INTERVIEW: The Making of “Barron’s Cove” with Filmmaker Evan Ari Kelman

Filmmaker Evan Ari Kelman makes his feature film debut with BARRON’S COVE, a crime drama centered around a grieving father who kidnaps the boy he believes murdered his son. 

Evan Ari Kelman’s creative process began with a fascination with corruption, familial relationships, and moral complexity, and evolved by continuously asking what if? “Those might be the two most important words in the English language… It’s sort of the source point of all inspiration. Whether you’re writing a film or you’re trying to change yourself or change the world or build something, ‘what if so and so,” says Kelman.

In his search to find the right plot line to explore such complex themes, Kelman found a tragic news article about two young boys who murdered their classmate. The story served as a launching pad for “Barron’s Cove” and spiraled into a complex story about father-son relationships in the face of unbearable devastation. “I just started to think, what if something else happened? What if there was a cover-up, or a father that had nothing left to lose? How far would he go to find out the truth about his son?, says the “Barron’s Cove” writer and director. The theoretical obstacles are limitless, and starting from relatable themes of love, desperation, and family keeps the story grounded and hauntingly realistic. 

Kelman hopes audiences retain the lessons from “Barron’s Cove” beyond the film’s emotional arena. The main character has been shaped by the world’s perception of him as less-than, and the story explores the resulting consequences of internalizing that narrative, turning mindset into action. The extremity and darkness of the subject matter acts as a powerful example of how dangerous this can be, and in turn shows the possibility of rising out of that darkness to a brighter outcome.

“[Viewers] go through a really intense journey, and my hope is that they come out on the other side with… a new perspective, a broader capacity for love, a greater appreciation for the people in their lives. A belief that they can decide who they want to be at any particular moment and that they aren’t limited by the stories they’ve told themselves or the stories they’ve been told about themselves,” says Kelman.

At the end of the day, “the film is really about love and forgiveness and sacrifice and about taking off whatever self-limiting beliefs we might have.”

When it comes to advice for aspiring filmmakers, Kelman emphasizes the importance of embracing inevitable setbacks as steps to eventual success. “Once you’ve re-conceptualized it as part of the process, I think you can sort of find the strength to keep going. And that’s really the most important thing – to not give up and to be able to frame it to yourself in a way that can inspire you to see it through.”

“Barron’s Cove,” written and directed by Kelman, marks the culmination of over six years of hard work and persistence. “It’s an actual emotional rollercoaster that you’re strapped into for years, and at any second, the cart could come off the track. But then you have these incredible, magical moments where everything sort of clicks into place. And you’re on set and the production design is perfect and the tone is perfect and the actors are fully embodying the roles… there’s more than what’s on the page. More than you could even ever dream of.”

“Barron’s Cove” came out for limited release on June 6th. The film was acquired by Well Go USA Entertainment, and the star-studded cast includes Garrett Hedlund, Stephen Lang, Brittany Snow, Tramell Tillman, Christian Convery, and Hamish Linklater.