Directors Amariah and Obin Olson talk about the inspiration for their new film Operator now in cinemas nationwide.
When a veteran 911 call center operator’s daughter is held hostage, she’s left desperate with no choice but to follow a caller’s rules; send a message through dispatch for all Los Angeles police and fire units to scatter to remote destinations where they are met with chaos; cars crashing, explosions, and gunfire.
Not knowing who or why, the one thing Amanda knows is if she fails to secretly collaborate with one of the police, her ex-husband – she’ll be the sole person responsible for facilitating the biggest crime of the century. Now she must race the clock to make the choice of her life – save the city – or save her daughter.
Operator stars Mischa Barton, Luke Goss, Ving Rhames, Michael Pare.
Operator is an action/thriller exploring an aspect of society that is important but often overlooked: 911 call center operators and emergency dispatchers,” says director Amariah Olson
“The story was compelling for us as directors because of the insight it provides into these unsung heroes, men and women faced with so many crimes and having to learn to deal with these situations as the first response team… and then throw in the thought of “what if this system were taken over by a criminal to pull off the biggest heist of the century?” We thought this idea would be very interesting to explore as a film, thus Operator was born,” he added.
Olson explains the film is about everyday people who get thrown into extraordinary situations. “Luke Goss doesn’t play a superhero cop. In fact, he’s just been demoted and is struggling with his personal life. Mischa Barton’s character is a mother, a behind-the-scenes type of hero. Ving Rhames isn’t just the bad guy. He had to play an intense character with only a phone, no other actors to play off of. Michael Pare’s character is a cop that toys with greed and with frustrations that seem common these days.”