Inspired by Robert Rodriguez' "just do it" approach to filmmaking, the Russo brothers made a short film called "Pieces", about three hairdressers in Cleveland. Steven Soderbergh liked it and offered to help them make a feature. The result, "Welcome to Collinwood", is the first movie made by Soderbergh and George Clooney's joint production company, Section 8.
Essentially you've remade the Italian film "Persons Unknown" [aka "Big Deal on Madonna Street"] in Cleveland, Ohio. Why that film?
Anthony Russo: It's been a life-long favourite. One of our only frustrations concerning it was the fact that not many people in America know it, so we were never able to share our passion. We thought that was a great tragedy - although the film is really well known in Europe. That's where maybe the idea came from: maybe we could do a restaging of this story and introduce it to an audience that would never experience it otherwise.
So what were the considerations in making it accessible to an American audience?
Joe Russo: We needed a sense of place. We grew up in Cleveland, which is notorious for being a prime example for industrial decline in America. So we wanted to champion the city, especially as it was a city that was often ridiculed in America for its reputation. It made sense to take this story about a collection of characters who need to band together to overcome economic strive, and drop it into Cleveland. On top of that you have Collinwood, which is notorious for being an ethnically divided neighbourhood.
AR: It's referred to as the Beirut of Cleveland.
It must have been good having Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney producing your first feature...
AR: Well, Soderbergh and Clooney have reached a point in their careers where they hold a certain amount of influence in Hollywood. They've chosen to form a partnership together to help develop movies that they share a passion for. It was rare circumstance to have two people like that protecting and supporting you through the struggle of making a film. They always had creative suggestions, but they're balanced enough as artists to know the choices are ultimately ours.
It must have helped with casting...
AR: Yeah, it gave us instant credibility. When people know that they're producing the film and George is taking a role in the film, it immediately validates it.
How do you two work together?
JR: We don't really have any form of division. We have a kind of non-stop psychic dialogue between ourselves. It's kind of loose on that level - it happens naturally.
Is Cleveland going to be your setting for future film projects?
AR: Absolutely. We have a series of films planned that are all set in different Cleveland neighbourhoods. They're not connected on a narrative level, but thematically they're exploring the same things.
JR: Different styles and genres, it's like a metaphysical study of an American city.
