Keyvan Sheikhalishahi – Divertimento

By starrymag | August 24, 2023

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the short film Divertimento.

 

A) It’s about a chess player who’s invited to participate in a mysterious game, Divertimento. As he plays in this kind of murder party, he soon realizes that there is a direct connection with his past and one of the chess games he was involved in.

 

Q) Where did the idea for the movie come from?

 

A) The first basic idea was to do a film about a game in a haunting castle, but it wasn’t original enough. Then, I thought about a chess game, and I was excited to tell the story of a chess player who imagines an elaborate game, in which each player portrays a chess piece based on a chess match he was involved in a while ago. I tried to find a good balance between deep, psychological characters and elements of action and suspense to write this tragic tale.

 

Q) The movie stars Kellan Lutz and Torrey DeVitto. How involved were you in the casting of the film?

 

A) I was in the front row. I contacted all the actors involved in the film. For the role of Jonas, I was looking for an actor well-known by the audience as the good guy, the hero – someone who can easily be your good friend or your brother when you watch the film. And Kellan really played this role with brio, notably he was a good vampire in Twilight, among Sylvester Stallone’s team in Expendables and then played an FBI agent. Therefore, at the beginning of the film the audience expects to see a good character and its shock can only be heightened when the character is revealed to be much more ambiguous, darker. For Cathy, I was looking for a renowned American actress who was able to bring style, mystery and emotion to the film. Torrey was the obvious choice to me.

 

Q) This marks the first time Kellan has starred on screen with his wife Brittany Gonzales. Was this a happy coincidence or something where Kellan was able to convince her to take part?

 

A) It was something they wanted, and I was more than happy to give the role of Anne to Brittany. Actually, the part was little, and I was personally keen to develop much more of the character’s presence. This is when I realized we needed two characters to comment on the chess game so the audience can follow the main moves, so I decided Anne and Ida (Leni Speidel) would do that to help understand what’s happening during the chess competition. Brittany had made commercials before, but it was her first narrative. I was as excited as her before the shooting and was impressed on set, so I chose to make the first scene of the film with her and increase her presence.

 

Q) The film was shot in a beautiful 18th-century castle. What made this the perfect location for Divertimento?

 

A) I was looking for a castle with a completely checkered floor, long straight corridors, beautiful pieces of furniture and some mystery. It was important for the castle to be huge with several floors, otherwise its explosion wouldn’t have much impact.

 

Q) Which scenes for the film were a challenge to bring to life from page to screen?

 

A) The biggest challenge on set and during post-production was the explosion. We spent several hours filming the castle with different appropriate light and shadow effects to prepare the material for VFX while it only lasts a few seconds in the film. During post-production, I realized it wasn’t even sure to make the explosion happen. Nobody wanted to do it. We had considered maybe doing it only by sound, which would have been too sad. It was a real challenge to find the right company in Los Angeles.

 

Q) Watching the movie was there a particular scene that turned out even better than you imagined it to be?

 

A) A famous filmmaker once said that the filmed scene is never exactly one hundred percent as the filmmaker imagines. I can’t remember who said that but he’s one of the greats in Hollywood. While I have a very precise idea of things before shooting, this is so true. I’d add very humbly that what’s important isn’t that a scene turns out a little bit different, but always even better.

 

Q) What kind of response have you already been receiving to those who have watched the movie?

 

A) I’ve received great responses during the film festival circuit and very enthusiastic and impressed reviews. Some said I was crazy. Maybe I am.

 

Q) I have to ask, how good of a chess player are you?

 

A) [laughs] I only know the basics. I’m not that good. Kellan is a good one, though.

 

Q) What do you hope lingers with audiences who watch Divertimento?

 

A) What’s important for me is that the audiences are not indifferent. The more emotions they feel, no matter which, the more they talk about the film, the better for me.

 

Q) What are the other recent projects that you have been busy working on?

 

A) I’m developing several feature scripts. Thanks for the interview.