The implosion of corporate giants like Enron, Worldcom, Tyco, Adelphia, ImClone and Martha Stewart’s recent convictions, and countless other examples of corporate and personal malfeasance, are topics that have dominated the evening news broadcasts and the business pages. As thousands of hard-working American citizens lose their jobs and their hard-earned life savings, the calls for action have become increasingly louder. This is part of the landscape that Lee surveys in his latest feature film, She Hate Me.

“The story of She Hate Me is very simple. It’s about sex, greed, money and politics.” Lee was inspired by the recent events involving Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Alpelhia, Martha Stewart – the Waksals and Tyco. Greed and fraud seems to have replaced good governance and corporate responsibility. “These corporations had some shaky people at the top. I decided to pair that line of inquiry with the idea of sex and procreation. A volatile mixture. This film is also a commentary on the hypocrisy of America on the issue of sex. I wanted to raise questions about the decline of morals and ethics in America – from the boardroom to the bedroom.”

Lee feels that in present day America, there appears to be a gray line between morality and ethics. “There’s the feeling that people will do anything for money. Every human being is going to have to make a choice and the choice you make will depend upon your ethics and your morals. People have to deal with the consequences of those choices ” says Lee.

Lee and co-writer Michael Genet started with the idea of a miracle drug to be used to cure HIV. The complications that follow are symptomatic of a corporate and personal culture in decline. Adding the sexual component to the film in the form of Fatima, Alex and the other lesbians guide the audience to a point where sex, politics and money meet. The provocative pairing of sex and corporate culture in the script was a clarion call to everyone who became a part of the team.

Preston Holmes, a producer who has worked with Lee on several other projects, said ‘yes’ when approached to work on She Hate Me. “I have tremendous respect for Spike as a filmmaker and for the passion that he brings to each project.”

Holmes continues; “She Hate Me is an interesting story that operates on different layers. It deconstructs and explores American society. It’s a wickedly funny satire. On the surface it’s a story about a young man, but the event that triggers it is an insider trader scheme.” She Hate Me shows the underbelly of American society. “America is a country that claims to champion honesty over capital concerns, but [more] often than not ends up vilifying anyone who does stand up,” says Holmes.

The Cast On Their Characters
Lee approached Anthony Mackie about taking the role of Jack while directing him on Sucker Free City, his recent project for Showtime. “I was very impressed with his work on SFC and wanted to keep working with him. There’s a new generation of fine actors being forged right now and I feel that Anthony is one of them,” says Lee.

Holmes comments, “Casting has always been one of Spike’s strong points. He has a unique skill to spot and recognize talent.” Lee offers, “I’ve always wanted to be in a position where our films can be a vehicle, a launching pad for young talented people who need a shot. There’s an abundance of talent, but not an abundance of good roles. So with the opportunity we had there are a couple of roles for each film that can we can really let some young hungry talented person shine. This is part of the agenda, so we have always tried to do that. I think it something the audience loves when they feel they are part of the discovery. People want to see familiar faces, but at the same time they want to see new fresh faces too.”

Lee worked with casting director Kim Coleman to make his final choices. Of Mackie, Holmes adds; “Anthony exemplifies the qualities that Spike looks for in an actor. This has been a major opportunity for Anthony and he has made the most of it.” Needless to say, Mackie was interested and leapt at the opportunity to participate in She Hate Me. He feels that not many directors are making issue-driven films and that Spike’s take on white-collar crime in America was badly needed. “White-collar crime hurts millions of ordinary people every year,” comments Mackie.

Mackie’s decision was greatly influenced by his faith in Lee’s ability to present difficult and controversial issues in a palatable way. “Spike has the ability to show you everyday situations without knocking you over the head with the information.” explains Mackie. Having committed to the role, Mackie was impressed by how deep Lee was willing to go in exploring the issues of corruption in the nation’s boardrooms and its bedrooms.

Mackie was also impressed by the complexity of Jack’s characterization. “African-American men in particular are not allowed to be very complex in the movies. The film deconstructs some of the stereotypes of what people are supposed to be,” explains Mackie. Determined to explore the type of environment that would produce a character like Jack, Mackie spent time on the campuses of Wharton Business School and Harvard University.

The challenge of playing Jack was an emotionally exhausting experience for Mackie. Jack begins the film with all of the accoutrements of success – a great job on Wall Street, material possessions and an overwhelming sense of confidence in his abilities and his capability to achieve his goals. Soon that is stripped from him. He is left selling his sperm for money, but through the process of that experience learns what is truly important. He realizes that his priorities had been misplaced. “Material things lose their hold on him; family, love, integrity - while they were always important, take their true place in his life,” says Mackie.

Lee knew Kerry Washington from watching her work in independent films. “I made a note to myself about working with her in the future,” recalls Lee. The opportunity to make good on his promise to himself came when he started looking for someone to play the role of Fatima.

Kerry Washington read the script on a plane while traveling across the country to meet with Lee. Her first reaction: “Oh my God, What have I gotten myself into?” Her second thought was, “Thank God, someone is addressing corruption in corporate life.” As an actor who had long yearned for the chance to work with Lee, Washington knew that this would be the opportunity of a lifetime. “I’m drawn to Spike’s work because it’s so layered. He has a unique perspective on American life.”

During a walk following the meeting, Washington was offered the chance to bring Fatima to life. She describes Fatima as ‘a very smart, driven, freethinking, and independent woman. She has a large appetite for life.” Fatima is on a journey of self-discovery. “She has to learn to accept and love all the parts of herself. She has to have the courage to be herself fully in the world.”

Holmes remarks that “Spike felt that Kerry would be the perfect Fatima to Anthony’s Jack. She certainly has the talent to do what ever she wants.” Mackie adds, “Kerry’s generosity as an actor made it easy to work together. She is a very beautiful woman.”

The relationship between Jack and Fatima is marked by “unresolved issues, frayed edges and betrayals. By the end of the story, they have both grown enough to make peace with themselves and with each other,” says Washington. She continues that Mackie’s support was essential to accomplishing the work. “He is an incredible actor whom I love and respect. The scenes’ emotional and physical intimacy was very hard to do. He made me feel respected and supported.”

Dania Ramirez was cast as Fatima’s partner, Alex. It was important for Washington and Ramirez to project a feeling of complete compatibility on screen. Their ease with each other was evident from their first meeting. “Chemistry was great from the beginning. We made a really great team.” Mackie says of Ramirez, “She has a very beautiful aspect to her character that shows itself immediately.”

Of the other members of the ensemble, Holmes says, “Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Woody Harrelson, Q-Tip, Brian Dennehy, John Turturro, Lonette McKee, Jim Brown, Sarita Choudhury, Bai Ling, Ossie Davis, Paula Jai Parker signed up because they respected Spike as a filmmaker.” Money was not a major consideration, according to Mackie. “Nobody works with Spike for money. You work with Spike because of Spike.”

Lee realizes that a great many actors want to work with him – the filmmaker. Yet he is adamant that actors also wanted to work with on She Hate Me because of the script. “The stellar cast we were able to secure was drawn to the film because of the subject matter. They wanted to participate after reading the script that Michael and I wrote. The issues that we were exploring were interesting to them as well.”

Lee continues. “Casting is a very mysterious process. Sometimes actors drop out of a project that you initially thought were the perfect match for the role. Then someone else is cast who ends up being exactly what the role needed. That happened on this project. In the end, everyone turned out to be perfect for what we wanted to do. What’s important is the end result.”

Like many directors, Lee favors a period of rehearsal to help the cast get comfortable with the script and with each other. This time was no exception. However in addition to their regular rehearsal sessions, the female cast members were enrolled in seminars to introduce them to lesbian culture.

Lee explains. “I wasn’t going to ask anyone about their sexual preference, but I wanted to make sure that everyone would be comfortable. The seminars were intended for everyone’s benefit, so that they would have the necessary background from which to start building their characters.”

“Spike decided that he wanted to get the input from someone within the lesbian culture. He didn’t want to fall back on clichés,” add Holmes.

To introduce the women to the intricacies of lesbian life; the producers retained Tristan Taormino, a well-known writer, editor, advice columnist and sex educator whose insights on sexual matters has been published in publications such as Paper Magazine, The Village Voice, Penthouse and On Our Backs. Over the course of two weeks, two hours a day, Taormino guided the women through lesbian culture. Washington describes the experience as being “very informative. She talked about lesbian sex, and identity. We had panel discussions. It did what it was intended to do – make us more comfortable with the material that we were bringing to the screen.”

Washington feels bringing lesbians to the screen in all their diversity and complexity is a step in the right direction. “It allows audiences to have more honest discussions about sexual identity.”

About The Production
She Hate Me was shot entirely on location in New York City over the course of 28 days. Lee’s preparedness and ability to focus on the task at hand made the independent shoot an exercise in efficiency and professionalism. Holmes marvels at Lee’s talent for getting things done under severe circumstances. “We had limited resources and a curtailed production schedule. Spike moved quickly. It was challenging, but we finished two days earlier than scheduled.”

Lee is able to concentrate on directing his films because he hires a creative team that understands his unique creative vision and helps him to achieve it. “Spike surrounds himself with smart people. Everyone, cast and crew, felt privileged to work with him,” explains Washington.

Holmes thinks that people are attracted because they recognize that a Spike Lee Joint will be a creative challenge. “Spike has a willingness to take risks. He wants to try things differently. Having a Director of Photography like Matty Libatique, who is a collaborator and willing to take a fresh look within the confines of the budget is a great asset,” says Holmes.

Lee describes the production as an enjoyable experience. “Working with Matty was a joy. We experimented with interesting ways to tell the story. There were often two or more cameras covering the scenes. I wanted fluidity to the look and feel of the story.”

She Hate Me marks the first time that he has worked with Lee. Once he had gotten over the fact that he was working with one of the directors that inspired him to a life in film, Libatique found Lee to be very approachable. “I had to work with him as a director, not as a hero.”

Out of his conversations with Lee concerning the script, Libatique developed a visual language to demarcate the three levels on which the film operates. “There’s the cold and professional world of Wall Street, Jack’s personal life and the central life with the women that blends the two,” explains Libatique.

He used warm color tones to chart Jack’s passage to becoming a more outward looking, compassionate and empathetic person. The interaction between the women called for colors that blended the warm tones with the colder hues from those sections of the film that deal with Jack’s professional life.

Libatique praises Lee’s understanding of the way that technology can enhance the storytelling. “Spike has mastered the art of shaping a scene with multiple cameras.” The film was shot on 16mm and transferred to digital intermediate to make the final film. “It’s economical and a creatively useful way to use the technology that is available,” concludes Libatique.

Washington notes Lee’s regard for his actors. “He surprised me. He doesn’t coddle actors because he respects them. He trusts us to do the work. It was necessary for me to grow as an adult to work on the film. I would not have been able to expose my vulnerability in the scenes.”

She recalls shooting the scene in which Jack catches Fatima making love in their apartment. “It was intense, but at the end of the work day, he presented me with a huge bouquet of red roses. It was a lovely gesture which told me that he appreciated the work that I had done to complete that scene.”

Though he had just completed work with Lee on Sucker Free City, Mackie found himself having to make some adjustments. “It was hard to be in almost every scene.” He remembers shooting the SEC courtroom scene with Brian Dennehy. “It was nerve wracking. There was lots of dialogue and it was a very hard scene to do. Spike gave as much time as I needed to do it right.”

Camaraderie between the actors helped to make the film’s provocative political and sexual scenes much easier to manage. Mackie’s first intimate scene on film takes place with Monica Bellucci. “She was very understanding of the situation. She is beautiful both externally and internally.” Mackie was also pleased by the chance to work with another of his heroes – Q-Tip. “I grew up listening to him. To meet and work with him was phenomenal. He was very open to ideas.” Mackie also cites Ellen Barkin for being, “easy to work with, and very supportive of everyone’s work. There were no egos on set.”

Lee gives equal time to each of the elements that go into making his films. Production design equals cinematography equals art design equals writing equals costume design. They each get the same respect and attention. These elements are at the grasp of the filmmaker to help tell their story, and Lee understands the importance of each one. Music is one of the elements that audiences remember from a Spike Lee Joint. “A lot goes into my choice of music. I’m thinking about music while I’m working on the script. I’ve been fortunate to work with great musicians, great artists throughout the years, my father Bill Lee – a great composer who composed all the music for my films even back in film school, Mo’ Better Blues and since Jungle Fever, it’s been Terence Blanchard.”