TIFF: Exclusive Interview with The Wolves Always Come at Night Director Gabrielle Brady | Cinema Daily US

Families everywhere have always valued the special places they live and the lasting traditions that come with them. Sadly, various circumstances can alter these foundations, pushing them to adjust to a different lifestyle. One example is the young couple Davaasuren Dagvasuren and Otgonzaya Dashzeveg, who, along with their four children, had to leave their cherished home. Their story is captured in the new hybrid film, The Wolves Always Come at Night.

Gabrielle Brady, a documentary filmmaker, directed the feature that combines aspects of both documentary and fictional storytelling. She collaborated with Dagvasuren and Dashzeveg to co-write the story for The Wolves Always Come at Night.

In "The Wolves Always Come at Night," the story explores how the couple brought up their children in a close-knit environment, deeply tied to the Mongolian landscape and the animals they interacted with there. However, after a sudden and fierce sandstorm wreaks havoc, Dagvasuren and Dashzeveg are faced with a decision they never imagined they would have to make, one that will profoundly alter the course of their family's life.

With traditional herding no longer a viable option, they move to the city in search of employment, following in the footsteps of countless others. For Dagvasuren, this means parting with his cherished stallion, and the loss creates a deep sense of emptiness within him.

Upon arriving in Ulaanbaatar, the family settles in the ger district, a vast area of yurts located on the city's edges. This is where many former herders now call home, despite the challenges of overcrowding and pollution. As they move further away from the herding lifestyle and culture that they cherish, they hold on to the hope that they will one day be able to go back to their original home. They worry, perhaps without reason, that it might not be there when they do.

The Wolves Always Come at Night had its world debut in the Platform category at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. After the film was shown for the first time on September 9, Brady kindly agreed to participate in an exclusive Zoom interview from Toronto, where he discussed writing and directing the film.

Q: You came up with the idea for the new docudrama, The Wolves Always Come at Night, featuring Davaasuren Dagvasuren and Otgonzaya Dashzeveg. What inspired you to tell their story in this distinctive way?

Gabrielle Brady: The movie didn’t have a written script, placing it in a space that blends both fiction and documentary genres. However, at its core, the film is fundamentally a documentary.

Much of our development centered on being present with the main characters. We reacted to the events unfolding in their lives and collaboratively shaped some of these experiences through a co-writing process.

When I mention scripting, it's not quite the same as the screenwriting process in the West. We dedicated a significant amount of time to discussions, exploring how various aspects of their experiences could shape the visual storytelling of the film.

We didn't start with a script or a clear vision of how the film should turn out. Instead, the most important aspect was the partnership between me and the main characters. Once we connected and built that relationship, the film began to take shape naturally from there.

Much of the content was created during our travels. While we were driving to various locations, I would jot down scripts inspired by our conversations. I shared these ideas with the Director of Photography and the rest of the team.

It was a truly spontaneous environment where we wrote the script as we went along. We built the visual world of the film around the main characters.

Q: In addition to coming up with the concept for The Wolves Always Come at Night, you also directed the film. What was your strategy for bringing the story to life as the director?

Gabrielle Brady: My debut film, the 2018 documentary Island of the Hungry Ghosts, marked a significant moment in my development. As with any first-time director, it was when I began to develop my visual style in collaboration with my creative team.

For this movie, I collaborated again with the same cinematographer, composer, editor, and producers from my first project. A significant portion of the team was able to build on the foundation we established in our earlier film.

For me, directing encompasses various elements. My background is in performance, which makes acting a crucial and impactful tool in my work. This is particularly significant in documentary filmmaking, where collaborating with non-professional actors can lead to profoundly moving performances.

I find myself deeply inspired by nature and our surroundings. I aim to connect more intimately with these elements and explore them fully. In my view, documentaries are a form of cinematic art. Therefore, I believe that this genre requires the same level of commitment to storytelling and artistic expression as traditional narrative films do.

I really concentrate on building strong, meaningful connections with my colleagues. We dedicate a significant amount of effort, attention, and time to creating a rich and engaging visual storytelling experience.

Since "The Wolves Always Come at Night" combines both documentary and fictional aspects, what was your approach when collaborating with Daava and Zaya to capture their life stories for the project?

Gabrielle Brady: In our movie, Davva and Zaya take center stage as the main characters, narrative leaders, and co-writers. The entire story revolves around them.

This is their journey, and the casting process was truly fascinating. We conducted it over the span of two years with our primary researcher, who also participated in the film's premiere at TIFF. During this time, she engaged in discussions with individuals living on the fringes of Bayankhongor.

We collaborated with social workers and families involved in herding. This was a lengthy and ongoing process, not something that could be rushed.

We didn't just pick someone at random; for me, casting is about developing relationships. It’s about discovering someone where both sides feel that undeniable connection.

Their viewpoint provides you with new insights and opens your eyes to new ideas. Likewise, my vision for the film inspires and energizes them.

That's what I discovered with Daava and Zaya. We shared a common interest and had a genuine connection with one another. It was during this moment that the film really started to take shape.

Q: You talked about collaborating with your Director of Photography, Michael Latham, earlier. How did the two of you decide on the visual style for filming The Wolves Always Come at Night?

Gabrielle Brady: Collaborating with the cinematographer, Michael Latham, on this film was an excellent experience. He has a diverse background in both documentary and narrative filmmaking, which gives him a distinct and exceptional perspective.

He strives for excellence in everything he does. He can venture out alone with just his camera, without the help of anyone else, right into the heart of the Gobi Desert. Even when faced with the toughest situations, he manages to take stunning photographs.

This was significant because we were putting together a documentary while working with a limited budget and a documentary crew. However, we were also aiming to craft a cinematic narrative. Balancing these elements and telling a story that straddles the line between reality and fiction was the main challenge we faced.

Many of the discussions Michael and I had about this project revolved around our desire for the film to have an ageless quality. We aimed to give it the essence of a fable.

It's something very straightforward. Yet within that simplicity lies a profound complexity. That’s the feeling I got when I met Daava.

I believe the movie contains elements that are both straightforward and fundamental. Yet, it also carries a deep emotional weight, much like traditional fables that have long influenced the art of storytelling.

To evoke that sense of timelessness, we experimented with vintage lenses while shooting on an ARRI camera. Our goal was to achieve a grand, sweeping aesthetic that had a classic feel. Simultaneously, we aimed to bring a more personal touch by incorporating handheld camera techniques.

It was a blend of the two visual styles that guided us in shaping the film. That’s how we discovered its unique direction.

Q: You talked about Michael venturing into the Gobi Desert to take photographs for The Wolves Always Come at Night. How did you determine the filming locations for the movie? What were the conditions like while shooting in each of those places?

Gabrielle Brady: Filming in the Gobi Desert was quite an experience. We were working with a reflective approach. This meant that when we met Daava and Zaya, they had already relocated to the city and had unfortunately lost their animals.

In this section of the film, we are essentially recreating a scene. We returned to the rural areas and the Gobi Desert.

That said, it wasn't exactly a reconstruction. Essentially, much of the content is quite observational, capturing events as they unfolded in real time.

In the springtime, new life emerged. At the same time, there was a feeling of unease as the uncertainty of nature’s harshness loomed above.

For us, it was an opportunity to establish an environment that felt authentic and true to life. We allowed the scenes to develop naturally and spontaneously.

Filming in the Gobi Desert was incredibly challenging. We faced a severe sandstorm that damaged all our gear. Additionally, we all stayed closely together in a small camp we built, and the temperatures were very low.

Filming in such challenging conditions was certainly intense. However, it also allowed us to experience some truly enchanting moments. The whole adventure felt like it lasted forever, even though we were only there for a couple of weeks.

Q: After wrapping up the filming of The Wolves Always Come at Night, what was your strategy for working with the editor, Katharina Fiedler, during the editing phase? How did you both decide on the final arrangement of the documentary?

Gabrielle Brady: We worked on the film in Germany alongside Katharina Fiedler, a German editor. She had previously edited my first film, so we already had a connection established.

We had a wealth of content to work with, which made crafting a fiction documentary quite challenging. Our goal was to construct a cohesive and engaging storyline that would resonate with audiences, perhaps even making it feel like a traditional narrative.

We aimed to demonstrate that every event had significance and that one action triggered another. Additionally, we wanted to convey that we are part of a larger narrative, caught up in this unfolding journey.

That being said, we captured a considerable amount of footage. Much of it was observational, meaning we had to be prepared for anything that could take place.

We had a vast amount of content to work with. Throughout the editing phase, we focused on quickly grasping the main storyline. Naturally, we didn't have unlimited time for editing.

I believe this was our major hurdle: we needed to quickly convey the essence of the film since it had the potential to take many different paths. We worked with various characters and several plotlines during filming.

Throughout this process, we continuously honed the story until we arrived at a more streamlined narrative. We really explored the inner thoughts and emotions of Daava's main character.

Q: The Wolves Always Come at Night had its World Premiere just the evening before this interview as part of the Platform section at the Toronto International Film Festival. How does it feel for you that the film was showcased at the festival?

Gabrielle Brady: We had our World Premiere last night, and it was a mix of emotions for me. Our main characters and co-writers, Daava and Zaya, were supposed to be there, but unfortunately, the Canadian government denied their visa applications right before the event. It felt odd to experience the premiere without them, especially after all the hard work we've put into this project, as it's very much a reflection of their story.

However, our main researcher and co-producer was present, along with our producers and composer. This meant that many members of the team were up there engaging with the audience after the screening.

Many people were in tears, making it hard for them to talk. I could sense their deep emotions, and that really means a lot to us.

Ultimately, one of the goals was to embrace the emotional depth of the narrative. The film resonates with authenticity, much like Daava, Zaya, and their journey. Witnessing the way the film has connected with audiences and evoked strong feelings has been incredibly meaningful for me.

If you enjoyed the interview, feel free to leave your comments below!

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