A year in the life of a big footed clan is detailed in Directors David Zellner & Nathan Zellner’s surreal comedy, Sasquatch Sunset.
The Zellner Brothers’ film takes us into the misty forests of North America, capturing the daily life of a furry family as they find themselves on a collision course with the ever-changing world around them.
On April 7, after the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles, the Zellner Brothers discussed the making of Sasquatch Sunset during a Q&A moderated by Director James Ponsoldt (Summering).
During the conversation they spoke about the importance of establishing the tone of the film.
“It was crucial from the script stage that there was absolute clarity in the tone we were going for because we knew it was going to be a mix of broader comedy with poignant moments in equal measure,” said David. “We wanted to embrace the full spectrum of the human condition through these sasquatches. It was crucial to connect with them on an emotional level, so it wasn’t just a one-note joke. We always knew we wanted to be from the perspective of the sasquatches because we wanted to be immersed in their world without judgement.”
“A hurdle for us was we really wanted people to connect with these creatures and legitimize them as much as possible,” added Nathan. “That played also into the decision to never show a human being. Because I think that even if it was in the last scene, if you showed a human the audience would instantly be like, ‘Oh. I’m supposed to be on their side,’ and abandon everything that they’d been on.”
The Zellner Brothers’ other directorial credits include episodes of the series, The Curse. They both joined the DGA in 2022.