We Strangers with Anu Valia and Janicza Bravo (Ep. 561)

Director Anu Valia discusses her new film, We Strangers, with fellow Director Janicza Bravo in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses using the story to explore themes of power, class and loving oneself, working with Actor Kirby Howell-Baptiste to flesh out the protagonist, and collaborating with her Cinematographer to discover opportunities for shots while on-set.

The film tells the story of Rayelle, a rural housekeeper who takes on a new and enigmatic job for a therapist client. But after she impulsively claims she can speak to the dead, Rayelle finds herself in an odd position of power and an ever-deepening web of deceit.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

dga.org/events/2025/october2025/westrangers_qn…