Pop Culture Unplugged w/ Elias · Exclusive Q&A
Berner Breaks Down the Brotherhood, Betrayal, and Survival of Splash City
The artist, entrepreneur, writer, and filmmaker opens up about envy, environment, Bay Area authenticity, and the hard choices at the center of his gritty crime drama.
In Splash City, Berner explores the fragile line between ambition and survival through brothers Slim and Juju, whose futures become entangled with loyalty, pressure, and violence. In this exclusive conversation with Pop Culture Unplugged w/ Elias, Berner discusses the meaning behind the engagement ring, Dolo’s manipulation, the realities of a 14-day shoot, the film’s Bay Area sound, and why escaping your environment is not always as simple as walking away.
Splash City initially presents Slim as the brother with a clear way forward and Juju as the one being pulled deeper into the streets. Did you intentionally want the audience’s understanding of which brother was truly in control of his future to change as the story unfolded?
Berner: Yes, it was my intention to switch it up because, at the end of the day, the reality is you never really know who has control of what things could happen, especially when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The engagement ring represents the life Slim wants to build, but its theft becomes the event that places that future in danger. What made the ring the right symbol to connect hope, love, pride, and conflict within the story?
Berner: I think what a lot of people don't understand is the ring theft is a definition of envy. Dolo was envious of Slim's happiness, his future, and also that Slim knew himself and what he wanted to do. Destiny pulled Slim away from the lifestyle that Dolo wanted him to be involved in, so there was a lot of tension and envy. The ring being stolen was more of an act envy rather than a monetary gain.
The ring being stolen was more of an act of envy rather than a monetary gain.Berner
Juju’s criminal activity provides him with money and status, but it also creates an obligation to people who are willing to exploit him. How did you approach that tension without completely excusing or condemning his decisions?
Berner: For me, it was easy and natural. It's something I've been around for a long time. I've seen it happen over and over again, that's why I put it in the movie as a sort of life lesson.
Dolo’s control over the crew appears to come from fear, manipulation, and his ability to make people feel dependent on him. What did you want the character to reveal about the difference between leadership and power?
Berner: I just wanted to show that the character used fear and manipulation to control his crew. People respect fear a lot more than love.
People respect fear a lot more than love.Berner
Slim and Juju’s mother and Slim’s girlfriend, Destiny, represent lives and relationships that could exist beyond the streets. What do you believe those women understand about the brothers that the brothers are unable to recognize about themselves?
Berner: They both come from a good home. They both have a shot at being successful because they have a good mother that's in their life. Destiny and their mother see the endless potential in Slim and Juju.
Because the movie was filmed on a tight schedule across numerous San Francisco locations, was there a scene that had to be completely reimagined on the day—and did that unexpected change ultimately improve it?
Berner: There are actually multiple scenes that we could not finish or see through when the movie wrapped. That allowed me to have to rewrite some scenes and personally direct some scenes to tie the film together, so I definitely believe it did improve it.
When you and Alex Ferrufino disagreed about how a scene should be written, performed, or filmed, how did you determine which creative direction best served the story?
Berner: In the heat of the moment, on a 14-day shoot with a tight schedule and minimal budget, we didn't even address that conversation in the moment. I waited till the film was done and wrapped, looked at the scenes that need to be re-shot, and just did it.
Cookies exists prominently within the visual world of Splash City. How did you decide when the brand added authenticity to the characters’ environment and when it might risk distracting viewers from the narrative?
Berner: I did not even think about it. All I thought about was using clothing that did not require a release to be shown on the big screen. With difficulty licensing things for film, it was better for us to use attire with no logo. If we're gonna use attire with a logo, I chose to use my own.
Music has always been one of your strongest storytelling tools. Was there a particular sequence whose meaning or emotional impact changed once you paired it with the finished score or soundtrack?
Berner: I think the score added a lot to our scenes, especially ones where there was violence and tension. We used a Bay Area producer named Traxx from da Rich. He produces a lot of my music, which is typically moody, kind of dark and grimy, so it definitely fit the film. I think it helped a lot of scenes, especially before the climax of the film.
After the final confrontation and everything Juju is forced to face, what question about responsibility, loyalty, or survival did you deliberately want the audience to continue debating after the movie ended?
Berner: It's hard not to be a product of your environment you could consider that survival. He was being forced to steal and hang around the wrong crew. Things went wrong and he wanted to avenge his brother, his hand was forced. I wanted people to talk about how sometimes you just can't always get away from your environment. Sometimes you just have to survive.
Sometimes you just can’t always get away from your environment. Sometimes you just have to survive.Berner