Moment-posterWhen a tumultuous affair between Lee (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an international photojournalist and John (Martin Henderson), a troubled writer, ends in John’s disappearance, Lee goes through a very difficult time and ends up in a mental hospital. While recuperating, she reconnects with her estranged daughter, Jessie (Alia Shawkat), and befriends Peter, a patient who bears an uncanny resemblance to her missing lover. As Lee works to uncover the truth behind John’s disappearance, she struggles to make sense of her own memories. It’s always great to see the talented Jennifer Jason Leigh in a lead role, and she certainly gets to exercise her considerable acting chops in this film. The Moment also features Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Meat Loaf. I talked to writer/director Jane Weinstock.

Danny Miller: I have to admit that all I needed to hear about this movie was “Jennifer Jason Leigh” and “mental hospital” and I was there! I’m such a fan of Leigh’s and it was so great to see her in more than a supporting role.

janeJane Weinstock: I thought she’d be great in this part — I love Jennifer’s particular blend of vulnerability and strength. I think she’s truly a great actress.

This is a complex film about a woman who starts to question her own memories. There are certain things we see that we later start to doubt are the “truth.” Do you ever worry about people watching the film being able to decipher what is going on?

I love creating that kind of ambiguity in my movies and taking people on a ride so they can take a new look at some of their own assumptions. There are people who may have a hard time and occasionally some who don’t understand that the same actor is playing both John and Peter! The film requires a little work on the part of the viewer — but that’s precisely why I love this story. For those who don’t want to do the work — well, I guess they can go see other movies! (Laughs.)

I really enjoyed seeing the film a second time to get all the clues about what’s happening that you layer in throughout. Do you have to know what the “absolute truth” is about the events as you’re writing and making the film?

Yes, I think you do have to know that while you’re working on a project but then you can still be open to other interpretations from the audience once the film is out there. I love that sort of thing and I would never tell someone that their interpretation is “wrong.” We did end up writing some new scenes and doing a few days of reshoots after showing the first cut to some people. We don’t want anyone to be lost while they’re watching the film.

Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character is suffering from PTSD from an incident that happened when she was on assignment in Somalia. Did you do a lot of research on that condition?

Yes, absolutely. And I was very happy when I showed the film to several experts in that field who thought it conveyed the disorder very accurately.

Why did you make your lead character a photojournalist? Do you have any personal experience with that profession?

Well, my husband is a photographer so we talk about photography all the time. And I was very interested in the work of Lee Miller, one of the few female photojournalists who covered World War II including the London Blitz and the liberation of the concentration camps. Her work is amazing. I think being a photojournalist is a very exciting profession and that you rarely see women in movies in that role. I enjoyed exploring the character’s attraction to danger along with the ethical considerations that frequently come up in that work.

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The scenes when we see Leigh’s character in Somalia were very impressive. I assume your budget did not exactly allow for a shoot in Mogadishu!

You’re definitely right about that! We actually built that set in the desert, about 30 minutes from Los Angeles.

This is your second feature-length film (after Easy from 2003). Do you think it’s getting harder for small films like this to get out there?

The whole film market is not what it used to be, I’m sorry to say — it’s very tough now for small movies.

Can you see yourself directing big-budget studio movies?

To be honest, it’s probably not for me. I like generating my own material and getting to express my idiosyncratic ideas.

Would you say that it’s still challenging for female directors in this industry?

Oh yes, I think it’s definitely still an issue. There are plenty of women out there with projects but it’s much tougher to get those films made. Men are making most of those decisions and the reality is that most of the big-budget films are made for teenaged boys. I hope to continue making my small films in the way that I’ve been doing — I’m very excited about my next movie. It takes place in the early 1970s and is about the effects of the sexual revolution on one family.

Ooh, I’ll look forward to seeing that one. And if you get Jennifer Jason Leigh to play the mother — all the better!

The Moment is currently playing in New York and opens on June 20 in Los Angeles and other select cities. Writer/director Jane Weinstock will join producers Julia Eisenman and Gloria Norris for a Q&A following the 7:30 pm shows at the Sundance Suneet Theaters in West Hollywood on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21.