In Gozo Sabine Cassar-Alpert meets actor and director Larry Holden and persuades him to talk about his plans for the not too distant future.

Film director Larry Holden is currently preparing to shoot his latest movie All Sun And Little White Flowers on the island of Gozo. He has been living in a cosy farmhouse in Gozo for the past three months, together with his wife, fashion designer Hanne Kristiansen, who is also his creative partner.

Not satisfied with the way movies are made in Hollywood, Larry has put to work a clever way to live out his passion for directing by acting in Hollywood films, and investing the money earned into his own independent production company, Holden Automotive. Apart from movie roles – most recently in Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia, Memento and Batman Begins – Larry Holden has appeared in a large number of television shows like CSI, E.R., Charmed and many more.

Larry Holden’s debut as a director, writer and executive producer was the critically acclaimed My Father’s House in 2002, which earned him a raving review by Ray Carney, a widely recognised critic in the field of independent movies in the United States.

For the interview we travelled together to O’Kelly’s in Ta’ Xbiex, which belongs to their close friend and producer, Glyn Carragher. The O’Kelly’s is a recently renovated, quaint restaurant/bar/pub set on four floor levels with fabulous views over the sea and Manoel Island. Because of its uniqueness Larry is considering it as a location for “a scene or two”. Its cosy ambience, complemented by delicious food, caused almost four hours to just fly by – as time tends to do in good company.

So here’s the interview.

In the limited information that exists about you on the internet, an “underdog” image seems to be nourished, making it look as if you despise Hollywood and its establishment. Yet at the same time you are introducing yourself as a “Hollywood actor and film director”. Isn’t there a contradiction somewhere?

Well, I never called myself an underdog! It’s unfortunate if that’s the impression which got through, because if I spent my time going against them, I wouldn’t really be an artist. I’m doing what I wish they would do, like, make in my opinion more heartfelt movies.

But no, there’s no contradiction, not from where I am standing. If I have to do a film (as an actor) in order to be able to finance my film (as a director) – which is the only reason why I act – then yes, I’ll use it for everything that it’s worth.

Wouldn’t it be possible to try making your own films in Hollywood?

Well, yes… We actually tried that with my first movie. It took four years, and then, the last offer we had received was, I think, about three million dollars. But they would never give us control. For example, if I had wanted to cast two little kids, like I’ve done in Gozo, I’d have to run that past thirty or forty suits and ties… So we turned that down and made it with our own money. And that’s how we’ve been working ever since.

What is My Father’s House about?

What, have you not read the reviews?

I have, actually, but I could not find any details about it, not even on your own website!

Well, thank God! (Laughs)

It’s really important for me not to give too much away of what a movie is about. My films are not meant for people who like reading a book and flip over to the end of it, or browse through.

But how do you handle the marketing for it? Is it enough for you to say “I’m Larry Holden, I made that film”?

Oh yeah, it’s enough in the States, and it starts being enough in Europe, too! For us, anyway. It (My Father’s House) got in so many people’s hands, and it was so well received… Ray Carney gave us a really glowing review, and he is very well respected in the independent film arena. He is our biggest supporter, and if you get his blessing it’s kind of like being canonised by the pope!

Your movies are not widely available but can only be ordered through your company’s website, www.holdenautomotive.com.

Yes, but then, through our website they are available world-wide! I could have made a deal with a distributor, but that would have meant cutting profits, and again, losing control over it. For example over the cover; even the cases I picked myself, because I am very particular in these things! If I go through such a struggle making a movie – and it is a struggle every time! – then I want complete control over it.

But also, we might be onto something new, as the attendance in movie theatres is steadily dropping, and the DVD home-viewing thing is just growing and growing. I don’t think my movies are made to be watched in the cinema; I think they are made for home-viewing.

As your name gets more and more known… will it still be possible to keep it that way?

Wouldn’t it be great?

You stirred up some controversy by offering acting roles on e-bay. Who came up with the idea?

Oh, that was our producer in Hawaii… and he was only joking. But he should’ve known better than saying something like that to me! We had an investor pull out at the last minute, and we had no idea from where to get this money at such a late hour. He suggested using e-bay, and within an hour it was up – and when I told him it was already up, he just thought I was insane! The response was huge; we had 52,000 people hitting on it at that first auction.

Doesn’t it make you feel kind of bad to make an actor pay to be in your movie?

Larry: Not at all!

Glyn: Do you know how many people there are in Hollywood, flipping burgers for years and hoping that one day they’ll get discovered? And it never happens. So if someone has the cash to buy their way into their dream, they do it.

Larry: It worked on other levels too. Publicity-wise for example. But also: we would get money in envelopes! There was a woman in Germany actually, who sent me an envelope with 400 American dollars, just thinking, these guys are trying to stay true to what they’re doing…

Glyn: It’s actually been done before, in The Thomas Crown Affair. In the closing scene, which has all the extras on the gallery – those all paid to be included in that. That money contributed a huge chunk to the budget of that movie.

How did you get to know about Gozo?

Glyn told me about Malta first, and then about Gozo. Also, knowing my personality as she does, she knew that Gozo was better suited for me than Malta.

What are your thoughts about the island?

We love it so far. Wherever we go, we are always trying to make movies in places that we haven’t been to before. We came here relatively blind sighted, you know, only Glyn and Fran (Francesca Vincenti, who is also a producer of the movie) telling us about the place.

The people are so friendly and made us so welcome. When we went shopping on the first day on the market in Gozo, we didn’t have enough cash on us, and they couldn’t accept credit cards. And they, not knowing who we were, and not knowing if we were foreigners who could be leaving the next day, told us to pay the next time we’d see them! For me that sums up Gozo.

I would be lying, though, if I said I wasn’t kind of shocked by the hunting. And I think that word needs to be defined differently around here, because I don’t think leaving the bird in the field to bleed to death is really hunting, is it? And the fireworks during the daytime we find kind of amusing; a very bizarre way to celebrate. I’m not quite sure I understand fireworks in the daytime, but it seems to make everyone happy, so that’s probably a good thing.

Have you had any assistance from the Maltese government, financially or otherwise?

No, not really. But Francesca Vincenti from the Malta Tourism Authority has been a lot of help to me. She was instrumental in bringing me over; as a friend in the first place, but her working with the MTA probably did help. When I explained what kind of places I wanted to shoot in, she’s been so great showing me around, showing me the whole island, in fact. And it really is a perfect place to shoot!

I take it that you won’t give anything away about All Sun And Little White Flowers, the movie you are going to shoot in Gozo?

No! Even the actors we hired don’t know all the details. They won’t even have read the script. They’ll come and we’ll give it to them in pieces – and there is a reason for it, because they will approach it much, much differently. If they read it beforehand, they’ll come here with a bunch of decisions (about their role) that I might not agree with. And being an actor myself, I know that it would happen.

Have you decided on any particular locations on Gozo?

No, not yet. That’s what is being done between now and, I think, next April, when shooting is probably going to start.

To what extent are locals involved in the shooting?

Well, it’s still unfolding at this time; but I’d say maybe around 40% of the cast, and a large chunk of the crew. We just hired a father and his son the other day, to build us a set. Little by little, we’re getting a lot of locals involved.

At the moment there is a cast of about 20 to 25. Apart from Maltese actors there are also two from London, two from Hollywood, two from Ireland… The script still keeps changing; for example, I wrote in the roles for the two kids from Gozo only recently, just after I met them for the first time.

How long are you planning to stay in Gozo?

Typically, we spend about a year and a half in a new place. But we like the island so much… who knows, we might actually stay on longer than that!

As Larry is still in the process of raising money for his upcoming production, he is considering taking up acting roles locally. Interested parties may contact his local agency BLEEP.

Larry Holden: www.holdenautomotive.com

Hanne Kristiansen: www.hannekristiansen.com

O’Kelly’s: (160 Ta’ Xbiex Coast road): www.okellysmalta.com (under construction)

BLEEP: www.BLE-EP.com,

(Mr Eric Chatlani: Tel. 9982 5320,

e-mail [email protected])