ZP: This is the only version of the film that exists, and it is my cut. I’m never really conscious or concerned with running time when cutting a film. I’m trying to let the film dictate to me what it wants to be. When I get into the editing room (my favorite stage of filmmaking, btw), I try to forget about everything prior to that: the script, the shoot, etc.. They are now irrelevant. All that matters is the pieces you’ve accumulated. The film exists somewhere in those pieces, and it is now my job to find it.

iH: Proxy deals with some difficult subject matter. As a family man, did you find it difficult to work on at times, on an emotional level? 

ZP: There are always going to be some parallels to your own life when writing something, and the fact that my own son is in the film gives me a connection to it that I haven’t experienced in previous work. But I try to stay objective to those connections, to avoid unnecessary influences that may water the film down.

iH: I’m originally from Indiana and still have a lot of family there, but had no idea there was such an interesting film community until recently. Two of the ten movies on my Best or 2014 list were filmed in Indiana – yours and Scott Schirmer’s Found. Can you just talk a little bit about the Indiana film scene? The pros and cons to making a movie in the state? 

ZP: It’s a relatively small community, but there are certainly some talented people here. I think most struggle with getting their work to break the boundaries of the State, but that’s difficult for any indie film. Having no production tax incentives in Indiana doesn’t help lure or keep productions here as well.

iH: Music is so integral to a film’s effectiveness, particularly in horror and otherwise dark content, yet it seems like an afterthought in so many genre films. Can you discuss your approach to the use of music in Proxy and maybe give a few examples of your favorite uses of music in other films? 

ZP: Well, The Newton Brothers have scored all of my films so far, and those guys are just brilliant. I honestly can’t imagine making a film without them. I like the music in my films to have real structure, not just be a source of atmosphere. Rarely do I have a scene with music and dialogue together, because I feel music should be used as a form of dialogue, almost another character in the film. In my opinion, guys like Kubrick, Hitchcock, and more recently von Trier are true masters of how to elevate film through music.

iH: Based on other interviews, I get the sense that you are a horror fan, but don’t necessarily consider yourself a horror filmmaker. As a fan, beyond the classics, what are some modern horror flicks you’ve been particularly fond of? 

ZP: I am, of course, a fan of cinema in general. But I do tend to gravitate toward films that are a bit darker, take risks, and show me something I haven’t seen before, or perhaps present it in a way I haven’t seen.

I don’t really think about genre when making a film, I’m just making the story the only way I know how, filtered through whatever sensibilities I may possess. I understand why people may label PROXY as horror, as it certainly deals with pretty horrific circumstances, and there are much worse things than having your work embraced by one of the most passionate and loyal cinema communities that exist. Like any filmmaker, I just want people to see my work.

iH: I understand your next film is to be shot in Chicago. What can you tell us about that? Any timeframe on when we might see it? 

ZP: Not too much I can say about it except it is something I’ve been working on for awhile, and is definitely the largest film in terms of scope that I’ve ever attempted. Currently, we are scheduled to begin in Chicago late spring/early summer. If things go according to plan, we’d be looking to premiere in early 2016.

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There you have it. We’ll certainly be on the look-out for Parker’s next project, as he has established himself as one of the most interesting filmmakers to keep an eye on, if you ask me.