-Who is Daniel McEwan?
Well, I’m many things, a son, brother, friend, writer, filmmaker, triathlete, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, a man of God, but above all else, I’m just a guy trying to do the next right thing. Trying to be of service and help where I can. Trying to be a better man than I was yesterday and hopefully I can inspire someone, or give them hope. When I see that smile, or look in someone’s eyes, how grateful they are for something I did, words can’t describe. Then they want to ask how they can repay me? Seeing them do well means more to me than they can ever know. Giving love to people will always feel better than receiving it. I love when I get recognition for something I worked hard on but when I get to help someone, truly help someone, there is no better feeling in the world!
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
The first movies that got me into story telling and nerdy things were The Avengers (2012) and The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight is still my favorite movie and The Avengers is still in my top 5. They are definitely movies that I’ve watched the most in my life. But the movies that got me to want to write and make films are, Whiplash, Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction. They showed me that movies can be so much more than just big action set pieces. They can be dramatic and tell a grounded, human story and be just as inspiring, and amazing as a big action movie!
-Tell us about your project “Anguish”.
Anguish is a fictionalized vision of my addiction and mental health journey. I’m currently in recovery myself from alcohol and drugs as well as struggling with depression. I had the idea for the film and thought it would be really emotional and powerful. I wrote about 20 to 30 pages, then kinda set it aside and went off to other projects. I had a really bad relapse and when I was beaten up and coming off all the horrible things I put into my body, I had a big rush of inspiration. I wrote for two days straight, while the pain of yet another relapse was still fresh. I wrote most of the script in those two days but as I learned more about my own recovery, I would add and remove things. That probably went on for a few months and I finished it up once I got out of treatment and to see it do so well is amazing! I’m now coming up on 6 months sober and the fact that this specific work of mine is doing so well, means the world to me! My hope is it gets made and helps someone who is struggling. I love how art can say things that are hard for people to say. So when I start a new project, I ask if it can help someone, and I think Anguish can!
-Which Director inspires you the most?
Christopher Nolan for sure. I love his work and as I said, The Dark Knight is my favorite movie. I also love Interstellar, Oppenheimer, Inception and his new film The Odyssey, OH MY GOD! Seeing that in IMax was so amazing! I love how he blends practical effects with CGI to make things feel as real as possible! Also his first film, Following, the story of how it was made and seeing where his career has gone, that inspires me to make movies!
-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
I wish people loved more, there is too much hate. I don’t want to push this on anyone, it’s just my opinion, it is okay if you disagree but I think it’s because people have moved anyway from God. When I was out there doing my thing, drinking and drugging, I didn’t have God in my life and I was hateful, resentful and angry. But once I got sober and started working my recovery program, I found God again. And I realized that God never left me, I left him. He didn’t move, I did. So I just wish we could be more empathic with each other and help where we can. You don’t have to do what I did but I think we can all work on ourselves in our own way and try to be a better person than we were yesterday. We are all a work in progress and for sure I am!
-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
100 years is a long time. AI scares me for sure but I also think it can be useful. I hope that film keeps telling the stories that should and shouldn’t be told, you know? I hope movies keep making people laugh, cry, think and most of all, feel. That’s what great art does, make you feel something. And just because you or I don’t feel something from a film, someone else might! Which is why I think all films and art have a place in this world! Keep making people feel something!
-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
I think WILD FILMMAKER is amazing! I’m truly honored that they wanted to give me an interview and I hope they like what I had to say! They do great work and I’m blessed to be a part of it!
