Drive Me To The End – In This Dark Comedy, Kate Lister Plays High Functioning Autistic Character, Sunny Raei

Kate Lister came on Drive me to the end early on. She was connected to the Producer and Director from a project they worked on a couple of years before. She didn’t have to audition. This project has been an ongoing conversation for the previous year and a half. So, it has been in the works for sometime.

indieactivity: What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
Kate Lister (KL): My character is so different from any other character I have ever played. Sunny has autism, she is high functioning, and I loved the message this film is sending. It’s a dark comedy yet shines a light on some very relevant topics.

You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
Kate Lister (KL): I am in love with filmmaking. Creating something from scratch is the most incredible feeling. I respect anyone that can start and then actually finish an indie feature film when the budget is minimal.

Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
Kate Lister (KL): Breath

Watch Drive Me To The End on Amazon Prime

The trailer for Drive Me To The End stars Kate Lister as Sunny Raei

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How did you create your character from ground up?
Kate Lister (KL): Yes, I spent 2 full months researching, meeting with people on the spectrum and creating my character. I know in the film world this is not a long time but that’s all I had to work with. I feel like I have learnt so much and have so much respect for people with Autism or families with family members on the spectrum.

As the main cast in the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Were you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes were difficult to shoot?
Kate Lister (KL): I was terrified and I still am. Playing my character was a massive responsibility and who knows how it will read on screen. The lead actor and I had many difficult scenes due to the logistical side of filming in a car… so technically this was testing – yet so rewarding.

Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?
KL: One of my creative choices apart from the characteristics of my character was to have an item of clothing (Bandana) on my character in every scene- this was something that grounded me and made me feel like ‘Sunny’.

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What did you take away from the film production?
KL: I have always felt this way as I have worked on the crew side of films also, but the crew are incredible… They work so hard to make everything come together, and I have come away knowing that if you have a great crew with fantastic work ethics then even if the shoot is long hours and hard work you’re going to have a complete feature film on your hands. This crew was EPIC.

What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
KL: Richard Summers – Calvert has such a quirky brain and it must be trusted!

What is next for you?
KL: The hustle begins again. I will be heading back to Australia from London and I will be focusing on Auditions and theatre work. When a project comes to an end it’s funny how ‘The Hustle’ kicks back in the day after filming.

What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
KL: Enjoy the process. I absolutely loved building my character and it made filming so much more fun.

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