I really wanted to try and create a world that although we had to set it, you know, slightly in the future and, you know, buy into the fact that this type of technology could exist, right, to duplicate yourself.

I really wanted people to be able to watch this and kind of forget about that and believe in it enough to just go along with the ride.

Hello, and welcome back to the director's cut.

In today's episode, a man who has diagnosed with a terminal illness gains an opportunity to shield his loved ones from grief in director Benjamin Cleary's new sci-fi drama, Swan Song.

The film takes us into the near future as Cameron Turner considers whether to engage in the

experimental solution and possibly change the destinies of his beloved wife and son.

Swan Song is Mr. Cleary's feature directorial debut. His other directing credits include the short

film's Wave, Stutterer, and the upcoming short, Glimps. Following a recent screening of the film at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, Mr. Cleary gave

insight into the making of Swan Song with fellow director Kari Skogland. Listen on for their

spoiler-filled conversation. Welcome, everybody. I have watched this beautiful picture and been so impressed with the nuances and the storytelling style, which combines camera, very spare dialogue, very visual, very emotionally charged.

Of course, you had the cast to just, you know, maximize all of those things.

So where to dive in.

But how about, let's start with, I feel like the style and the music, just the visual style and the music, were so integrated.

How did you find your cinematographer and how did you find your composer?

That's great.

Thanks everyone for being here.

Thanks, Gary, for doing this.

Yeah, so I think...

But, yeah, that's great to hear that it feels, you know,

that it all feels integrated,

because I suppose, you know,

that's the thing that you're really,

...