The feature film “Learning to Drive” just finished a two-week run at the Regal Cinemas Malibu Twin theater. Few movie-goers would have been aware that the making of that film was the culmination of a 10-year effort by local movie producer Dana Friedman, and that its release was the achievement of her long-time dream.
As the film gains momentum, it has gone from four theaters to 330 screens nationwide. Its success is already opening doors for future projects.
Making movies isn’t how Friedman started out in life. She grew up in small-town Connecticut where moviemaking wasn’t considered a career option.
“I went to law school and that went national,” Friedman explained. “I ran it for 10 years, and it was exciting, and I was very fortunate; and then I had an early crisis of consciousness.”then started an advertising firm
Leaving a marriage that was no longer working and deciding that what she really wanted to do was make movies, Friedman bought a one-way ticket to L.A., and soon found her first film.
“I think we’re often bound by logic, and the way the film came about was so illogical,” she said. “I went to Las Vegas — which is something I never do — I was getting my hair done — which is something I never do — and I was reading Cosmopolitan magazine — which is also something I never do.”
An article in that issue of the magazine about the sex slave trade changed her life. She decided she wanted to make a documentary about it, and a friend in the business talked her into a movie instead.
The resulting small-budget film, “Nickel Children” (2005), provided Friedman with experience in every aspect of filmmaking.
“I was grateful to be involved. I executive-produced and co-financed that film, and then began to look at a lot of scripts. But nothing was moving me — there were no stories I wanted to tell,” she said.
Shortly after deciding to become a “development producer,” Friedman began trying to make “Learning to Drive” 11 years ago.
“The financial side is the hardest thing about changing professions, especially in this industry,” she said. “I’ve definitely made life changes to accommodate this change in career, but it’s worth it. I’m doing what I love.
“If I can tell a story that resonates with someone and helps them through their life, then I’ve done something important,” Friedman said. “Divorce is painful and hard to go through. The movie is about overcoming obstacles and finding the strength to move forward.”
“The beautiful thing about the ‘Learning to Drive’ script is the friendship — the juxtaposition between these two characters. They’re so different, yet have so much to offer one another,” Friedman said, referring to characters played by Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley.
Clarkson had been attached to the project for the past decade, and the part was actually written with her in mind.
“She fought with me to get this movie made,” Friedman said. Kingsley came on board because of his relationship with Clarkson.
“Finding the financing was the most challenging part,” Friedman said, “because it’s a drama, and because it stars a woman and an Indian man.”
Broad Green Pictures finally agreed to make the film, which Friedman described as “a new company in town … willing to take a risk and do something different.”
“It never occurred to me to give up. Giving up wasn’t an option,” Friedman said of her determination. “That’s not to say I didn’t get discouraged at times, but every time I did, I’d meet a new person, or a new opportunity would arise. The material was so personal to me and it was so important to me to tell that story.”
The momentum of “Learning to Drive” will now help Friedman get other films made. “I have 10 projects on my wall, and five are on the front burner, being packaged and written,” she said. One project, “Angus,” is a comic-drama about a marriage as seen through the eyes of a dog. Another, “Christmas Wish,” is based on the New York Times bestseller.
“I haven’t met a lot of other women who’re developing content,” Friedman said. “It allows me to make films and tell stories that are meaningful, and I hope to help certain segments of the population get their fair share of screen time.”
Friedman was attracted to Malibu by the rural, small-town lifestyle, and she lives here with her husband and eight-year-old daughter.
