Orders from Above Film Spotlight
Today’s film spotlight focuses on the feature film Orders from Above directed by Vir Srinivas.
What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?
The title, Orders from Above, refers to a defence strategy used by Nazi war criminals at the Nuremburg trials. By claiming that the illegal and heinous deeds committed by them were ordered by superior officers under the threat of severe punishment, accused Nazis aimed to shift responsibility for their crimes.
Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.
Orders from Above tells the true story of the Israeli police interrogation of Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann. Set in 1960, after hiding from the Allies in Argentina for 15 years, Eichmann is captured at last and brought to Israel to stand trial. Without enough evidence for a guaranteed conviction, it is up to Captain Avner Less to extract a confession from the man known as the architect of the Holocaust.
Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?
Limited location dramas, especially those of Sidney Lumet such as 12 Angry Men, The Hill and The Offence, films where the tension was derived from well-written dialogue and expert acting rather than action sequences and special effects, served as inspiration for the dramatic potential of confined spaces.
What is the goal of the film for you?
Apart from bringing entertainment to the audience, which is the goal of every movie, I hope that this film can act as a calling card for me with agents and producers, to show them what I am able to achieve without even a budget.
What has the journey been like getting the film into production?
When I was 19-years-old, I chose to join Sydney Film School, where modern film equipment was available for students to borrow for free. However, this was 2020 and Covid-19 shut the school down for four months, only a few weeks after we started. In this intermission, I decided to use this time to write a feature screenplay that could be shot with no money, a single location and only a few actors. I read hundreds of pages of transcripts and memoirs to write Orders from Above. When my school opened back up, I gathered together three actors willing to work pro bono and two classmates as crew members and I was ready to commence shooting. It was shot over weekends and during free periods. Fortunately, all our efforts paid off as the film won numerous awards internationally and secured distribution.
One thing you learned from this project?
This being my debut feature film, I probably learnt a lot of things, but I honestly can’t name one.
How can folks find you and your film online?
Orders from Above will be released on July 19th on multiple platforms including Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, Vimeo and Vudu. For more information about the film and myself, or if you would like to watch my 20min short film, The Proselyte, please visit my website: www.virsrinivas.com
Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?
My advice for young filmmakers is to execute. Ideas aren’t worth anything unless one puts them into effect. Even if the end result is terrible, the experience will be far more valuable than nothing.
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