Whidbey Island is a beautiful setting in the Pacific Northwest. I would know, I was born and raised on the island. That, among many reasons, is why the film Midday Black, Midnight Blue stood out to me as a feature I had to experience during the Seattle International Film Festival. It’s the world premiere of the film. It’s the directors, Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott, debut feature film. And, the story takes place on Whidbey Island.

The synopsis goes as follows: This dark tale follows a grieving man haunted by his memories and spiraling closer to a breakdown two decades after the death of the woman he loved.

In this interview, I talk with both Sam and Daniel about the project, often addressing not only how beautiful Whidbey Island is as a setting for this film, but exactly how intertwined the island is with how the film was made. We also talk details about technical details behind the film, and the significance of grief to this story.

This all coming after a fairly comical moment that occurs as we begin. Watch what I said wrong and listen to the rest of what we discuss here: