Usman Riaz has achieved his lifelong dream of realizing his story, The Glassworker, to the screen. Drawing from his own love and practice of art and music, it is easy to see how both characters are avatars for Riaz, as he uses his own experiences to masterfully craft his anti-war story, serving as the film’s writer, director, and co-composer.
A stunning and profound treatise on artistry and the horrors of war, The Glassworker follows the lives of Vincent Oliver (Sacha Dhawan) and Alliz Amano (Anjli Mohindra) as they grow in their respective artistic endeavors (glassworking for Vincent and music for Alliz) against the backdrop of war in their town of Waterfront.
In anticipation of the film’s long-awaited North American release, starting in New York City at the Angelika Film Center & Cafe and in Toronto at TIFF, we spoke with Riaz about the filmmaking process, and in particular how it took over ten years to make the film. We also speak on his partnership with Watermelon Pictures to distribute the film in North America, and what his animation studio, Mano Animation, might have upcoming if The Glassworker succeeds financially.
You can check out our conversation on YouTube below.
The Glassworker will start distributing in US theaters this Friday in New York City, and nationwide in September.