Ariana DeBose & Gabriela Cowperthwaite Talk “I.S.S.”

“I.S.S.” is a smart nailbiter that will stick with you long after the film is over.  Big credit goes to director Gabriela Cowperthawaite (“Blackfish,” “The Grab,” “Megan Leavey”) who grounds the sci-fi thriller in realism.  And a big congrats to Ariana DeBose, who auditioned for the role way before her Oscar-winning performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.”  She has a very emotive face and exactly what a film like “I.S.S.” needs.

The film revolves around a group of astronauts and cosmonauts living aboard the International Space Station, a station divided into two sections – the Russian Orbital Segment and the US Orbital Segment.  So what happens when there’s a conflict between Russia and the US on Earth?  It’s now up to DeBose’s Dr. Kira Foster to figure it all out.

“I.S.S.” is being released by Bleecker Street on January 19^th.

Check out our interview below where we talked about their interest in making the film, how Cowperthwaite injects realism on such a tight budget and limited time, and what they hope for viewers to get after watching the film.