Dave Rosenberg loves acting. Having starred in both big budget and more independent style films, he’s now turned his hand to writing and producing with the fruits of his labour resulting in new film The Reunion. Very much a passion project, the film has taken years to achieve being made, and is based on a real-life traumatic experience that occurred during Dave’s childhood. With the film screening as part of The New York City Independent Film Festival this week, PopWrapped caught up with Dave to find out more about the film, what he hopes those who watch it will take from it and what his future acting plans are.

What would you say inspired you to go into acting, and low long have you been a part of the industry for?

I’ve been an actor for about 20 years, off and on. When I was in college at Hofstra University, I was doing sports broadcasting, and that’s what I was going to pursue. But in my senior year, I saw the movie Jerry Maguire and loved it. I memorized one of the Tom Cruise monologues and performed it for a friend of mine and she said, “That was really good. You should be an actor”. So, I looked in the Yellow Pages – yes, it was that long ago – where I found an acting class near me, and I fell in love with it from there. When I found HB Studio in the West Village, that became my home base, and I was hooked!

You’ve had roles in indie films and major films, such as A Beautiful Mind and Maid in Manhattan, but which of your roles have you found to be the most fulfilling and why?

Without a doubt, playing “Ricky” in The Reunion has been the most fulfilling, being that it was a story about one of the most thrilling and terrifying experiences of my life. I’d dreamed about playing that part for almost 2 decades, and I was in practically every scene. The other one would be an indie film I did called Overnight Sensation, which was my first part in a feature film. Ironically, I played a young filmmaker who was trying to sell his film at Sundance; the irony being that I’m trying to sell my own film now. The other fun fact from that movie is that I played the nemesis of the lead actor, Sean Duga, and, almost 20 years later, in The Reunion, he plays my nemesis! A Beautiful Mind and Maid in Manhattan were very exciting, but I unfortunately got cut out of both.

Tell me a little about your feature film, The Reunion. It’s taken almost two decades to bring to fruition, but what was it about the idea/premise for this film that you were so passionate about?

When I was about 23, I saw the movie Good Will Hunting and it blew me away. I’d never seen anything like it, and identified on such a deep level. And they – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck – created it themselves. That movie inspired me to make my own movie. A few years later, I was on a spiritual journey in Union Square Park, and I saw my nemesis from childhood, who was part of my group of friends that turned against me and was the traumatic event of my childhood. I’d been having nightmares about this guy for years. Seeing him shook me to the core. I told my two acting buddies, Andrea Modica and Dinh Doan, who are my co-producers, co-creators and co-stars in the film, about it. Andrea said, “You have to confront this guy,” and Dinh said, “You have to write about this”. So, I set about doing both. Andrea started training me to confront him and I started writing this screenplay The Reunion – with Dinh and Andrea – about a guy who confronts his childhood nemesis at their high school reunion.

We did a reading in Tribeca in 2008 which garnered a lot of attention, but we weren’t able to raise the money. In 2012, I moved to Los Angeles and became a middle school teacher. I thought the movie was toast; I was hardly even acting, and hadn’t spoken to Dinh and Andrea for years. But in 2018, my grandmother passed and left me some money. And 2 years in a row, one of my young, female students said something to the effect of “Mister, why are you not acting or on some red carpet somewhere, you’re always talking about it!” And I woke up one morning at around 4am and said to myself: “We need to do this. It’s now or never”. So, I called Dinh and Andrea and asked if they wanted to try again, convinced that they were going to think I was in a straitjacket, calling after all these years, but they were open to the idea – and the rest is history.

As you mentioned, the story of your character in The Reunion, Ricky, is based on your own childhood traumatic experience. Did you find it easier or more challenging playing a role who was essentially yourself?

I think it was easier, once I was able to let go of the middle school teacher I’d become, and tap back into that young idealist that was on this epic adventure. And it was also easier in that I was acting with my friends, including Austin Pendleton, who plays Al, who was a mentor of mine – and acting in Union Square, where so much of this story took place years agol that was thrilling!

What do you want people to come away with after watching your film?

This started off as a kind of revenge fantasy, confronting the person that one fears most in this world. Then it became about HOW to confront this person, through Andy’s – played by Andrea Modica – Western Credo to “take action” or through Danny’s – played by Dinh Doan – Eastern Philosophy of “Letting Go”. And ultimately, for me, it’s about confronting oneself, forgiving and accepting others, and healing a deep wound. So, I hope that people will come away asking themselves: “Who do I fear the most in this world and why?” and “What is it within myself that I need to confront?”. I hope that people feel a sense of healing and catharsis, and that they walk away entertained and inspired.

The Reunion is now hitting the indie film festival circuit, including the 12th Annual New York City Indie Film Festival this week, June 9th and 12th. What are your hopes and plans for the film beyond that?

We’re very excited and grateful to The New York City Independent Film Festival and Dennis Cieri, the Executive Director, for accepting our film. We’ve sold out 2 shows already, and hope to sell out a 3rd. Tickets are still available for June 12th at 4pm. Next up is hopefully many more festivals; we’re waiting to hear back from Nyack and Melbourne, Soho and about 22 others. And we’re hoping to get picked up by the right distribution company.

Now that you’ve written and produced your first screenplay, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the whole process?

Wow, great question! This has been a dream – and a nightmare. I worked with many friends on this project. Some friendships survived and some didn’t. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s all about relationships. In the movie business, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the bright lights and the ego and the credits and the validation. But at the end of the day, that’s all bullshit. It’s really about the people and the relationships we build. So the lesson, for me, is how can I be more kind, patient and loving? How can I accept myself and others more? When do I need to take action, and when do I need to let things go? – which is, coincidentally, what the movie is about.  

Finally, what’s next you in terms of acting and in general?

After a much-needed break in Costa Rica, I’ll be returning for my 6th year of teaching middle school in Los Angeles. I will continue acting and playing roles that challenge me to grow. And I will continue looking for projects like The Reunion that inspire me to put my blood, sweat and tears into them, because those are the projects that are worth doing. For more info about The Reunion, visit the website, check out the Facebook page, follow the film on Twitter or you can e-mail me.