Name: Nadia Hallgren
Location: New York
Occupation: Documentary filmmaker, Cinematographer
Links: Instagram
KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS, directed by Nadia Hallgren, is in theaters now (see showtimes).
1. What’s your favorite day & time to go to the movies?
I’m an early riser. I like going to the movies in the morning. A 10am screening is ideal because I like to be very focused and pay attention.
2. What’s your favorite movie theater?
It took me a minute to think about this one, but I have a great memory at the SVA Theatre on 23rd Street in Manhattan because I had a screening there of a film that I made called Civil: Ben Crump. It was a hard film to make; it was basically shot during (the aftermath of the) George Floyd and Breonna Taylor murders, that period, and I was following the lawyer who represented them. When I put the film out, there was a sold-out industry crowd. It was full of people I’ve known my whole career — people who mentored me, people who gave me my first job, colleagues and people I really respect. The film played well, it got a standing ovation. It was just super emotional. Every time I walk past that theater or go see another film there, it brings me back to that moment. It’s also just a great theater! It’s fun to watch movies there.
3. What’s your go-to movie theater snack & drink combo?
I love a Pepsi Zero with popcorn. It has to be a Pepsi ZERO, though. Very specifically. If it’s not a Pepsi Zero, then it’s a Diet Coke.
4. What’s your dream movie theater snack & drink combo (if noise and sound weren’t an issue)?
I thought about it, and I know Alamo Drafthouse has a veggie burger with fries and a Pepsi Zero. That, to me, is a dream movie “snack” (but it’s really a meal).
5. First movie you remember seeing in a theater?
I don’t want to date myself too much, so I’ll go with one of my most memorable early movie experiences: Heat, with Robert De Niro.
6. Last movie you saw in a theater?
I want to caveat this by saying that I have a young child now, so I don’t get to go to the movies like I used to. What I try to do during awards season — I’m an AMPAS member, so I get to vote in the documentary category and others for the Oscars — is use that time to go to movies.
I get to see films that are awards contenders, so they’re usually really awesome. I also get to see friends and have that sense of community. I kill a bunch of birds with one stone and get to be in the mix.
The last film I saw was The Perfect Neighbor by Geeta Gandbhir. It’s on Netflix. It’s amazing. It’s super emotional, heartbreaking and sad, but it was an incredible theater experience. Tying it into the communal moviegoing experience, I remember when the film came out. It won Sundance and a bunch of awards, but I was like, “I can’t watch this movie by myself at home.” I just knew it would be a lot. I showed up at the theater by myself and bumped into a friend outside. We sat next to each other and cried for an hour and a half. That was the way to watch that movie for me.
7. Is there a movie you wish you could have seen in a theater?
I know this is controversial, but I love the old Indiana Jones movies — the original three. I wish I could have seen those in theaters because I think they’re really fun and smart. They have all the hero’s-journey film tropes, but I think they’re masterpieces in their own way.
8. Have you ever seen a movie more than once in theaters?
I grew up in New York City, and when I was in high school, there was this movie theater that played movies for two dollars. They were all indie films that were already old at that point. I used to cut school and go there to see whatever’s playing. I remember they ran Paris Is Burning, and that was the first time I saw it in a movie theater, before I could even imagine being a filmmaker.
There was this film called Muriel’s Wedding. I went to see it, a teenager from the Bronx who randomly goes to see this film and falls in love. I was introduced to ABBA! I probably saw it 15 times. I would drag friends, and they’d be like, “Why do you like this movie?” I’d say, “It’s amazing!” That’s definitely a film I saw multiple times.
10. What’s one thing you would change to make movie theaters better?
I would say the cost. Movie theaters can be so expensive now, especially for families. It can be a bit of a barrier. At the same time, I understand that it’s expensive to run movie theaters. I can’t even imagine what it costs to run one. Maybe there could be more off-hour screenings, early in the morning or in the middle of the week — times when people could go and have discounted rates.
11. Tell me about an especially memorable moviegoing experience that stands out in your mind.
I remember seeing so many films at Sundance. It’s about walking in, not knowing what to expect, having this incredible experience and doing that with an audience. I’m sure the altitude has something to do with it, too.
I remember seeing Honeyland at Sundance and thinking about how hard it is to make a film like that. You don’t know if anyone will ever see it or care about it, but you pursue it for the love of filmmaking, storytelling and people. Then to bring that story to an audience of people who are equally appreciative — to me, that is such a memorable experience. It’s what you hope for when you go to festivals.
12. What’s a movie you’re looking forward to seeing?
I live under a rock right now. I have no idea what’s going on in the world except for the things I have to know about, between being in production and life. Right now I’m very focused on summertime, going to the beach and trying to enjoy the outdoors before we get hit with blizzards again this winter in New York. I don’t have a great answer for you right now, but I’m sure I will in October!
14. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
Guardians of the Galaxy. I think that would be a perfect lifestyle for me. Just being very mission-driven, a group of funny and crazy friends trying to get stuff done. Saving the world and bopping around space listening to ’90s cassettes. I feel like that’s probably what I would imagine my perfect life would be. In reality, I spend a lot of time on Zoom, solving production logistics.
15. Why do you think people should continue seeing movies at the movie theater?
I believe in the communal experience of films. I think there’s something really special about laughing together, crying next to a stranger or being transported out of your own life for a brief time — but next to other people.
It’s part of the human experience as we know it in modern times, and I hope that never goes away.
Actually love the Guardians answer and so true re the soundtrack
The Guardians of the Galaxy case is very compelling