Interview by Geno McGahee
Evangelos Giovanis and his brother, George, have been through many battles, including their lives inside the world of pugilism but even more so for their fight in the indie film industry. BEREAVE is a film that stars Malcolm McDowell and Jane Seymour and cleaned house at many film festivals and now has landed on Amazon Prime. It is a hard-hitting drama with twists and turns released by Cinema Epoch. The story is interesting and so is the story behind the scenes.
Speaking about BEREAVE, Evangelos goes into the fight to make a quality indie film with notable stars along with his thoughts about the world of boxing and his thoughts on upcoming fights, including the battle between Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman…
GM: BEREAVE was just released, a film that you wrote and directed. It stars some very big names like Malcolm McDowall and Jane Seymour and is a very classy film. How were your experiences making this production and how satisfying was it to make it with such talent?
Making an independent feature is like winning or losing a 15 round, title fight. It took us 8 years to get the budget, which included our life savings. We shot it over the course of 18 days which was also very difficult, but after the edit, we went out to 22 film festivals where the film picked up 12 awards. Distribution proved to be a nightmare for 4 years for various reasons, until we presented the film to Cinema Epoch, who loved it and honored it for our domestic. We had a lot of stories on set and like life; some were good, some bad and some ugly. Although gorilla making will always be like your first love, it was satisfying to work with actors of name recognition on BEREAVE and it gives the film a certain prestige.
GM: What should the fans expect when they sit down to watch BEREAVE?
The fans should expect a film that is character and dialog driven. Many critics have regularly compared our film to AMOUR. A notable critic, Simon Foster said; “Recalling Michael Haneke’s Amour in its exploration of fading memory, mature-age love and dwindling life force but played against the broader backdrop of the noir-ish LA sprawl, Bereave is an achingly insightful, darkly humorous, richly rewarding work by two important creative forces.”
Andrew McArthur said; “a fascinating watch that comes off like the lovechild of Tommy Wiseau and David Lynch.” Michael Bilow said; “Bereave deserves a nomination for the Best Picture Oscar, but the Academy likely will never even notice it.” And conversely Craig McKenzie said; “It’s not “good” by any means but it’s actually really entertaining. This level of lunacy has to be seen to be believed and I think that it will be enjoyed by many on a metatextual level in the near future.” So I guess the fans have to see it to decide? One can view it for free on Amazon Prime and we are now also on TubiTV.
GM: You work with your brother in film. I can see the benefits and the problems that working with family can bring. How has that experience been?
My brother and I live together and work together on everything. Everything we’ve ever achieved has been because we are both working for it and each other. I love it this way, need it to be so and I hope it continues till we are food for the worms. I don’t think I’d be as successful and definitely not as happy in my life without my brother. He brings skills to our relationship I don’t possess and I know he feels the same way. We’re lucky.
GM: What first attracted you to film and who were your early inspirations?
I just loved going to the movies as a kid. The moving image is like magic or a book that does the work for you. My father was fanatic about films as well and he introduced me to filmmakers that influenced me. It’s such a long list, but I love Cassavetes, Scorsese, Lumet, Kazan, Lina Wertmuller, Hitchcock, Elaine May, Inarritu, Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, Larry Clark, Cacoyannis, Tornatore, Gaspar Noe, Gela Babluani, Lars Von Trier, Bergman, Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson… the list goes on. I know I’m forgetting a lot of filmmakers here but you get the picture. I can’t pick a “favorite.”
GM: What is the most gratifying part of filming and what is the most frustrating?
The most gratifying part about filming is watching the film in a theater with a live audience, traveling the festival circuit and listening to people react to your work (both favorably or not have been fun). To know that something took so much effort and work to create is a triumph when it is done. And the art “lives on.” You can only hope some kid sees your work and they feel the same about it, the way you did, when you were dreaming about making movies one day. The most frustrating part is how shady the business side can be; financing is extremely difficult and oftentimes you run into types that are manipulative in all phases of a production, should you finally manage to get it off the ground and get a film made. In an environment like that, it’s often difficult to know who is genuine or not and opinions along with loyalty are often fickle. You have to have a strong stomach that can house ulcers and a strong will to ignore much of the filth you’ll encounter along the way. But that’s part of the allure. When you meet good people; you value them.
GM: I see that you are heavily involved with boxing. Can you talk about your work in that sport and what got you into it?
My brother and I own 2 boxing gyms as well. One in Glendale and one in Pasadena. We manage/coach boxers. One of our fighters is undefeated at the moment with a record of 10-0 and still climbing.
We’ll probably make a champ before we get invited to the Oscars! I got into boxing primarily to deal with bullies. Growing up in my family’s pizza restaurant I was a fat kid that drank a lot of soda and ate a lot of pizza (we were voted best pizza in RI several times), until I quit soda and joined boxing. The bullies eventually learn to leave you alone and boxing is a big part of the culture and DNA that allows you to defend yourself in every aspect of your day. You become self-reliant and you value courage, you value yourself, which oftentimes can lead to resentment from people who’d prefer to deal with victims in the squared circle of life.
Only the family restaurant business we used to operate has taught me more about hard work, endurance and the value of independence. I sold that business to finance a portion of my film dream. You can’t win every fight, but you can make every fight hurt. I learned a Man who can fight, cook and then write about it all; is always going to be OK in life.
GM: With DAZN, ESPN+ and Premiere Boxing now organizing the sport a bit, do you find that the game is getting better or is it more difficult with fighters signed to these different banners?
I find that certain banners try to isolate certain fighters, which I feel is a mistake. And although boxing as a whole might not be at the level it used to be in its glory, (due primarily to the shift in PPV model and fighters avoiding each other), I feel that in having more banners – it’s helping and reviving competition. With all these banners, boxing is ultimately reaching a wider audience, and thus being focused, not scattered. But boxing is always going to be special regardless, as fighters will always call somebody out. You can’t hide forever in boxing.
They call the ring the squared circle for a reason and I call it the truth machine. As such, and even on the business side of things, if the fans are hungry enough, promoters have to listen more so than in other arenas and sports. Like all industries, power and money play a big role, but with boxing, there is just something special in that a great fighter can overcome… you can always knock out the champ. Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges is a common expression that speaks to the core of what boxers feel they can do regardless. Of course like in films, there is a business side of things that few people really understand.
Nobody wants to find out their heroes are not real. Boxing has always been a brutal but awe-inspiring ritual… Everyone secretly wishes they could box. Let’s hope this trend of society getting offended with every little thing, being increasingly coddled, catering and pandering to weakness – a phenomenon that we see pervading our culture (particularly in movies); stops carrying and leaking into our sports. Boxing will get knocked out otherwise.
GM: Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua: Out of these three recognized heavyweight kingpins, which is your choice as the one that will clean up and be the undisputed best? (Note: Question was posed prior to the defeat of Joshua to Andy Ruiz JR)
Well, that’s a very difficult question. Wilder is the biggest puncher of the bunch. But I’ve noticed he doesn’t really like getting hit and needs to work on his movement. Fury is the best boxer with the best movement but doesn’t have the power of the other two men. I’d say he doesn’t have a jaw like they do either, but we saw him rise from the canvas more miraculously than Lazarus of Bethany! And Joshua, although a warrior inside the ring; is ducking them both.
I felt Fury beat Wilder and would love to see the rematch or either of the two go at it with Joshua. Out of the three, there is no clear “favorite” to dominate the division. I think that will set up many interesting fights between them that won’t have us knowing who will win prior to the event; which is what you want as a fan. With all that said, whoever joins and trains at the 15th Round Boxing Gym in Glendale or Pasadena under my brother, coach George, prior to their next fight – will become the favorite for undisputed best!
GM: Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman is happening soon. Who’s your pick in this fight and why?
I picked Pacquiao to beat Horn and didn’t make it to the bank on that one. I also picked Pacquiao to beat Timothy Bradley Jr. and didn’t make it to the bank on that one. So I’m going to pick Keith Thurman, not because I can’t pick ’em, but because youth will prevail on this one. That, and Thurman has success against southpaws, he’s taller and it’s his time. Not sure he’d beat Pacquiao in his prime though.
GM: Back to film. What is your next project? What should the fans be looking forward to?
I’m working on several projects. I’ve learned dramas are difficult to finance and sell; but I like them. So I’m always working on drama. I can’t begin to tell you how many people told me it would be easier to make the next film once BEREAVE was in the can, but financing may have fans waiting with binoculars. I’m still looking for an agent and investors are always welcomed! So if anybody reading this feels the love; contact me. I can write horror/thriller too!
GM: Any closing comments?
Closing thoughts… Though I fell asleep during many episodes of Season 8, I won’t be one of the 1.4M people (and growing) signing a petition about remaking GoT; wow! I read so many interesting comments about the ending. Though I must say, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren probably missed all the castration (whole armies!) when they complained the show is “male-centric.” HBO, if you are listening, here is how I would want it to end (call me for the remake):
Jon Snow kills Daenerys cause she’s crazy and not just mad. Drogo gently picks up Daenerys and starts to fly away. As the Great Council of Westeros is mulling over who to pick to be King or Queen and they decide on Bran the Broken, Drogo does a fly by, drops Daenerys from the sky; she splatters, Drogo lands, screams loudly. Sansa stands and says “sit Drogo, sit” and he burns them all to a crisp. Jon Snow exits the jail, walks over, kneels in pain and starts to chew on their flesh. He asks for some wine and gives the crown to the first peasant sent to clean up the mess. The end…
