Introduction: In his short film Never Back Down, Jay Chorney introduces us to John Enzio, a man caught between the shadows of his past life of crime and addiction and his desperate search for redemption through boxing and fitness. Chorney, a seasoned veteran of physical education and health, draws from his own personal battles, including fluctuations in weight and moments of inner conflict, to create a deeply authentic portrayal of John’s struggle. In this interview, Chorney delves into the inspirations behind the character of John Enzio, the symbolic relationships that drive the narrative, and the raw, unfiltered process of capturing the essence of addiction, loneliness, and the fight for transformation on screen.
Patrick Roy, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): What inspired you to create John Enzio’s character, a man struggling between his past life of crime and addiction and his desire for redemption through boxing and fitness?
I’m inspired when I think about the battle between a person and themselves when it comes to overcoming their own physical and mental status. Exercise, fitness, and especially boxing are known to change one’s mindset and confidence. It feels like you are winning some battle against yourself. I’m a veteran of physical education and health so my teaching experiences in gyms, fitness training others in gyms, and training myself of course have led to a transparent understanding of transforming oneself. So John Enzio’s character is probably a product of my own inner battles including weight gain and weight loss fluctuations which the character expresses in the opening scene of the film. The idea of the other battles within John’s character such as addiction and a past life of crime seems like a perfect antagonistic situation for John as he strives for a new healthy and clean lifestyle.
(UM): The relationship between John and Bailey, the Shih Tzu, seems to symbolize loyalty in its purest form. Can you elaborate on the significance of this relationship and how it reflects John’s journey?
Dogs have truly surpassed humans in demonstrating loyalty and purity. The more dogs I meet, the less I like people sometimes. Bailey the Shih Tzu dog that ends up in John’s life unexpectedly, is first rejected by John until he realizes that his own sinful life of violence, crime, and aggression is a reflection of a typical abandoned dog that might have had a better chance of innocence and purity in life with the right human family. John realizes that abandonment is one of the worst things that has happened repeatedly in his own life, and Bailey (who happens to be my dog in real life) should never be abandoned especially to maintain this true blessing of this God-sent creature of purity amongst us. This is significant in John’s journey of transformation because he has this opportunity to break this pattern of abandonment by not abandoning Bailey while she is homeless, hungry, and longing for companionship.
(UM): How did you approach depicting John’s battle with drug addiction and withdrawal symptoms? Was there a specific message or reality you wanted to convey about addiction and recovery?
During filming, I was suffering from a nagging lingering cough that was coupled with nausea and sometimes vomiting from withdrawal symptoms because I had been prescribed a significant medication that was meant to be taken long-term, and when it was time to taper off, my doctor guided me which is key and safe, but I unfortunately personally had a hard time anyway so some of these real-life withdrawal symptoms I was able to actually capture on film. As a director, I like to capture real moments from my characters for the sake of authenticity in film. The message I wanted to convey on film is “never back down” from one’s own struggle whether it’s recovery from addiction or any type of physical or mental transition one must go through to become the best version of themselves.
(UM): John’s relationship with his daughter, Sarah, is strained and distant. What is the significance of this dynamic in John’s story, and how does it affect his desire for redemption?
John’s daughter Sarah is a true symbol of abandonment and regret because their relationship is depicted as distant and strained due to John’s fallout as a father who was needed in her life instead of his pursuit of crime and destructive lifestyle.
(UM): Peter, a 13-year-old street kid, serves as one of John’s few connections to the world. What role does Peter play in John’s struggle to stay clean, and why is it important to have a young character in this role?
Peter just like Bailey is still pure but on the verge of meeting the demise of the streets without guidance or direction. John knows that Peter could easily be a younger version of himself heading in the wrong direction in life, so he mentors Peter, while also Peter mentors John which is significantly what John needs, to hear a still pure version of himself to keep him on his toes while John trains to be a boxer again. John knows he was at his best as a boxer when he was living a clean and pure healthy life. He longs for that feeling again of the human spirit that he once had. This is why it was important to me to cast a young actor in this role. I wanted to capture the essence of young purity. Peter is played by my real-life son.
(UM): Boxing and physical exercise are central to John’s attempt to focus on his health and well-being. What does boxing symbolize in the context of John’s transformation and his battle against his inner demons?
Boxing has always been a very mental and sometimes lonely sport where you don’t have a team to rely on to pass a ball or something else. If you are getting beat down and trapped in the corner, you have to rely on your own human spirit to overcome the fear, the loneliness, the doubt, the anxiety or depression, and anything that stands in your way from physically and mentally moving forward from the corner in this life. Even boxing fitness and training is a true testament to inner strength and transformation. John’s boxing journey is an exact reflection of the concept of you against you. Even to defeat his own inner demons. To Never Back Down.
(UM): John is depicted as a very lonely character, often cut off from his past and struggling to connect with others. How did you want to explore the themes of loneliness and isolation in this film?
John’s loneliness and disconnection from his past and people are explored through the lack of characters in a single frame during filming, and sometimes tighter shots expressing John’s isolation while he reflects deeply, or desperately talks on a seemingly distant phone call. This all represents the way John feels throughout the film while depicting isolation and abandonment so that we can watch the character progressively overcome these negative reactions through inner strength, physical strength, and perseverance. Having a very low budget for this film has ultimately helped depict the lack of people and connections in John’s life. I am all too familiar with poverty and even bankruptcy so it was easy to depict other aspects of John’s isolation and struggle as well. I filmed on location in Brooklyn in some of the more deprived lonely parts even where the current migrant crisis is unfolding. One scene includes a real street food pantry refrigerator set up by locals for those starving. John’s character can be seen there struggling.
(UM): Characters like Molly, Tommy, and Frank play crucial roles in John’s life. How did you decide on their roles, and what impact do they have on John’s personal growth throughout the film?
The struggles and conflicts within these urban New York streets in reality range from individuals such as Frank the mob crew member owing a debt, Tommy the individual who tries to escape addiction and even suicide, or Molly the escort girl who becomes more to John, as he becomes more than just a client to her sex work. Together the dynamics of these characters that revolve around John Enzio give us a clear fleeting picture of abandonment and disconnection when things go in the wrong direction, and it reminds us as viewers that this life is ultimately a dead end in similar situations like this, so these types of characters drive and motivate John to ultimately choose himself and to find a way to transform and love himself again.
(UM): The film seems to have a significant emotional arc, especially with John’s relationship with Bailey and the loss and reunion they experience. How did you capture the emotional depth of these moments in the film?
As I said earlier, a dog is ultimately a God-sent creature that is unique in a world of abandonment and disloyalty. Only in a dog from my own experience have I seen the purest connection possible. A selfless unconditional love for us even in our worst moments that would normally turn another human being away from us. Bailey always remains a friend and family who needs John’s love just as much. John realizes he needs to fulfill this for her also because early on in the film we realize that Bailey is on the verge of being homeless otherwise.
The film’s title, Never Back Down, suggests a theme of perseverance. How does this title reflect John’s journey, and what message do you hope audiences take away from his story?
By the end of the film, the viewer will have a clearer picture of what Never Back Down actually means to the film or John, and even to the viewer themselves. Perseverance comes in many personal forms. As for John, well…it was certainly a “wild trip”, and health factors were involved, plus very significant street obstacles, and lots of transformation and reflection even simultaneously while sobering up. We see the clarity through John’s eyes depicted with certain styles of lighting and differences between lighting and color. Ultimately to keep going he has to decide to Never Back Down.
(UM): Directing oneself can be particularly challenging. How did you navigate the process of both directing and acting in key emotional scenes? Did you rely on any specific techniques or support from your crew?
I used lots of methods of acting which means embedding the real current emotional or physical state of myself and the others into the film, with very spontaneous filming, so if I or someone else was feeling a type of mood in reality it would be easy to capture the moment of authenticity by hitting the record button immediately and building a scene from there with my IPhone in hand. If I was literally doing a boxing workout out in my yard and I had an idea for a scene, I would hand the camera over to my son and start the directing process spontaneously. Lots of improvisation work uniquely 80 percent of the time is the heart of my writing process. The film has won multiple awards with one of the categories awarded for best short film with an iPhone. Sometime in the early 2000’s before the term “selfie” was a thing and before I had an iPhone, I became known for making selfie-style music videos. I am a drummer turned hip hop producer, but I started as a live drummer in the grunge band Spilt Milk that has played in New York’s famed CBGB’s club. Some of my recent hip-hop instrumentals are credited in the film. Never Back Down is currently a trilogy. My daughter has become part of the trilogy as well. There is more than meets the eye during the filming of Never Back Down, so I’m hopeful that the audience will appreciate the film’s deeper takeaways if they want to catch them.
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