A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between her perfect match and her imperfect ex in Director Celine Song’s romantic comedy, Materialists.

Set against the backdrop of New York City’s luxury-driven dating culture, Song’s film tells the story of Lucy, a successful matchmaker who maintains that she will only date and eventually marry a wealthy man. She becomes entangled in romantic triangle with Harry, a charming billionaire, and her ex-boyfriend John, an aspiring actor working as a caterer.

On June 14, after the DGA membership screening in New York, Song discussed the making of Materialists during a Q&A moderated by Director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come).

In the spirit of the film, during the conversation Song shared her thoughts on the similarities between casting and matchmaking.

“So much of what we [Directors] do is matchmakery. Casting is matchmaking. I think about this in terms of how well Actors understand this particular thing. Just the line in the film where Sophie goes, ‘I’m not merchandise. I’m a person.’ Actors really understand that, and my Actors really understood that. That’s the way the world sees you too. There’s Chris Evans the merchandise and then there’s Chris Evans the person. I think the gap between those things is enough to drive any person a little mad. One thing I know is true is, just like a matchmaker, I’m thinking about how Chris the person or Dakota [Johnson] the person is right for the person I’m trying to depict. So much of it is ultimately about falling in love with them.”

Song’s other feature length directorial credit is Past Lives, which earned her the 2024 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film. She became a DGA member in 2021.