Producer, Daniele Bernstein (Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med) and Writer / Director, Max Chopovsky (Sterling Bay Anthem) checked in with us as they prepare to start filming their upcoming short film The Invite.
Most of the filming will be in Northbrook and a few cast members from One Chicago will join the cast.
“As a first time writer and director, I didn’t realize until well into the process just how ambitious this project would be,” said director Max Chopovsky. “The learning curve has been steep. But I’m incredibly lucky to have an amazing team that supported my vision and did everything in their power to make it happen.”
THE STORY:
Struggling photographer Sasha has just scored his first solo gallery show. It’s a big milestone and he’d love to see his parents on opening night. There’s just one problem: his father Vadim refuses to return his calls or texts, seething over Sasha’s decision to quit his full time job to focus on his passion. It is for Sasha, after all, that his parents sacrificed everything to emigrate to the US. Ever the strategist, Sasha’s mom Alina persuades him to make the three hour trek to ask his father in person. As they sit down for their first family meal in months, it doesn’t take long for the long-simmering conflict to boil over. Before long, it becomes clear that the two men are too stubborn to see that it’s not about the show at all. It’s about sacrifice, acceptance, and the calling of unfulfilled dreams.
Daniele Bernstein and director Max Chopovsky reveal some of the details about this intriguing story as they prepare to start filming on May 17.
What inspired you to write The Invite?
Max: This is a personal story based on my family. We emigrated from Ukraine in 1992 with nothing to our name, and, like most immigrants, my parents were singularly focused on the American Dream—roughly translated to financial independence. When I (and subsequently my younger brother) made the decisions to pursue creative endeavors, this created tension that remained unresolved for years. As the pandemic added strain to our relationship, writing the story was a form of catharsis for me, a reflection on our family’s journey, and, now that I am a father myself and my parents have gotten older, an appraisal of shifting perspectives on what really matters in life.
How did your team come together for this film?
Max: Daniele [Bernstein] was recommended to me by Mary Kay Cook, who said I would be lucky to have her. It proved to be the understatement of the year. She comes with a breadth of knowledge and vendor and crew contacts, and she has experience with big budgets and top tier talent.
Daniele: Definitely a great team. We fill in each other’s gaps.
I understand you will be filming in two languages. How will that be handled in the film?
Having all three characters be native Russian speakers was a non-negotiable requirement from the start. The language is as much a part of the culture as the dress, mannerisms, and food. I knew that I wanted at least some of the dialogue to be Russian, but just how much depended on multiple factors. When speaking to each other, the parents would speak almost entirely in Russian, with a few English words thrown in; this is, after all, their first language. When speaking to their son, whose primary language is English, their language choice depended on their objective and their emotion at the moment. For example, the mom speaks more English to the son earlier in the film, during her charm offensive. When she becomes more irritated or impatient, she switches to Russian. The father speaks more Russian at first, when the tension between him and the son is more palpable, then switches to English when he tries to reason with him. The son speaks mostly English to his parents, with the occasional Russian word thrown in.
The other consideration is subtitles. I had to balance the amount of Russian dialogue required for authenticity with the experience of non-Russian speaking viewers, who would be spending much of their time reading the subtitles instead of seeing the characters’ emotions.
How did you obtain the funding for the film?
Max: I funded the entire production myself. Having said that, the scope would have been impossible without the myriad favors that Daniele called in.
Daniele: I definitely called in a lot of favors. Huge shout out to the absolutely amazing crew and vendors I had the pleasure of working with during my time in the One Chicago universe over 11 seasons. The outpouring of support and sheer number of people who have shown up to help us bring this story to life is nothing short of incredible. At this point I’m turning away free help!
Max: This is starting to feel like a high school party that was meant to be a small get together, but one person told another, and before you know it, there are cars down the block and people partying in every room of the house. And then someone asks you, “hey, do you mind if my friend stops by?” It’s incredible. The film community in this town is unrivaled.
Will there be a Chicago screening of The Invite?
Yes! TBD.
CREDITS:
Writer/Director – Max Chopovsky
Producer – Daniele Bernstein
Starring – Yuriy Sardarov, Oleg Stefan, Irina Dvorovenko
DP – Christian Hins
Check back for the release date for Chicago.
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