect world,” I have room to make a film in 4 days, and I had to do it in 3, which was hard. I’m happy that we made it.
How do you choose the material to use for a film?
I’m always looking for something that I don’t know much about, so I’ll learn a lot during the process of making the film. It takes me out of the comfortable zone. I want to expose things that most of the people are uncomfortable to see or talk about it, in that way we may be able to make a positive impact in people life and change the way they see things.
What do you hope to accomplish with the movie?
I just hope the film will be watched by as many people possible, so the message can be passed along.
When choosing talent, what did you look for?
I choose my actors in the same way I do with the projects I decide to produce. I’m looking for the spark, the passion, that even in the worst scenario will keep the person going until the end. I’m not only looking for the “cute face” or good acting, but I’m always looking for a team player, somebody that is a good listening, dedicated and can bring his own point of view to the project, so when we get to work together we can active something great. Avoiding the big egos. [lol]
What was your favorite scene?
My favorite scenes are two. I love the dance scene, because is a moment that breaks the heavy of the previous scenes and show how close DUKE and his mother are. Also, the first scene of DUKE at the beach that shows a lot about him and what he wants.
How can fans-to-be gain access to the movie?
By Facebook, Instagram, DUKE and production website, people can fallow DUKE’s journey into festivals and may join us during the process.
Facebook: facebook.com/dukethefilm2018
Instagram: instagram.com/duke_thefilm
Web: dukeshortfilm.com
Web: dellenmillerproductions.com
What has been your favorite experience in making the movie?
Being around people like Duke. I didn’t know much about autism before and I still don’t know much, but it changed that way I see things and it is very special.
When looking back on the movie, what resonated with you the most and why?
Duke’s connection with the ocean. I love the beach and I’m always up to go visit it. The beach scenes appeared in the script by the end of the process. It wasn’t there at first, but after I joined Duke at the beach and I saw how happy he was there and that it was a connection I wanted to show it in the movie.
In your opinion, how could this movie make an impact on the world?
I believe in the power of the movies. It can educate people. Like I said before, DUKE forces us to open our eyes, reminding us that every person is unique and has their own story to tell. It also teaches us about the community, that all humans are equal, regardless of race, class, or disability, and should all be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose to make this movie? Would you do anything differently?
I would do it over again, even though it was the hardest project I have ever done. I tried my best to be respectful to Duke and all of the families out there going through the same situation. It is never easy to bring a powerful reality to the screen. I hope people will get the message behind.
As for doing things differently, I always have something that I could make better and would love to change, but each project has his own process and experience. So, if I revisit the film again, I believe most of it would change.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the movie and your career?
I want to say thank you to my “partner in crime” Dru Miller, my co-writer, producer, executive producer in DUKE. She’s the one who made this film possible from the beginning. DUKE’s mother, Dawn Goldstein-Robidoux, who had me watching the family dynamic during a year, so I could make this film as close to reality as possible. To Dawnella Tramell, my angel on earth and all my wonderful cast and crew, I thank you for your support. Kirk Baltz, a great actor, and coach who helped me in the prep/rehearsal process and my thank you to FirstGlance Film Fest, always supporting new filmmakers.
I hope this film will help make people respect more of each other. It doesn’t matter how different we are. We need to always remember that we live on a small planet, in the middle of nowhere, and have no place to go beyond here. So, let’s be nice to each other, respect the planet and respect our differences.
As for my career, I hope to keep making projects that matter and maybe change peoples’ points of view about something they don’t understand or feel uncomfortable about it.
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