A Los Angeles pool cleaner fights to make his hometown a better place to live in Director Chris Pine’s comedic mystery, Poolman.
Pine’s film tells the story of Darren Barrenman, an unwavering optimist who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block. He finds himself in deep water when he is approached by femme fatale, June Del Rey, who seeks his help in uncovering the corruption of a shady real-estate and water plot.
On May 19, after the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles, Pine discussed the making of Poolman during a Q&A moderated by his Wonder Woman Director, Patty Jenkins.
During the conversation, the experienced actor spoke about how it felt to take on the Director’s chair for the first time.
“It was an absolute joy. It was an unfettered flow-state for twenty-one days. Obviously, just come prepared. Any sort of angst I were to have as an actor, there is no time to be angsty [as a Director] because you just have to do shit all the time. I loved that. I loved not having to wait around. I loved not really having any money because it forced me to move quickly, make decisions quickly.”
He also spoke about what he learned about directing actors as an actor.
“You have to really work on your feet with what the actors need in the scene, and you have to be as fast as humanly possible and as supportive as humanly possible.”
Poolman is Pine’s directorial debut. He joined the DGA in 2022.