Daniel Bekerman on the Challenges of Producing ‘The Apprentice’ and His New Sundance Movies ‘Endless Cookie’ and ‘The Wedding Banquet’

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Daniel Bekerman, a producer known for his daring independent films like “The Witch” and “The Apprentice”, finds inspiration in David Lynch, the unconventional avant-garde filmmaker who recently passed away. In an interview just before this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Bekerman expressed his dedication to art, stating that he strives for it to be as authentic and genuine as possible. He also emphasized his desire to back courageous directorial visions in the projects he works on.

However, while Bekerman, head of Scythia Films, acknowledges that the commercial aspect of the entertainment industry can potentially stifle its most daring voices, a clear example of this is the project “The Apprentice,” which offered an insightful portrayal of Donald Trump’s early years as a media-obsessed developer. This production was shunned by studios and streaming platforms due to fears of falling out of favor with the president if they acquired the film, even though it received positive reviews. Bekerman laments this trend, stating, “We are witnessing a widespread surrender to power by even the wealthiest and most influential individuals and corporations in our society.” He further notes that corporate culture is currently driven by an urgent need to protect financial interests, which he finds disheartening.

After facing some complications, ‘The Apprentice’ eventually found a modest release through Briarcliff Entertainment, a less prominent distributor. The trouble started when one of the film’s financiers, Kinematics, decided to sell its share in the movie. This company has connections with billionaire Daniel Snyder, and it seems they were unhappy with the film’s harsh depiction.

Bekerman doesn’t delve deeply into it. Instead, he expresses his satisfaction that the film was produced at all, and he’s delighted by the fact that its leading actors, Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, are receiving award nominations. Interestingly enough, they were both nominated for Oscars just a day after our conversation.

Despite facing tough periods where we weren’t sure if our movie would be released and were under immense pressure, Bekerman states it was all worth it. The driving force behind this was knowing that what we created was a significant work culturally and politically relevant. Our goal was to make something timeless.

Bekerman unveiled two daring and unyielding films at Sundance, which may not catch Trump’s attention. The first is “The Wedding Banquet,” a remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 romantic comedy that revolves around a gay couple feigning a heterosexual wedding to please their families, and the second is “Endless Cookie,” an animated documentary exploring the relationship between two half-brothers – one Indigenous, one white. Bekerman asserts that “The Wedding Banquet,” featuring “SNL’s” Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone from “The Killers of the Flower Moon,” stands alone with its distinct narrative, and he hints that “Endless Cookie” is filled with “wonderful, strange, magical moments” as it unfolds a humorous yet touching tale.

These films mirror the dual aspects of Scythia’s venture. “The Wedding Banquet” is a service-oriented production, where Scythia provided the necessary resources for another team’s project (Bleecker is handling its distribution). On the other hand, “Endless Cookie” was an in-house original project, developed and financed by Scythia, with them overseeing all aspects of its production. Bekerman approximates that the company, known for productions like Viggo Mortensen’s “Falling” and Roxine Helberg’s “Cold Copy,” divides its work equally between these two project types. He explains, “One part fuels the other; it allows us to take risks.

Coming next is “The Eden Express,” which is based on Mark Vonnegut’s memoir chronicling his personal journey with bipolar disorder and life in a commune located in British Columbia, Canada.

He expresses his desire to alter the portrayal of mental illness in movies, stating, “This is what I aim to achieve through that particular project.

According to Bekerman, the mysterious title of Scythia is connected to his family background. His dad moved to Canada aboard a ship named Scythia, and subsequently constructed a vessel which he named after this very same name.

As a passionate admirer, I acknowledge its challenging spelling and pronunciation, yet its symbolism holds profound meaning. Naming it after a vessel seemed fitting because crafting movies, creating art, and narrating tales is an exhilarating journey for both creators and viewers. To me, the image of my father stepping off a colossal ocean liner onto North American shores – unaware of the language yet brimming with adventure, danger, promise, and opportunity – encapsulates the spirit I wish to imbue in our narratives.

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2025-02-04 18:19