Arrested Development in Hawaiʻi: Talking CHAPERONE (2024) with writer/director Zoë Eisenberg & star Mitzi Akaha

Send us a text In this episode of The Fixate & Binge Podcast, host Joe Curdy sits down with writer/director Zoë Eisenberg and starring actress Mitzi Akaha  to unpack their acclaimed 2024 indie film CHAPERONE -- a poignant, quietly powerful coming-of-age story set against the lush, time-suspended backdrop of Hawaiʻi. Drawing on his own experiences living in Hawaiʻi, Joe explores the film’s deeply human themes from the film: arrested development, identity, the illusion of timelessness in Hawaiʻi and the inevitable drift into adulthood. Mitzi Akaha discusses her nuanced performance as Misha — a 29-year-old woman caught between youth and maturity — while Zoë Eisenberg reflects on crafting a narrative that examines age-gap dynamics, personal agency, and the consequences of refusing to grow up. The conversation delves into:The real Hawaiʻi that inspired the film’s emotional toneWhat makes Misha both sympathetic and flawedHow the chemistry between Akaha and Laird Akeo shapes the storyWhy CHAPERONE resonates as a modern, culturally specific portrait of coming of ageWhat surprising, classic film inspired CHAPERONE the most! Thank you for listening! You can find and follow us with the links below! Read our Letterboxd reviews at: https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/ Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/fixateandbingepodcast/?hl=ms Follow us on TikTok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@fixateandbingepodcast