From rap dream to rock dystopias: interview with Geremy Jasper

From the rap scene of New Jersey to the post-apocalyptic world of “O’Dassa” the jump is enormous.

So much so that it is difficult to believe that “Patti Cake $” and “O’dessa” are written and directed by the same director, who passed by the sweet bitter story of a young white rapper who face a precarious life to that of a predestined rock that with the guitar carved by his father in a magical tree will try to end a sectarian and media dictatorship. Geremy Jasper’s cinema seems to have this one guiding thread: that of an unusual heroine and out of the box, who sings and plays musical genres that would seem outside the sphere of his interests, from his scope and artistic ambition. There is more: the director first person is the soundtracks of his films with the collaborator and friend Jason Binnick. “O’dessa” will be available exclusively on Disney+ from 20 March 2025.

Thanks to the presence of a very popular star like Sadie Sink in the role of the protagonist, “O’dessa” attracted the attention of the generalist audience on a crazy and psychedelic film, which blends the myths of ancient Greece at the Hunger Games, drawing a heroine that for looks and musical style could be the secret daughter of Elvis and Bob Dylan. A young rambler, a vagabond singer, who ends up falling in love with a stripper dancer in which the spirits of Prince and Iggy Pop are highlighted. At the base of “O’Dassa” there is a true kaleidoscope of old school musical references for an audience too – but not only – of very young people. Or maybe “a great mess”, as Geremy Jasper defines him affectionately when he tells his visionary project that has become reality after about ten years of failed attempts.

First of all I would like you to guide us a little behind the scenes of the creative process from which “O’dessa” was born, a film you wrote, music and directed firsthand. What was born before: music or script? Or have they grown together?

The process of writing and composition behind “O’dessa” had the trend of a pendulum.

After throwing down the initial idea, I went on to alternate phases. I came up with the idea of ​​a scene and I started writing pages and pages, trying to give the story a shape in that step. Sometimes this step required months. Punctually I blocked myself, because writing scripts is a very solitary experience, almost an existential crisis. It is not an easy process for me and it is not even fun from an emotional and human point of view. So, after a while, I took a break and went to the studio with my friend Jason and put out a song for the scene I had blocked on. That was the fun moment, a kind of creative liberation. Writing for me is always a necessity, an effort to get to talk about or make music. Music the scenes I was writing recharged my batteries and filled the story of color, giving me the inspiration to solve the problems that first seemed insurmountable to me on the side of the writing of the screenplay.

Then?

Once a piece was pulled out, I went back to the script and wrote a little longer, until I blocked myself again. At that point, I went back to the studio again. In short, each phase of the process influenced the other, and this went on until just before starting to turn. Behind “O’dessa” there are many years of attempts, of songs that did not work, a continuous throwing everything away and starting again. In short, a mess. (laughs).

Let’s talk about music, since it is the fun part of the creative process for you. Although in the “O’Dassa” synopsis, a rock work is called, in reality there are a lot of different genres in her soundtrack. What artists have inspired you more? What musicians and what sounds made you want to create the soundtrack of the film?

The list, I anticipate it, is very long.

Let’s say that artists who resort most often and whose influence is more evident are the first Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Tom Waits, David Bowie. Bowie in particular was a huge influence, also for the atmosphere that you breathe in this dystopian world. The list is still long: PJ Harvey, The Carter Family, Iggy Pop, Prince and many others. There are also several less immediate inspirations: every now and then I even took inspiration from the band of the army of salvation and, I admit it, from a lot of strange and terrible Dubstep stuff. (laughs) Ah! I absolutely must also mention two US composers: Harry Partch, with his industrial metal sounds, and Wendy Carlos. In short, a lot of different things all put together.

I read that you gave precise indications on musical references also to the costume and makeup department. Are you inspired by specific musicians to create the characters’ look?

We had very specific archetypes in mind, who helped us define the characters and customize them.

Grace Jones, for example, was a great source of inspiration for the character of Neon Dion, played by Regina Hall. His intensity, his severe gaze, his imposing silhouette. They make it a strong and powerful image of a woman. For the Men’s protagonist, Euro instead inspired Iggy Pop, especially in its Berlin period with David Bowie. Another important reference was Prince, with his androgynous sensuality, his veils and his eccentric jewels. I think for Euro we also took something from Jimi Hendrix. Instead for Odessa we thought of Bob Dylan, the first Charlie Chaplin and Giulietta Masina in Fellini’s films. In short, a mix of different characters, linked to the path, to being on the road. Odessa’s father is clearly inspired by Johnny Cash, another great American icon. Perhaps it is from this relationship that elements of David Bowie, Elvis, Woody Guthrie and Pj Harvey are derived in the same ough. My protagonist is real collage.

We all remember for “Patti Cake $”, the film he put in the spotlight in 2017: he focused on the difficulties of a white and overweight girl who dreams of becoming a rapper in New Jersey, far from the usual American capitals of the genre. It was a very realistic film, especially in describing the local rap scene. Why this change of direction so radical in “O’Dassa”? What prompted you to create an imaginary, dystopian world in tones and psychedelic in colors?

I have always had a crazy desire to create a world of my own.

I wanted to build it from scratch, but as a screenwriter and director I never had the opportunity, neither economic, nor a practical level. This desire dates back to before my first film, which as you remembered was set in the real world. I believe that behind “O’dessa” there is a rather predictable desire for our time: I wanted to escape from our reality, take refuge in a different place and live there for a while. On a creative level, it was an incredibly stimulating experience, almost an obsession. I spent years to view this world, to build it one piece at a time, to imagine why it existed and how it worked. It was as if all the work I have done in the last twenty -five years had led me to create the reality in which I would then immerse my protagonist.

A fantastic world, but with elements that we also recognize in our reality. I was very impressed by your distorted version of the musical talent shows, a potentially fatal show entitled “The One”. Is it a commentary of the talent, reflecting the pressures that artists and musicians undergo today to achieve success?

In fact, I started working at “O’Dassa” before the musical talent shows became so popular. The basic idea for that passage of the film was born more than a decade ago, together with many other things that ended up in film. You have reason to say that today it seems that the only way to be successful as a musician is to participate in these television programs, which have become a little dystopian and business of them. They transform you into a product. I liked the idea of ​​seeing my protagonist Odessa, who has nothing to do with that world, forced to perform on such stage because in search of something different. His performance takes on a different meaning, because he is not looking for fame or approval of the public, but he only needs to express something inside.

By the way, how did you find the right actress? When did you understand that Sadie Sink was the perfect person for the role?

I searched for years.

I found interesting candidates, but then when I was thoroughly he was always there was something that was wrong. It turned out to be very difficult to find an actress of the caliber of the heroine that I had built, a young woman who was able to carry on the film, to sing, to interpret a love story and at the same time to face action scenes. It was supposed to be a chameleon, capable of adapting to any situation. I was almost about to surrender, thinking that the film would never be done, because everything depended on the interpreter that I could not find. One day Sadie discovered I don’t know where my script, he heard one of the songs that was attached to the script. Without telling me anything, he recovered while playing the guitar and sang the piece. I received this email with its amateur video, and it was an epiphany. I finally saw the movie, I saw my Odessa. It was her, there, at that simple moment. I immediately understood that she was the right person.