In this exclusive interview with screenplay writer David Kajganich, he discusses defying genre limitations with Bones and All.
David Kajganich On Defying Genre Limitations with Bones and All
David Kajganich, frequent collaborator of Luca Guadagnino and veteran horror storyteller, is the screenwriter behind the adaptation of Camilla De Angelis’ novel: Bones and All. In this exclusive interview, he discusses the challenges of balancing horror and romance.
David begins with elaborating on the build of trust in the filmmaking process, having collaborated with Luca Guadagnino on A BIGGER SPLASH and the 2018 remake of SUSPIRIA, the writer delves into how his professional and personal relationship with the director has evolved over the years, as well as the kind of projects they aim to tackle together.
“… As we become closer friends, the trust we have for one another grows and I think it encourages us to take on projects that are more and more complex somehow.”
The writer further explains that he has Luca’s back as much as he knows Luca has his, and so with each story they tell the pair feels comfortable in taking real risks and daring each other to do odd and interesting things. Something that as a creator one wouldn’t necessarily go down that road with someone without fully trusting them.
“That’s something beautiful that works on both the friendship side and the professional side of our relationship.”
David also dives deep into his screenwriting process, as while he is a veteran writer of horror stories, Bones and All is a different beast on to itself.
The writer fully acknowledges the strange marriage of the horror and romance as a genre blend, confessing: “It’s something I find fascinating… I’ve tried so hard to learn Spanish and I’ve tried so hard to learn French. I’m a terrible student of language, but I’m a good student of grammar. “
The writer further explains, in a fascinating way, how every genre has its own very specific grammar, and when writing films (adaptations or not) that combine several genres can be quite interesting because he can play with different grammars: play them against one another, begin a scene in the grammar of a road film and end in the grammar of a horror film while passing through the grammar of a love story in between.
The writer even compares the balancing act of genres and tones to be akin to playing three tiered chess, realizing how playing with one field’s grammar can actually transport into another platform, or genre, stating: “There’s something intellectually exciting, and also emotionally exciting, about writing a film that exists in a multiple set of genres.”
Full David Kajganich Interview
Be sure to check out our full interview with David Kajganich where he discusses the biggest writing challenges, the process of adapting this specific work by Camilla de Angelis and what he’s learned over his career about writing and what goes into a script as a presentation.
NEXT: Bones and All Review
About Bones and All
Love blossoms between a young woman on the margins of society and a disenfranchised drifter as they embark on a 3,000-mile odyssey through the backroads of America. However, despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their differences.
