Talking to Strangers

Talking to Strangers is a 1988 American drama film directed by Rob Tregenza. It marked Tregenza's debut as a feature-length film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. It is composed of nine scenes, each one filmed only once and presented as an uninterrupted ten-minute take. Except for the first and last scenes, the remaining seven were arranged in a random order chosen by Tregenza's computer. The film was shot in widescreen 35 mm and mixed in Dolby Stereo sound. It was made on location in Baltimore, Maryland where Tregenza and his wife and producer, J.K. Eareckson, were already established as artists and industrial filmmakers, creating advertisements and corporate films to financially support their work in experimental filmmaking. Plot An aspiring writer works at odd jobs and wanders through a city as he looks for inspiration. Over the course of a day, he has nine distinct encounters with different strangers. They range from a Catholic priest he corners for a philosophical discussion in the confessional to a disturbing episode with a nihilistic thug who has commandeered a city bus. Cast Ken Gruz - Jesse Dennis Jordan - Red Coat Marvin Hunter - General Caron Tate - Ms. Taylor Henry Strozier - Priest Richard Foster - Slick Sarah Rush - Potter