'Encounter' Director Michael Pearce on Diversifying the "American Hero" With Riz Ahmed
While Hollywood has worked hard to become more inclusive in the past few years in front of and behind the camera with diverse stories amplifying representation, film and television have long celebrated our American heroes through the lens of white male heteronormativity — or "white saviors" who enter the milieu through sacrifices and journeys. Respectfully their own tale and experience playing to an age-old narrative, director Michael Pearce brings out another aspect of what it means to be an American hero with his latest feature Encounter starring Riz Ahmed set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Dec. 10.
Following the story of decorated marine corps veteran, Malik Khan (Ahmed) out on a mission to save his two young sons from a mysterious threat of alien parasites, the trio's journey soon takes them in increasing dangerous directions where the boys will leave their childhoods behind. In an exclusive with PopCulture.com host Tania Hussain about the film, which initially debuted at the Toronto Film Festival this past September, Pearce reveals how casting Ahmed — a Muslim, British-Pakistani actor — added a welcomed depth to the story of an American Marine trying to balance fatherhood and PTSD through diversity.
"It was something that came about through casting Riz. I think the character was kind of written for a default white male and then when I met Riz about the project, we read the script, and I just really asked the question, 'Why can't we diversify the choices of people that we're looking for this role.' And I think casting Riz just brought so many new layers of complexity," Pearce told PopCulture. "It increased the level of alienation his character has from the world around him. It amplifies the level of tension with regard to the people he encounters on his journey and in some ways, as the film was trying to sort of defy genre expectations, we felt like there was a great opportunity to defy expectations of who you get to see playing this type of role."
