Interview: Brit Marling, Ellen Page, and Zal Batmanglij talk 'The East'

When I walked into the Sundance screening of Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij's eco-terrorism thriller, The East, I had no idea what to expect. Unlike many others who were infatuated with Marling after Another Earth, it left me a little cold. But when she teamed up with Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice, they put together a provocative thriller and one of last year's great surprises. But I wasn't convinced they could replicate its success, and was pleased to be proven completely wrong by the time I walked out of the theater.

The East is a brainy, politically-charged film that manages to also be a white-knuckle experience, a rare combination nowadays. Marling plays a corporate spy who goes deep cover in a eco-terrorist cell targeting wealthy CEOs whose companies are wreaking havoc on the planet's environment. Alexander Skarsgard plays their charismatic leader, with Ellen Page as his fiery lieutenant, and soon they begin to turn the conservative Marling over to their cause.

Me and a few colleagues had a chance to talk with Marling, Page, and Batmanglij about their experiences filming The East, their thoughts on activism, living the Freegan lifestyle, and more. You can check out the interview below.

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The East opens nationwide on June 7th. You can check out an early review here.