Interview with Filmmaker Rachel Econ (WIDOW)

WIDOW was the winner of BEST ACTION FILM at the May 2019 Action Film Festival in Toronto.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Rachel Econ: I grew up in Southern Arizona so it’s hard not to make a western when you have all that history in your backyard. My goal as a filmmaker has always been to create narratives with strong female characters at the helm, ready to face down whatever fate throws at them. I’ve always felt women in action/adventure movies always get the short of end of the stick. Our arcs are always learning to how to hold gun or learning to stand up for ourselves, when in reality those characters are already stronger and braver than they are given credit for. I figured what better place to start than with the male dominated western, a genre based on an era where you had to…