People living with mental illness often strive to not allow their disease define who they are, and how they fit into society. However, the way they contend with their treatment often demonstrates what type of person they really are, and who they wish to become. That all-to-important sentiment is emotionally and powerfully presented in first-time feature film writer and director Paul Dalio’s new romantic drama, ‘Touched with Fire.’ The filmmaker, who has powerfully discussed his own personal struggles with bipolar, has commendably presented the physical and emotional struggles people often face as they determinedly try to manage the disease.
After shooting ‘Touched with Fire’ in New York City in 2013, the drama had its world premiere at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival. The film, which is now playing in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York, is set to be released onto more screens nationwide on Friday by its distributor, Roadside Attractions. Dalio returned to Manhattan to make his first feature after he received his BA from the NYU Tisch School dramatic writing program. He then went onto receive his MFA at the NYU graduate film program. The writer-director met fellow filmmaker, Spike Lee, while attending the university, as the Oscar-winning scribe and helmer was one of his professors. Lee, who became one of Dalio’s mentors at the school, remained in touch with him after he graduated, and went on to serve as one of the executive producers on the drama.
‘Touched with Fire’ follows Carla (Katie Holmes) and Marco (Luke Kirby), who appear well suited for each other after meeting and connecting over their love for art. She’s a writer who has just published her first volume of poetry, while he expresses his talent through rapping at poetry slams. While the two are determined to make a life for themselves through their art, they’re also both struggling to maintain control over their bipolar disorder. While they also both avoid taking their medication, in a belief that treatment would limit their creativity, they ultimately are faced with checking into the same psychiatric hospital.
While receiving treatment at the hospital, Carla and Marco further develop their bond by sharing their secrets. But in the process, he becomes motivated in part by a delusional misreading of Kay Redfield Jamison’s ‘Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament.’ His interpretation of the book leads him to convince her to embrace her illness and use her heightened sensibilities to create more poetry. Their bond and codependency continues to grow, which influences them to leave the hospital, much to the concern and anxiety of Marco’s father, George (Griffin Dunne), and Carla’s parents, Sara and Donald (Christine Lahti and Bruce Altman).
The couple believes that they don’t have to be controlled by convention or medication, even after a brush with death and escaping from involuntary commitment. The two are only then driven, however begrudgingly, to try treatment, including taking their prescribed medication, when Carla becomes pregnant. Carla and Marco struggle to find a way to fit into society’s conventions, including following through with their treatment, while also balancing their commitment to their art and each other, and maintaining their free will.
Dalio, Holmes, Kirby, Lahti and Altman all generously took the time recently to participate in a press conference at The Ritz Carlton Central Park in New York City to talk about writing, directing and starring in ‘Touched with Fire.’ Among other things, the filmmaker discussed how he decided to make his feature film directorial debut with the romantic drama. He noted that he realized while speaking with his wife that he wrote the script after gaining clarity on the illness while he was receiving treatment, and as a result, may be able to help others cope with the disease. The actors also mentioned that working on the film was a wonderfully creative experience, and when they met with Dalio, they were inspired by his passion and willingness to bring such a personal story to the screen.
Question (Q): Paul, you opened the film at SXSW last year, and it had a different name.
Paul Dalio (PD): Yes, it was called ‘Mania Days.’
Q: Was there a reason why there was a title change?
PD: Yes-when we got picked up by our distributor (Roadside Attractions), they brought up the point that not everyone would associate mania with love. Some people may think (after hearing the original title) that the film’s a hospital horror story, and patients are stabbing each other with syringes. I didn’t want to give that impression to people.
So we were examining other possibilities for the title, and ‘Touched with Fire’ was perfect. (Kay Redfield Jamison’s) book was the initial inspiration that shifted my whole perspective on things, and led to the life journey that led to the film.
Q: Katie and Luke, you got this very difficult dynamic between your characters to work. How did you work together, and what was the rehearsal process like? Also, everyone on the panel, did you draw on any experiences you may have had with people you know who have bipolar?
Katie Holmes (KH): This was a wonderfully creative experience. I approached this project not really knowing much about this disease. When I met with Paul, I was so inspired by his passion and willingness to bring such a personal story to the screen. The opportunity to take on such a challenging role was something that seemed right.
It was wonderful working with everyone, especially Luke. We both prepared on our own, and we also had a lot of rehearsals. We also depended on Paul to guide our characters.
Everyone on the cast and crew had different stories that we shared. I realized through this process how many people have personally been affected. So that made the work really rewarding.
Luke Kirby (LK): In terms of approaching our roles, I think it was just a matter of meeting and striving to find rhythm. That was not only true with Katie, but also Paul and the crew.
Christine Lahti (CL): I was immediately drawn to this story because of my own experience with bipolar-not personally, but my sister struggled with the disease for over 25 years, and then she took her life. My sister just didn’t find the right cocktail of medication. I feel like if she were alive today, she would find something that would help her, whether it was medication and/or mediation.
When my sister was depressed, she was like Katie’s character when she was depressed. She would call it being brain dead. When she was manic, she was like Katie and Luke’s characters when they were manic. She often went into an almost psychotic mania. Her life was like a roller coaster, and by the end, she had had enough.
Like everyone who has been touched by suicide, there are a bunch of stages that you go through, including anger, rage and guilt. You think, why didn’t I do this? If only I had done that. I still have those thoughts. But then there’s an understanding of why she made that choice. She was the most courageous, strongest and resilient person I have ever known.
So I didn’t really have to do any homework for this story. I understood this mom and her daughter. I also feel like we have come a long way in treating bipolar.
When I met Paul, I felt inspired by his ability to be able to live such a healthy life, and find stability. To see him live a life that’s so productive and creative, and celebrate bipolar in such a way that this film does, without demonizing it, was so special. As a society, we think, Oh, you’re bipolar, too bad. You’re going to have to deal with that your entire life. But I think Paul has put a positive spin on this disease in the movie. So I’m really proud to a part of it.
Bruce Altman (BA): I immediately liked Paul when I first met him, and that’s always important to me. I also really like all of these wonderful actors. (Donald’s) love for his daughter was also really clear to me, as well as his concerns about her relationship with (Marco). (Donald) also really loves his wife, which I appreciated. I also really liked Griffin’s character a lot.
We were all on the same page. Katie’s also such a delightful person and wonderful actress, as was everyone who was involved on the film.
Even though the film is a work of fiction, the story is based on his own experiences; that was my understanding of it, at least. The idea of someone suffering is something that’s relatable for me. I do know people who are bipolar. So Paul being able to go to NYU, and subsequently make a movie, was extraordinary and inspiring to me. That helped me be in the moment.
Q: Katie, this seems to be one of your more intense and emotional roles. What did you learn about yourself as you were making the film? How did you also tap into that emotional intensity?
KH: It was very emotional. When you approach a role with this much intensity, there is a lot of rehearsal and research. This was a wonderful acting experience because of this whole cast and Paul. We were really allowed the freedom to try different things. These characters were going through such highs and lows, and we were given the space to find the degrees of those highs and lows. So it was really wonderful as an actor to go to work everyday and have it be okay to try something different. We were a team, and were inspired to portray an authentic portrayal of something that’s really important.
Q: Katie, besides starring in the film, you also have a producer’s credit. Was it important to you to also be able to produce the movie? Also, when you watch the movie, the audience develops such a sympathy for the parents, as their children are dealing with these issues that just keep repeating. Can you all talk about the idea about playing sympathetic and realistic characters, and help the audience understand what they’re going through?
KH: I was really excited when I read the script, and be as involved in the film as I could be. But I didn’t do much of the producing work; that was really done by the film’s other producers.
I’m so proud of this movie, and what everyone has done, especially Paul. The work involved is truly incredible. I know for all of us, it was about creating real characters, as the film isn’t just someone’s idea of bipolar; it shows what the disease is really like. The story is based on real experiences. We had a wonderful opportunity where Paul gave us his real-life experiences. That was really helpful in allowing us to portray our characters as authentically as we could.
PD: Katie just gave an incredible performance. She put so much of her blood, sweat and tears into the role that we had to give her a co-producer credit. I didn’t want to impose on her, so I told her, “We can rehearse a couple of times, but we don’t have to do that much of it.” She said, “No, I want to rehearse and get into the character.”
CL: I want to touch on something you mentioned about the sympathy, or lack of sympathy, towards the characters. I think Paul found a great balance, because (Carla and Marco) aren’t always sympathetic. They put their families and parents through the ringer.
But I think Paul has such a deep empathy and understanding for this illness that even though they’re not always sympathetic, he understands them. I think that’s part of the beauty of this film-they’re not always Romeo and Juliet who have parents who are trying to break up this beautiful love. They are very indulgent, narcissistic, selfish and human at times. I think that was a beautiful balance that Paul found.
Q: There is a tendency for people who have bipolar to stop taking their medication, and instead become dependent on drugs and alcohol. Can you talk about that side of the illness, and incorporating it into the film?
PD: Yes, I wanted to show you that aspect through the characters’ eyes, including the seduction of the mania and how ecstatic it is. These are people, who by nature, need to feel the deepest extremes of emotions, and their contrasting feelings when they’re on their medication. These people, who are meant to feel things extremely deeply by nature, are instead told to feel nothing, and that can be restraining for them. I think it was important to show that, because people don’t seem to understand that concept.
Q: Katie and Luke, since the characters are dealing with several challenging issues throughout the film, which of the lessons they learned resonated the most with you both?
LK: When I read the script, I was very struck by the voice that was coming off the page. It felt very raw and intent on getting some kind of word out there. I wasn’t sure what that word was at the time, but I felt like it was a message about more than just any one kind of condition. I felt like it was a story that was screaming to be told. Then when I met Paul, I really become struck by what he was trying to say. It’s very striking how many lives that bipolar has struck. I’m delighted to see people who have lived with, or among, it to stand up and talk about it.
KH: I agree with what Luke just said. I’m proud of the whole piece, and I think you take away your own experience from it. I think that’s the reason to do things-that way someone can start watching a movie thinking one thing, and then change their perspective on it once they finish watching it.
Q: Paul, what inspired you to featured the historical and cultural figures that you included in the film?
PD: One of the most important things about these people is that they made some of the biggest contributions to the human spirit, but were labeled for having a human disorder. I think that’s a very important thing to think about, and for the public to appreciate those people who have the illness. Right now, the conversation is, you are not your illness. But since it’s woven into our DNA, no one wants to talk about it. By showing these amazing names, who have brought so much enrichment into our hearts and minds, as well as our understanding of what it means to be human to our core, I feel like people who have this illness will no longer need to hide.
Q: Paul, was making this film a healing experience for you? Also, can you talk about your relationship with Spike Lee, and how that influenced you getting the film made?
PD: Making the film was definitely a healing experience. When you’re diagnosed with bipolar, you know you’re no longer going to be the person you used to be. You also don’t feel seen for who you are by society. It felt like I was stuck between who I used to be, and who I wanted to be seen as now. So making the film really felt spiritually liberating.
Spike was one of my professors at NYU. He was one of the few people who saw anything in me, because I was over-medicated during my time there, and I didn’t feel anything.
I had written a rap musical when I was going through the swing from mania to depression. But when I graduated, I brought him another script, because he had become my mentor, and I told him I wanted to make it. But it’s probably the most commercial thing you can make, because it was about getting the biggest audience possible. He looked at it and said, “I’ve seen this way too many times. If you make the rap musical, I’ll executive produce it.” He didn’t just do that for me; he also executive produced one of my classmates’ films.
When I started working on the rap musical, my wife started pushing me to make ‘Touched with Fire.’ She said, “You were going through hell when you wrote the rap musical, but you didn’t come out of it with a story that could help other people come out of their illness. You wrote this other script (for ‘Touched with Fire’) after having come out of this experience with some clarity that may be able to help others come out of it. I think you’ve evolved, and moved past, that other script (for the rap musical).” She kept pushing me to show the idea to Spike and I did, and he supported it.
Photo Credit: Roadside Attractions
Written by: Karen Benardello