FILM 1983: FIRST REFORMED

FILM 1983: FIRST REFORMED 

TRIVIA: This is the first movie in which Cedric the Entertainer is credited under his real name, Cedric Kyles.

Filming for the interior and exterior of the church was done at the Zion Episcopal Church in Douglaston, Queens.

Unusually shot in 4:3 ratio. Paul Schrader was inspired to shoot this way by Pawel Pawlikowski's Ida (2013) as he liked the way it framed the human body. Schrader also liked the sense of claustrophobia that the framing suggests.

Paul Schrader considered Jake Gyllenhaal and Oscar Isaac for the lead role but opted for Ethan Hawke instead. He's ten years older and had an innate air of world-weariness that was appropriate for the role.