How did growing up in New York influence the film?
Ry Russo-Young: I think that I have a fondness for the city—some level of nostalgia and closeness. It’s warm to my heart. But I don’t necessarily see my experience reflected in the character or in the film. In a way, I think it was about creating something that was separate from my experience that was not as directly personal. But there’s an energy in the movie that captures the energy and feeling of not only a character, but the city itself. D: How would you characterize that energy? RRY: It’s kind of transient, in the moment—very present, but also very ephemeral—like you’re somewhere, you’re completely at that place, and then it’s over before you know it. The film jumps groups and locations and pools of people, so one minute you’ll be surrounded by a bunch of people—some of which you know, some of which you don’t—and then you’ll go to a new place. Each social world is kind of its own hemisphere. I’ve always felt that way. I never felt like I had a complete group; I always felt like I
