Nigerian-born director Andrew Dosunmu (“Mother of George”) said that even though his new film, “Where Is Kyra?” stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Kiefer Sutherland, the inspiration was anything but glamorous.
“Living in New York, walking by people every day, homeless people, I just wanted to document that,” Dosunmu told TheWrap’s Matt Donnelly at the Sundance Film Festival.
“I wanted to tell a story about these people that are disenfranchised that we see every day. We don’t ask ourselves the question, ‘Why are they here?'”
Also Read: 'Water & Power' Director Talks Threat to US Water Supply (Exclusive Video)
Pfeiffer plays Kyra, a woman who has lost her husband and job in Virginia and moves to New York to live with her elderly mother. When her mother dies, she spirals deeper into debt and devises a desperate scheme to keep from being evicted.
She also meets another nearly-destitute man, played by Sutherland.
“It’s about these two disenfranchised people who need each other’s support,” Dosnumu said. “They both need each other to survive.
Watch the video above.
43 More Portraits Portraits From TheWrap's Sundance Studio Presented by Kia Niro (Exclusive Photos)
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Producer Uri Singer and actors Geena Davis, Tim Robbins, Lois Smith and Jon Hamm, "Marjorie Prime"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Jon Hamm, "Marjorie Prime"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Lois Smith, "Marjorie Prime"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Uri Singer, "Marjorie Prime"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Geena Davis, "Marjorie Prime"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Writer-director Shawn Christensen and stars Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan, Logan Lerman, Blake Jenner, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actresses Elle Fanning and Michelle Monaghan, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actors Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan, Logan Lerman, Blake Jenner, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Elle Fanning, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Blake Jenner, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Michelle Monaghan, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Writer-director Shawn Christensen, "Sidney Hall"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actors Julia Ormond, Martin Donovan and Peter Dinklage with writer-director Mark Palasky, "Rememory"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actor Peter Dinklage, "Rememory"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Mark Donovan, "Rememory"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Julia Ormond, "Rememory"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Mark Palasky, "Rememory"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Thomas Sadoski, "The Last Word"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actress Shiri Appleby, actress Judy Greer, director Janicza Bravo, actress Nia Long, co-writer-star Brett Gelman, "Lemon"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Judy Greer, "Lemon"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Shiri Appleby, "Lemon"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Nia Long, "Lemon"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Director and co-writer Janicza Bravo, "Lemon"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actor and co-writer Brett Gelman, "Lemon"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actor Nnamdi Asomugha, actress Natalie Paul, writer-director Matt Ruskin, actor Lakeith Stanfield, "Crown Heights"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Lakeith Stanfield, "Crown Heights"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Matt Ruskin, "Crown Heights"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Natalie Paul, "Crown Heights"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Nnamdi Asomugha, "Crown Heights"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Director Evgeny Afineevsky, "Cries From Syria"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Actress Alfre Woodard, actor DeRon Horton, writer-director Gerard McMurray, executive producer Common, and actors Tosin Cole and Trevor Jackson, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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DeRon Horton, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Alfre Woodard, DeRon Horton and Gerard McMurray, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Tosin Cole, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Trevor Jackson, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Executive producer Common, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Alfre Woodard, "Burning Sands"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Director Andrew Dosunmu, "Where is Kyra?"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Erica Sashin, Marina Zenovich, Lynne Kirby, Stacey Offman, "Water and Power"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Director Jack Henry Robbins, "Hot Winter"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Tim Robbins, "Hot Winter"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Director Kitty Green, "Casting Jonbenet"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
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Director Brian Knappenberger, "Nobody Speak"
Photographed by Jana Cruder for TheWrap
Sundance 2017: Jon Hamm, Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning among the stars shot by photographer Jana Cruder in Park City
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