Sean Parker
This past Saturday, I had the spectacular opportunity to speak with Somnium’s Racheal Cain and Chloë Levine ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Chattanooga Film Festival. Somnium is an ambitious film about a starry-eyed young starlet, Gemma (Levine), pursuing her dreams of making it in Hollywood while juggling a job at a shady medical institution. Themes of depression and isolation provoke haunting memories as Gemma uncovers the clinic’s secrets, leading to one hell of a finale. Levine is absolutely remarkable in the role, and Cain’s dynamic writing and stunning cinematography help Somnium showcase two amazingly talented young creatives with meteoric careers ahead of them.
In our brief moments, we discuss how Cain walked the fine line between reality and memory, how Levine and co-star Will Peltz scared each other on set, and how each copes when they feel isolated.
Watch or read the interview below, and be sure to check out the review, too.
__________________________________
Racheal Cain and Chloë Levine talk Somnium
Director Racheal Cain and Actress Chloë Levine share stories from the Somnium set, talk about their co-actor Will Peltz’s creepy role, and even dish about scares on set in this brief but insightful interview hours before Somnium’s World Premiere at the Chattanooga Film Festival. Links: Somnium IG: https://www.instagram.com/somniumthemovie/ 25YL: https://25yearslatersite.com/
__________________________________
Sean Parker: Alright. How are you guys doing? Thank you very much for joining me. Congratulations on the world premiere tonight, and how [are] you guys feeling? Are you guys excited for it?
Racheal Cain: Oh, so excited. I’m obviously a little nervous but excited.
SP: Alright. So, let’s talk dreams and nightmares and Somnium. Has anyone had any weird, strange dreams that they want to discuss today?
RC: Any sleep talking?
Chloë Levine: Ok, not like recently. I have—I talk a lot in my sleep. So, my partner always likes to tell me what I said, but it’s always weird stuff. I wish it made sense, but it doesn’t.
RC: She’s also currently staying in a haunted hotel, so…
CL: This hotel is haunted? Ok! Thanks for letting me know!
SP: I take you’re in the Read House, then?
CL: Yeah.
SP: I don’t remember what number it is, what hotel room it is, but yes, there’s definitely a haunted hotel in there.
CL: Oh, well, Amazing. [inaudible]
SP: Racheal, so where did the idea for Somnium come from?
RC: Good question. Truly a good question. I’m not quite sure. It kind of just hit me at once. So, something interesting about the film is that we actually got to shoot all the flashbacks like four years prior to the LA footage. So, that storyline all functions kind of on its own as its own piece, and basically everything aside from that was just morphing constantly and changing. She originally worked in a restaurant. So, yeah, I had an idea for the flashbacks long before Somnium came, which is interesting. And then, yeah, I had a wild experience with some plant medicine, and it came right after that. So, I’m not quite sure which realm it arrived from, but it kind of hit me. I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is this is where she needs to work.” And yeah, who knows where do ideas come from? I don’t know.
SP: Well, to sort of follow up on that just a little bit, too, the film seems heavily inspired by David Lynch. What was it like to play in that sort of sandbox dream logic and all of that?
RC: Yeah. The interesting thing is that we don’t actually see her in a dream. Well, I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but we aren’t really going back and forth between a dream. We are going back and forth between reality and flashback. So, I guess it’s kind of dreamlike. But yeah, I think I wanted to be cautious. I think you’re walking a fine line when you’re playing with dreams of, like, I don’t want to be too heavy-handed with anything because dreams are so similar to our real waking life. So yeah, I think. It’s hard to say anything without giving away too many spoilers, but definitely some visual elements that I wanted to play with in the dream world. But yeah…I don’t really know.
SP: That’s fair.
RC: I didn’t want them to feel too different. I think that is what I’m getting at. You know, I didn’t want to have any rules per se for those worlds.
SP: Chloë, what was it for you? That drew you to Somnium.
CL: Well, when I first got the script, it had a totally different name. Somnium wasn’t a thing yet. Uh, it was called Alaska, and like Racheal was saying, it was a totally different movie, which is so funny to think about now that we’re here. And I remember just meeting with Racheal, on Skype and just really instantly kind of connecting with her. And I really love just like the visual language of the script. And I was excited to work with her.
SP: By the way, you’re incredible in this film. I don’t know if you know that, but I’m letting you know. I loved you and the Ranger. I loved you in the OA. But during the audition scene, my eyes were glued.
CL: Thank you.
SP: I’m sure auditions are relatable experiences, but how did you prepare for that scene?
CL: That scene, in particular, was actually really interesting because it’s all one shot, right? If I remember correctly? And so, just having that as an actor, that was like a lot of pressure when it’s a oner, you’re like, “Ok, don’t mess up!” And it was very realistic, and I prepared for it by like kind of memorizing, but also not, because I wanted the nerves to kind of come through and the written dialogue. And I was just so excited because I love movies about movies. So, it was really interesting for me to kind of be in a world in a world if that makes sense. And yeah, it was really weird to shoot. Really fun, but probably like one of my favorite scenes to shoot. Honestly, yeah.
SP: You and—I was expecting Will [Peltz] to be on, too, but I guess he had other commitments. So, I did have one question, sort of for the both of you, and that was chemistry-wise, what helped that process? Because he is so damn creepy in this movie.
CL: Yeah, I think Will is just such a kind human being. I mean, yeah, because we had already—I know that it took a minute to kind of, like, find the perfect Noah, and he is so perfect. So, we had already been shooting when he was cast, if I remember correctly. And so, he just came in and had this really beautiful, chill presence and was able to do all of these really creepy and interesting things on camera. It was so much fun to work with him and for him to like, bring all of that to his character.
SP: Did you guys ever scare each other on set?
CL: Actually, yes! We were shooting in this like abandoned, haunted…
RC: (whispering)
CL: …Speaking of haunted, mental Institution…thing, hospital? And we were in between scenes and Will was like, “Let’s go explore!” And I was like, “OK!” And so, we… And it was like this winding location. Halls and tunnels. Not tunnels. Maybe tunnels? It just kept on going and going and yeah, we would just freak each other out like that, I mean, how could you not in that space? The space held so much energy itself.
SP: That’s a pretty cool setting.
RC: It’s creepy.
SP: Racheal, this is your first feature film, and this is going to be a loaded question. I know it for sure. What have you learned that will prepare you for your next feature?
RC: So much! I have so many to pick from, I think—I kind of knew it going in, but I would prepare even more, more rehearsals—if I can afford, definitely more rehearsals. And just like with the blocking cause, a lot of this—our production was wild. We were like still in the pandemic. It was just chaos. We had not enough money for what we were trying to go for. So, it was always so chaotic, and never enough time. So, just prepare, prepare, prepare, and then throw it out the window, like they say. it’s really true. And then that’s when the beauty happens on set. But that, and then also simplify. Give myself a break. Because, I mean, your first feature, you’re just so excited, and you’re so ambitious, and you want to play with everything and try everything. And it’s like, “Ok, you can’t. Just rein it in a little bit.” So, I think that’s what I would like to do next time around.
SP: Speaking of which, you mentioned the pandemic in there, and Somnium deals with a lot of themes of fear and isolation, and I’m sure that we’ve all got our stories. Is there anything that you guys do to sort of combat those ideas and that you think could potentially help others?
CL: That’s such a good question.
RC: Yeah, let me think. I think that’s part of why a lot of us get into this world is because you rely on such a big team. It’s not a one-person sport. You just really lean on people, and it’s that connection that you get. Every film is a family and like a little summer camp. So yeah, I think, for me, it was just [staying] open to other people’s ideas, and the best idea should always be the one that wins, and some of my favorite ideas came from other people. So, just staying open to that, I think, is how I think I try not to isolate.
SP: Chloë?
CL: I like being alone and, if I’m not careful, I can be alone for a really long time, you know? And I think that art intrinsically is something that brings people together, and so, something that kind of helps me is just always trying to be creative, always trying to create something. Whether you decide that it’s going to be bad: created. You know what I mean? So that’s my two cents.
SP: It’s good. Alright, so I’ve really just got one last question because I can’t be there at Chattanooga. I need you guys to tell me what’s going on. How is it you guys having fun?
RC: It’s a big party.
SP: Yeah?
RC: I can’t even hang. I’m like such an early bird these days, but it is so fun. Yeah, I think Chris and Ashley, and Christina have made it so welcoming. So friendly and inclusive and inviting us to everything. So, yeah, it’s been really warm, and that’s why I was so excited to premiere here. It was just not stuffy, and this movie is a weird little movie that doesn’t fit every box. So, I think that’s something I like about Chattanooga. It’s a little rough around the edges and yeah, it feels like a really nice home.
SP: You guys looking forward to anything that’s playing?
RC: Yeah…
SP: Well, I mean besides Somnium!
(laughter)
RC: I know, I feel bad because I haven’t had as much time as I wish I would because I have so much family in town. My family goes hard, and they’re all here. So, I’m coordinating them on the side. So, it’s like a lot, but tomorrow I’m going to see Things Will Be Different. My friend Michael Felker wrote and directed that. It’s his first feature, and it’s getting incredible reviews. So, I’m going to go support him tomorrow at 2. And then I’ve heard Red Rooms is really cool, so I’d check out that. But there’s so many. Every movie I want to see. They’re so cool. So, I got the virtual badge, so next week, I’m going to be watching.
SP: Are there any for you, Chloë?
CL: Yeah. The thing about film festivals is that I never am able to actually watch other movies besides my own. It’s so ironic. So yeah, like Racheal, I’ll probably really get into things next week when I’m home, you know what I mean?
SP: I hear you. Alright, thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate it. I love Somnium. I think it’s really good. I think other people are really gonna dig it. Yeah, just congratulations, and I hope everyone likes it as much as I do.
RC: Thank you so much. That’s so sweet.
SOMNIUM | Official Teaser Trailer
COMING SOON At experimental sleep clinic, Somnium, your dreams are made real. Side effects may include: hallucinations, confusion, paranoia, sleep paralysis, detachment from reality, lost sense of self, permanent nightmares.
