Interview With Writer/Director Erik Bork
Good movie, good cause, great interview
In full disclosure — I am a small investor in this soon to be released independent film by Erik Bork called, The Elephant in the Room. I don’t know if I’m legally required to say that, but it makes me feel important, so I’m saying it. And I reserve the right to keep reminding you.
On Wednesday morning, I interviewed screenwriter/director Erik Bork for an hour about his new movie. It’s a romantic comedy, a.k.a. romcom to industry insiders like Erik and me.
Despite my new credentials, I was nervous about meeting a real, working industry professional with a track record of big name productions like HBO’s From Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers. But Erik was as friendly and down-to-earth as could be, so I’ll have to learn to be a full-blown blowhard movie mogul from someone else.
I had learned previously that flattery gets you everywhere, so I began by telling Erik I was envious of his movie’s premise and wished I’d thought of it. This also happens to be the truth.
The story centers around a woman and a man who are romantically compatible but political opposites. A great setup for high-stakes conflict and entirely ripe for comedy.
Having seen the trailer, I could tell the acting, dialogue, and cinematography were top-notch, and indistinguishable from larger budget productions. Note: Production is what insiders like Erik and I call a movie project, and we like to use the word project sometimes too, as in the project was greenlit. I’d explain what greenlit means but you wouldn’t understand.
Since I can still remember what it was like before I was in the biz*, I know you’ll want to hear all the gritty details. I’ll set the scene the best I can:
Erik is coming through on my office computer screen through the marvel of modern movie technology. He looks like your average, normal, middle-aged American male even though we know he is not. He is wearing normal, casual attire made to make him seem like an everyman, though he’s far from it. He has a carefully curated background, with the requisite three-quarter-stocked bookshelf, and he’s apparently pushed all the rest of his crap just out of view.
I, on the other hand, have not. The background I’m making Erik look at shows off a home office in the grips of tax season and housing the clothes migrated from my leaking bedroom closet. I thought about employing the filter to make it appear I was on a space station, but that would have made someone with Erik’s acumen suspicious.
I started on a line of questioning that would appeal to my reader. And in typical Terry Gross fashion, I made my questions long with the answers embedded to show off just how much I already knew about Erik’s career and lifelong vocation.
Me: So, I know from having stalked you online for the past few days that you got your start as Tom Hanks’ assistant and you also got to work with Steven Spielberg — that must have been really great, right?
Erik: Yes.
Me: And this is your first feature-length film after having done a short film called I Got This back in 2018 which I watched and thought was really cute and well done?
Erik: Yes. Thank you?
Me: And this movie, The Elephant in the Room, was made for just $300,000 with about half the funding coming from investors like me and the other half from institutional donors who care about promoting political bi-partisanship?
Erik: I just told you that.
Me: And the idea for this movie came to you a few years ago and not only seemed pertinent but a good way to treat the topic in a light-hearted, accessible manner that might really start a conversation and make a difference?
Erik: That’s right. You got it exactly right. Good job.
Me: Do you have anything to add?
Erik: I’ve been humbled by the support and response. The actors did an unbelievable job with my script and deserve a lot of credit for making the movie work. I think we’ve made a funny and poignant film and I am so looking forward to getting it out to audiences and stirring up conversations about the issues so many are facing with family, friends, and co-workers. But most of all I think people will be entertained and get some good laughs seeing themselves and their situations reflected.
Me: Whatever.
Erik: I just have to run to the bathroom real quick. I’ll be right back.
Me: If you must. Make it snappy.
Erik: Sorry about that. When you gotta go you gotta go.
Me: Apparently.
Erik: Where were we?
Me: You were telling us about getting the movie out to audiences.
Erik: Right. We hope to find a venue soon in Washington D.C. for the premier and a Q and A session. Then we aim to release it across the country where it can be seen and then discussed in a similar format. After that, we would release it to online streaming services.
Me: Nice
Erik: You mind if I ask you a question?
Me: Me?
Erik: Yes, you.
Me: Shoot.
Erik: Do you mind sharing what got you interested in this project*?
Me: I thought you’d never ask. I was attracted to your personal story and the plot appealed to my interest in politics and personal relationships. I also liked the idea of meeting a real screenwriter and playing some part in the rollout of the movie. And if I can get filthy rich off this investment, so be it. Also, you happened to look like a cross between my best friend from high school and myself, like if my best friend and I somehow had a baby we didn’t know about who grew up to be you, which however strange, counts for something.
Erik: Weird.
Me: I know, but that’s showbiz.
If you’re curious — or just want to say you “discovered it before it blew up” — you can watch the trailer for The Elephant in the Room and find investment info at Wefunder.com. Deadline to invest (and be able to say “I knew Erik when”) is April 18, 2025.