My Austin Film Festival coverage continues with the cast and creative team behind Sheepwell, a film that challenged my expectations and left me questioning several characters’ intentions.
Joining me remotely were Michole Briana White, Alix Lapri, Lauren Elizabeth Harris, Denise Grayson, Mark Ryan Anderson, director Kim Caicedo, writer and producer Danielle DeMatteo, and Margaret Rose Caterisano.
I went into Sheepwell expecting the story to unfold in a particular direction, especially after seeing Connor Paolo’s character. However, as the film progressed, my perspective shifted, and I began questioning whether I had been suspicious of the right person.
Before getting into the filmmaking process, I had one question for the group: Why wasn’t Chris in the well?
The question brought laughter from the entire room, including Mark Ryan Anderson, who portrayed Chris. When I explained how strongly I felt about his character, Anderson considered my reaction one of the greatest compliments I could have given him as an actor.
From there, we discussed how Sheepwell evolved from Margaret Rose Caterisano’s original stage play into a feature film.
Director Kim Caicedo explained that she wanted each act to change the audience’s perspective without making the characters feel one-dimensional. She also discussed the importance of women’s intuition and how that shaped the film’s storytelling.
Danielle DeMatteo revealed that the original play featured only three characters: Wattle, Sarah, and Thomas. The film adaptation allowed the creative team to expand that world with additional characters and relationships.
I also spoke with Michole Briana White and Alix Lapri about Wattle and Sarah, particularly their mother-daughter dynamic. Wattle’s outspoken personality and Sarah’s more reserved approach create an interesting contrast, especially as Sarah attempts to find her own direction.
Lauren Elizabeth Harris, who portrayed Cleo and also served as a producer, challenged my description of her character as being a little crazy during one of the film’s climactic moments.
“I just want to push back that I would argue that Clio is not crazy,” Harris said.
She went on to discuss balancing her producing responsibilities with acting and how the production team helped her transition into Cleo. Interestingly, the first scene she filmed was the very moment I had brought up.
My conversation with Denise Grayson about Sergeant Murphy explored whether the character knew more than she revealed and how loyalty influenced her decisions. That discussion led us into one of the film’s central themes: women looking out for one another.
Grayson discussed the relationships between the women in the story and how that same sense of support extended to the cast and crew behind the production.
DeMatteo also described the experience of watching one of the film’s climactic moments unfold as cathartic.
Of course, I couldn’t finish the interview without returning to Chris. I even suggested that if the filmmakers ever developed a sequel, I already had an idea for what should happen to him.
Despite the laughter throughout our conversation, Sheepwell gave us plenty to discuss about trust, intuition, loyalty, and the strength of its female characters.
Watch my Austin Film Festival conversation with the cast and creative team of Sheepwell on The Buzz – BuzzWorthy Radio.
