Doveed Linder

He is the man behind Strawberry Spring Dollar Baby Film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Doveed Linder: I am 27 years old and live in St. Louis, Missouri. Making movies is what I do full-time; occasionally I work odd jobs to help pay the bills. In addition to STRAWBERRY SPRING, I have made an action/western feature called, DEFIANCE, which is distributed through Lions Gate Films. I have also made a short film adaptation of Edgar Alan Poe’s THE TELL-TALE HEART.

SKSM: When did you make Strawberry Spring? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?

Doveed Linder: The production of STRAWBERRY SPRING occurred from February to May of 2001, six days of shooting all together. The production cost several thousand dollars, though we still cut a lot of corners from a financial standpoint. Since we weren’t operating with a large pool of cash, we had to shoot sporratically – a weekend here and a weekend there.

SKSM: How come you picked Strawberry Spring to develop into a movie? What is it in the story that you like so much?

Doveed Linder: I’ve always liked the story, STRAWBERRY SPRING. In 1995, when I was taking film classes, I made a 6-minute adaptation of STRAWBERRY SPRING, shot on 8mm film. This was my very first attempt at making movies. In 2001, I decided to re-make the film as a gauge to see how my skills had improved over the last six years. I also selected STRAWBERRY SPRING as a screen adaptation, because it’s a story that gives a lot of information in a short period of time.

SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?

Doveed Linder: I had read on a few occasions that Stephen King has a policy that allows any student/independent filmmaker to adapt his novellas/short stories for the price of one dollar. This policy allows the filmmaker the noncommercial rights to his story.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Doveed Linder: I can’t recall anything particularly funny about the production of STRAWBERRY SPRING. It was a production that occurred very smoothly and pretty much without a single hitch.

SKSM: How does it feel that all the King fans out there can’t see your movie? Do you think that will change in the future? Maybe a video release would be possible?

Doveed Linder: I feel very good about the exposure of STRAWBERRY SPRING. It has been showcased at many festivals, including the Cannes International Film Festival. It would be nice to release it on VHS or DVD with other Stephen King short films, but I haven’t pursued that avenue. It would require a considerable amount of research, paperwork, and permission from King, himself.

SKSM: Did you have any personal contact with King during the making of the movie? Has he seen it (and if so, what did he think about it)?

Doveed Linder: I have no idea if Stephen King ever saw the film. On one occasion, I received a letter from him, which basically instructed me to sign an Agreement before showcasing the film.

SKSM: Do you have any plans for making more movies based on Stephen King’s stories? If you could pick – at least – one story to shoot, which one would it be and why?

Doveed Linder: I would love to make another film based on the writing of Stephen King, but I don’t have any immediate plans to do so. THE REAPER’S IMAGE, THE MONKEY, CROUCH END, and MRS. TODD’S SHORTCUT are all stories that have interested me. If I was granted one wish, I would make a feature length anthology based on those stories. They are very imaginative, very visual, and would probably make for good cinema.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything else you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Doveed Linder: I can relate to all Stephen King fans, because I am a fan, myself. I hope people feel that STRAWBERRY SPRING was treated with respect and I hope to see many adaptations of King’s work in the future.

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