Below are Danner’s answers to my questions about filmmaking and The Runner.

Tucker: Why did you become a filmmaker?

Danner: I became a filmmaker because I am passionate about telling stories that are impactful. As a filmmaker you get to sign the painting, you pick the canvas, the colors, the images and I liked being the one to color it all. It's the creative journey. 

Tucker: What is your filmmaking philosophy?

Danner: I believe that a filmmaker needs to find a balance between making a film they want to make and a film that the audience wants to see. You can't make a film for every demographic. You have to decide who the film will appeal to.

Tucker: What drew you to The Runner?

Danner: The Runner was a story that came from me. I was listening to the news and I was really affected by what is happening to kids in high schools being forced to wear wires in order to catch the drug kingpins of their towns. I believe that every director is drawn to recurring themes. For me, something that speaks to me is being there for our kids. Not failing them. That always makes me emotional. I hope this film shows grownups into recognizing the signs of addiction and self-destruction before it’s too late. Our kids need help. Too many fall through the cracks. I wanted to tell a story that will wake people up. What if everyone that recognizes a sign did something about it?

Tucker: How did you find that exciting young leading man and why did you choose him?  

Danner: Edouard Philipponnat was a student of mine, and I was able to work with him in different scenes in my acting class and knew that he was perfect for this lead character. This was his first movie, we rehearsed a lot, I love that collaboration with an actor, the intense preparation, dedication to details and the love of the work. 

Tucker: What is your favorite scene in The Runner?

Danner: That is a very hard thing to choose. They are all my favorite scenes, but if I had to pinpoint… I do love the scene with the mother, in the kitchen, with Elizabeth Rohm and Edouard.  The levels it reaches, the nuance, the emotionality. It tackles thematically what this movie is about. I also loved the scene with Cameron Douglas and Edouard in the interrogation room. It is different from a lot of interrogation scenes I have seen. It has different levels to it and you don’t know where it’s going. 

Tucker: What was the most difficult scene to shoot and why?

Danner: It was hard to shoot the last shot of the movie because we had to put a crane on the beach and we wouldn’t know about the tide until the afternoon of the shoot. So I kept looking at the water of the ocean and hoping it would recede, and it did which was good. But we had to get the crane down a very narrow staircase, and I was keeping my fingers crossed no one would get hurt. But no one did, and we got the shot, and it looks great. 

Tucker: Does The Runner have a message?

Danner: The message of the movie is for us to stick close to our children, observe them, be in tune with them, have conversations with them, and if they need help, get them the help that they need. So we don’t have to lose these kids that we love. 

Tucker: How does The Runner compare to your other movies and what is the reaction to this movie so far?

Danner: I set out to do a suspenseful thriller, and so far we’ve had lots of luck on the festival circuit. We won the best feature film at the Thriller/Suspense film festival. People seemed to love the performances and were entertained, and wanted to hug their children afterwards. 

Tucker: Is there a question I haven’t asked but you would like to answer?

Danner: Yes, it’s very challenging to make an independent film and as a film maker, I am lucky enough to reach the biggest classroom I can, and I hope that audiences support indie movies. 

Tucker: What is the most important thing you want readers to know about you?

Danner: That I am passionate about making movies, telling stories that are relevant. 

Tucker: Do you have anthing else you would like to add?

Danner: I had a very famous director who watched The Runner and called me afterwards.  He loved it and said some very loving things, which made me happy. He said “The key is to keep doing it.” So those are words I will keep following.

My thanks to the multi-talented Michelle Danner for this special online interview.

For more information about Michelle Danner, click on this link:

https://www.michelledanner.com 

The Runner opens in theaters on August 19 & Digital and Demand August 23, 2022.