In the latest movie from director Aaron B. Koontz, called Camera Obscura, Christopher Denham plays Jack, a man who continues to struggle with the horrors he witnessed as a war photographer. His wife gives him a strange camera as an anniversary gift, hoping it will reignite his love of photography. As he develops the film, Jack realizes that the images show imminent deaths in the locations he was at. As one horrific scene after another comes true, Jack is left with an enormous moral dilemma that challenges his already fragile sanity.

We caught up with Koontz to ask him about Camera Obscura. The film arrives in limited theaters on June 9th, followed by VOD/Digital on June 13th.

Dread Central: Do you have a personal fascination with photography?

Aaron B. Koontz: I grew up using 35mm cameras and fell in love with the manipulation of light and emulsion. There was just something hypnotic and beautiful about how you could take a picture that through the lens, looks one way but after the development process it can and would take on an entirely new form. Those experiences in some way mirror Jack’s in our film and his ability (or inability) to predict an outcome through his lens.

Add to that those old stories you hear about other cultures being afraid to have their picture taken, as they believed it would capture their soul. That trope has existed in so many forms over cinema but always interested me. So I started there, with this core idea of a camera and creepy photos that might feel familiar for many of us long-term genre fans, but then I was able to sprinkle in mental illness and PTSD through the lens of a War Photographer and that was when it clicked. It allowed me to create this ultimate unreliable narrator, with an otherwise ordinary man forced to do extraordinary things. I finally had a story that felt interesting and new and it was that combination that really grew into what you see today.

DC: You have a really great cast. It’s especially important to have a very compelling cast, when you don’t have a huge budget and your story is very emotional… can you tell us who plays who, and how they came on board?

ABK: My cast… wow. It’s tough for me to even put into words how lucky I was for this project. Starting at the top with Christopher Denham who played Jack, I truly hit the jackpot there. Chris is classically trained and has excelled for years on both the stage and on the big screen. Many folks would recognize him from Argo, Shutter Island or more recently Showtime’s Billions, but right before he came to work with us he was just on Broadway working with legendary director David Mamet on a two-man show. The other actor in that show was Al freaking Pacino. So while to many this might seem intimidating, working with an actor directed by folks like Scorsese, Mamet and Mike Nichols but once you meet Chris and work with him, you quickly see how genuine and laid back he is. We really hit a sweet spot on this project and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to work with him.

The female lead of Claire was played by the beautiful and charming Nadja Bobyleva who has been a well-known name overseas in Russia and Germany for years. She landed her first American role in 2015, being hand picked by Spielberg himself for Bridge of Spies. Nadja was a suggestion from our Casting team and I was thrilled with what she brought to the table here.

As great as our leads are, our supporting cast was just as impressive. I was fortunate to have worked with Noah Segan before on Starry Eyes and we quickly became good friends and I find it hard to see myself doing too many projects in the future without Noah somehow involved. Noah plays Jack’s best friend, Walt.

Chase Williamson and Gretchen Lodge are two other actors that I had known for a while and always wanted to work with. They actually were the first two actors to read this script a good 4+ years ago. Chase I wanted to show off in a different role than folks might be used to for him, and cast him as a young Detective. Gretchen gave one of my favorite performances in recent memory as the lead in Ed Sanchez’ Lovely Molly so I worked hard to get her in for some emotional beats as Claire’s best friend and co-worker Shannon.

For the Lead Detective we were so lucky to snag Catherine Curtin from Orange is the New Black. I loved the Wanda Bell character she had there and those long drawn out eye rolls she famously gave, breathed new life to this over-bearing Detective that is hot on Jack’s trail.

We rounded out the cast with two other good friends, Andrew Sensenig (We Are Still Here) as Charlie Hibbert and Jeremy King as Tad Buckley. Andrew, I met through the Austin horror scene and we had talked about a number of projects together for years before finally coming together on this. Jeremy I knew back from when I worked freelance in Orlando film Production and was lucky to work with him again on a short before tackling this. I must say, I do think Jeremy steals the show in this film. I cannot wait for more people to get to know this man.

DC: What’s the most important thing to you, as a director of a horror film?

ABK: I think, in the end, you just have to make something that is true. True to myself as a story-teller and true to myself as a horror and genre fan. I am not someone who just decided to make a horror movie (and one could argue this is more of a thriller, anyway). Horror is my lifeblood and what I have supported through thick and thin since I was a child. So now, I just want to make something that feels new and interesting and isn’t cutting corners. Horror fans are smart and decisive and I want to reward them with a film that makes them think, while also giving them the goods. And I can only hope that Camera Obscura delivers on that promise.

DC: What’s your favorite scene in Camera Obscura… and can you give us a behind the scenes glimpse into how it came to life from script to set to screen?

ABK: This is tough, because there are a number of really fun and gory scenes that I just watch and smile and others that I am so damn proud of how we pulled off a shot or sequence of shots and the lighting set-ups within. But one scene I always come back to is with Jack and Claire sitting on the couch having a heart to heart. Jack has just gone through some pretty horrific situations and is trying to find a way to confide in his fiancé. There is this moment where he asks her a question and the response is “No… that could drive you crazy.” And right then, Chris who’s playing Jack, does this wonderful thing that only actors can do, where he speaks with his eyes which immediately fill with water. And with this subtle shrug he tries to shake off what those words mean to him and in that moment, my heart just breaks. I can feel the weight of the world on this man’s shoulders as someone trying so desperately to be “better” and control this situation. But he knows in his heart of hearts how tough that will be. And yes, all of that I get out of 3 seconds of just Chris Denham’s eyes. It may sound pretentious, and maybe it is, but that’s the beauty of acting to me when done right and as a director I just have to get out of the way and let them do their magic.

DC: Who or what were some of your artistic influences while making this movie?

ABK: Stylistically I’m a big giallo fan, so Deep Red was a reference point with the shadows, colors and close-ups. Story wise, the structure of Seven and American Psycho were two influences that really pushed the narrative and grittiness of the film forward. But as I delved deeper and learned more about PTSD and researched all the legitimately frightening stories of the visions and violent outburst these poor folks endured, it really helped shape, as I mentioned above, the unreliable narrator aspect of this. And that’s when more ambiguous and psychological inspirations seeped through like Jacob’s Ladder and Lost Highway.

DC: How would you describe Camera Obscura to hardcore horror fans, and what has been some of the fan feedback so far?

ABK: Our first few screenings have been pretty amazing. I love how many theories folks have and all of the wild ideas people come up with after seeing this. And I guess that does segue well into expectations. Because while I acknowledge this is a film that can and is supposed to be a bit ambiguous, I also wanted to reward those who watched closely with a number of hidden clues and easter eggs that many might not notice on a first viewing. I assure you, the answers do exist and are within the film, I just give fans the credit to find those answers on their time and not have them completely spelled out is all.

DC: What can we expect from you, after this?

ABK: Well, I am producing three other features currently. One is an action-survival film called Bar Fight, and the other is a noir thriller about a woman suffering from spontaneous combustion called Where The Red Fox Lies. The last is a horror-comedy piece that I cannot disclose just yet but is sure to be right up the Dread Central alley, I assure you.

As far as directing and writing I have a science fiction thriller that I am super stoked about called Dream Machine that if all goes well I should be shooting later this year or early 2018. That one, is a truly special project that I have been refining for years and cannot wait to finally unveil it.

Camera Obscura stars Christopher Denham (“Billions,” Argo), Nadja Bobyleva (Bridge of Spies), Catherine Curtin (“Stranger Things,” “Orange Is the New Black”), Chase Williamson (SIREN, Beyond the Gates), and Noah Segan (The Mind’s Eye, Tales of Halloween).

The film was written by Aaron B. Koontz, who is making his directorial debut, as well as Cameron Burns.

Synopsis:

A veteran war photographer with PTSD sees imminent deaths in his developed photos, questioning his already fragile sanity and putting the lives of those he loves in danger.