In this interview, we talk to Julia Eringer, co-director and co-writer of the award-winning short film Fire F*cking Fire starring her writing and directing partner Rachel Paulson and Calico Cooper (Alice Cooper’s daughter). Premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, the one-location short will made an additional 12 festival screenings in the next few months, including Newport Beach. It is very claustrophobic, like a feverish anxiety attack but also has a “Be Careful what you Wish For” element to it. The film gives audiences the feeling of being trapped within a toxic relationship while maintaining a very anxiety-inducing vibe but in a –surprisingly- cool way.
Jaylan Salah: Congratulations on such a cool film. But first and foremost, why do you think a relationship becomes toxic? And why does Minnie [our main protagonist] allow it to go this far?
Julia Eringer: Thank you so much. I love that you’re hitting on many words we set out to induce, like the anxiety-inducing cool vibe. [We aim for this film to be] an exploration of how a relationship becomes toxic. And what is [a toxic relationship]? Why does this character allow it to go so far?
JS: Have you considered acting before or has directing always been your dream?
JE: For me, acting is something that I always wanted to do when I was a little kid. It’s what I’m trained in. I have a Master’s [degree] in acting. Directing, on the other hand, is all-encompassing and requires complete focus, as you need to keep an eye on every detail, making it less relaxing. [However,] I love directing because I also write, and seeing an idea from the initial seed and the initial spark all the way through while making sure your vision [is the one] on the screen is [massively] satisfying for me. Besides, as an actor, you can never really get that. It’s not your decision what take goes in or what shot it is.
For me, this feeling satisfies my need to feel heard. Also having my stories told and feeling fully understood are very pleasing experiences to me. I think if I had to choose one to do for the rest of my life, it would probably be directing.
JS: How did you come up with this idea? What inspired you and Rachel to write this particular film?
JE: Rachel [Paulson] and I were on set for a film, Good Kiss. We acted in it together and during that time, she was DMing with a famous rock star who [one day] told her “Come to my show. I’m in Seattle,” [Because] that’s where we were on location. “Come and hang out afterward.”
She suggested, “Julia, you have to come with me.” And I [replied], “Dude, I am not coming with you. We have an early call time and shoot 12 hours a day. The film [Good Kiss] is a truncated shoot, so we need to stay focused”. She ended up rationalizing what I told her –a sensible decision- and not going.
We spitballed on set the idea of what might have happened if she had gone. As you can imagine, the rock star of her dreams would probably turn out to be a nightmare. So that’s sort of where it [the idea for Fire F*cking Fire] was born back in 2018.
I went away and wrote a sketch based on our conversation. Then after the film [Good Kiss] came out, we had some fans ask us, “Are you going to work together again?” We thought about how we really should. So, I dug out that sketch, and we brainstormed again and figured out how to turn it into a short film.
JS: The scene in the bathroom is hilarious. It was great as a character introduction and how it played out the dynamics between the two main protagonists. How did you come up with that sequence?
JE: This scene was the original sketch that I wrote. That was the opening to establish those three characters from the beginning. My idea is to show how excited Ally [the protagonist, a people-pleasing homebody] is about her rock star crush, and how she has this preformed notion of who that person is. And then the best friend [Jess] is in on it and excited for Ally, but also not that helpful of a friend. [She is like] when you have those enabler friends. All Jess says is, “This is fun. Enjoy it.” Even though Ally is expressing how her boundaries [are being crossed and violated].
In life, we have to stand up for ourselves. We can’t rely on our friends to do it for us. [I wanted to make this scene] to set that up from the beginning. So that when Meg comes in [and events unfold] we take a moment and think, “Wait a second. This may not be the situation that we want it to be,” without giving too much away [not to spoil the film for viewers].
JS: How did the casting process go for Meg Fking Taylor from Fire Fking Fire? Because Alice Cooper’s daughter, Calico, that is something GRAND! Also, since you and Rachel Paulson were co-writing, did you have her in mind from the beginning as Ally?
JE: Yes, she’s Alice Cooper’s daughter. Originally, when we wrote [the script], I was set to play Meg, and Rachel was going to be Ally.
Then at a certain point, I told her, you know what? I want to focus on directing. I think one of us needs to pull back and run the set as the lead director. At that point, my manager at the time represented Calico [Cooper], and she read it. Then she said, “I love the script and I have a great actress for you.”
We watched Calico’s stuff. We met with her, and [immediately] we felt that this was the person. She’s the frontwoman of a heavy metal band called Beasto Blanco, and she’s on tour right now with her dad. So, she understands the lifestyle [perfectly].
But I kid you not, you could not get a more down-to-earth, fun, easygoing, and chill person. She’s not at all like her character but understands the world [Meg] comes from.
JS: I love how in your statement you described wanting to enhance anxiety, toxic relationship red flags, and obsessive love through every element of the film. You used all your elements to create that from the camera lenses, lighting, and saturation, to the wonderful costume department and hair and makeup. Would you talk to me more about that?
JE: Ultimately, it is knowing what you’re saying. For me, this [film] is an invasion of privacy nightmare. So when we define where the turning points are, we can ratchet it up and say this is the fantasy and thus we need glowy and beauty [feel to the scene]. We start with a close-up so that we don’t see the full picture and then more reality is revealed in the kitchen scene. This means the fantasy is shattered and it’s like more realism. You start to feel, that okay, this is awkward. Maybe this isn’t what I think it is. By the end of that scene, it’s more like, oh, shit, get me out of here.
Then, we ramp it up with music and costumes, [as you mentioned]. And as long as you know what you’re doing, you will make those bold choices and have the vision to convey it to everybody. Then they can all be on board and think, “Oh, I know what to do. I have a clear direction.”
As you mentioned about the costumes, the vision for this was; what’s more nightmarish than having a party at your house and you’re still in your underwear?
So that was our choice, “How funny would it be if she never got out of her pajamas? Or she’s always in her bra?”
In other words, every single element was geared towards amplifying that [environment] and creating that nightmarish quality.
JS: Which scene was the most challenging to shoot, even though it might seem mild and relatively easy to the average viewer?
JE: Oh, my gosh. Well, they [scenes] are difficult at different stages. The bathroom scene you mentioned was one because it was such a tight space and there weren’t many places we could be [standing and shooting]. We were in the bath, you know? So just the tightness of that was also one of the first scenes we shot and just kind of getting out those nerves.
Also in the party scene, we were running out of time when Vico [Meg’s ex] came in and I panicked that we didn’t have enough coverage. Luckily, it cut together amazingly.
The other scene that wasn’t difficult to shoot necessarily, but in the edit it was tricky, was the live stream when Meg was doing the live stream in the living room. That came together in the edit [room] when we put the music in there and started cutting away from the phone. I don’t want to give too much away, but that one came together in the edit.
JS: What is next for Julia?
JE: I’m going to be directing a feature film. I’m very excited about it. It’s been in development for a long time and is slated to shoot early next year, so we’ll see how that goes.
Watch our interview with Julia below:
