Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Archie Borders is a talented filmmaker whose work has been noticed by many, and he’s been a film festival favorite. While he only has currently six directing credits, they have gained some sort of acclaim. His latest film, the romantic comedy Under the Eiffel Tower hits theaters on February 8, followed by a VOD, and Digital HD on February 12 from The Orchard.
World Film Geek had the chance to talk with Borders about his latest film.
Thank you so much for talking about Under the Eiffel Tower. I saw the film just a few days ago and it reminded me a bit of Sideways, but more of a film about redemption and I really enjoyed it!
Thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
What inspired you to write and direct the film?
Well, it’s interesting because I was with a friend of mine and he told me the story of his fiancée. He said that he went to France with her and her family. He decided to propose to her under the Eiffel Tower and she rejected him. So, he was humiliated and I just thought to myself, how he endured this because it looks like it was over. I mean, now things are different, but I thought that this would be the perfect idea for a film. So, I collaborated with David Henry on the screenplay and then I decided to direct the film.
What was it like working with Matt Walsh? I thought he was great in it and I loved the idea that you used the “midlife crisis” riff to drive the story.
Matt is a wonderful actor. He’s very dedicated. When I pitched the idea to him, at first, he was like ‘why would I want to take the lead?’ I wanted to bring something natural to the role of Stuart and Matt has one of those faces that will just light up and no matter what he’s in, he shines. He was great to work with.
That’s great! What I found interesting is that one of the co-stars, Judith Godréche, contributed to the script and I thought she was wonderful in the role of Louise. What was it like working with her?
Judith was also amazing. When we came up with the character of Louise, Judith was the right fit and so I thought I would let her write how the character should be. I mean, when a man is writing a female character, it doesn’t always come out right. So, I thought it would be a good idea to let Judith craft the character of Louise as to how she would relate to both Matt and Reid [Scott, who plays Liam].
What was it like shooting in France?
[sarcastic] It was dirty, filthy, so nasty! No, I’m just kidding. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and this was the first time I did a film outside of the United States. I mean, the countryside was something we really wanted to focus on because it is so amazing and brings such beauty into the shots. You mentioned Sideways and there may have been a little influence in that, but I wanted to bring more of a story about Matt’s character finding himself in the countryside. We had a French crew on the set and you know, they love cinema as much as both you and myself. I’ve noticed you talk about films from all over the world and these people on the set were just amazing to work with because they have that love of cinema.
Did you face any difficulties during shooting?
Not really and I think that’s the amazing thing. The only thing was that we had a tight schedule. Being an independent film, you have a certain time frame to shoot the film. And it can have long days and nights, but Matt and Reid, for example, they’ve been through this before having worked in television. So, while we did have a tight schedule, everyone pulled their weight in and we did a great job.
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works that you can talk about?
Well, I am collaborating again with David Henry on another film, but I can’t talk about that yet. I do have a few more projects in the work as well.
That’s wonderful. Under the Eiffel Tower comes to theaters on February 8 then on VOD, and Digital HD on February 12. Anyone who wants a feel good film about redemption and finding yourself should check this one out. Thank you again Archie for talking about the film.
Thank you so much and keep up the good work!
A Special Thank You goes to Katrina Wan PR and Archie Borders for making this interview possible.
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