Yana Alliata Talks ‘Reeling’ Filmmaking, Werner Herzog Collaboration, and O’ahu Storytelling

Director/producer/writer Yana Alliata makes her feature debut with Reeling, a feature set in O’ahu and executive produced by Werner Herzog. Alliata lived in O’ahu as a youth, and her use of non-actors, along with her familiarity of the area gives Reeling an added dimension. Although armed with an indie budget, Alliata delivered an ambitious film. Through the use of long takes and tracking shots, Alliata gives viewers an immersive look into this fractured family tale. The filmmaker talked to Deepest Dream about Reeling, Herzog, and, of course, O’ahu!

Reeling centers on Ryan (Ryan Wuestewald), a closed off individual who returns home for his sister Meg’s (Nikki DeParis) birthday luau. Every individual at the party is standoffish towards Ryan, and his brother John (Hans Christopher) is especially unfriendly.

A traumatic incident involving Ryan has affected the family, and at first Ryan tries to become a bit more part of the group. Those efforts are in vain, and ultimately he must face his past and ultimately confront a long buried truth.

It was “very important” for Yanna Alliata to shoot the movie in Hawaii. “A lot of the films that we see usually from the islands are either about tourists at a resort or some kind of high surf rescue situation,” said Alliata. “And I thought it was really important for me to tell a story that was true to my upbringing in Hawaii, and a place that i love and have deep memories in. (This was) an environment that I was raised in, and a part of Hawaii that we’re not used to seeing so much on a mass scale.”

Werner Herzog, a director of documentary and narrative features, executive produced Reeling and appreciated the tale’s neorealistic bent. “He was attracted to the project because I was working with predominantly non-professional actors,” said Alliata. “It was important for me to have that. So then Werner wanted to get into the editing room as well as the sound mix (and) he came on board naturally as an executive producer once he became involved in every step of the process.”

Alliata is currently working on her next film, as she and her co-writer are revising their “ghost thriller” script that is set in a Hawaiian rainforest. “Actually at the family home that I grew up in,” added Alliata.

Currenly based in Los Angeles, Alliata believes there is “untapped territory” when it comes to Hawaii set storytelling. “I think the dream is definitely to live and work out of O’ahu,” said the filmmaker. “that would be the absolute dream, but I certainly want to keep telling stories out of there. I was raised there, and it’s a really special place.”

Full interview:

Catch Reeling on Digital starting July 7th, and leave your review/thoughts in the comments! I love and recommend this movie, and excited to hear more reactions to the movie!

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