Melissa Ricci stars in "Dorner"- Manifesto for murder

The talented and beautiful Melissa Ricci steals the spotlight in Dorner- Manifesto to murder

Hi Melissa. We would like to talk to you about the movie you recently wrapped filming entitled "Dorner"- Manifesto for Murder, which was based on the real life events of ex LAPD officer Christopher Dorner who went on a killing spree back in 2013 in Los Angeles.

How did this role come about and tell us about your character: 

Sure! The director Tim Pipher who I already knew from previous work, contacted me about a feature film based on the Christopher Dorner life events, that he wrote with me in mind as the female lead. After reading the script and talking lengthy about the project, I was definitely up for the challenge. And what a challenge it was! The film was shot only a few months after the real life events unfolded so it was still very fresh and shocking in the public's mind, I knew it was going to be a controversial shoot. As for my character I played Jessica Houses, a news reporter caught up in her own ambition, greed and tragic life circumstances.

This was one of the most talked about manhunts in US history involving Christopher Dorner. Where were you at this time when this happened?

I was in my car, driving when I first heard about it on the radio. It was so unbelievable,worthy of a Hollywood action movie. The manhunt went on for weeks and it was all over the media, everyone was talking about it, taking sides,raising conspiracy theories. Ironically, I tried to switch off from the crazy wave of news information as I needed to focus on another project I was shooting then, but yes, it was hard to ignore. 

How did you get into character for your role, was it challenging?

Actually it was. For one, even though I did some TV hosting before, playing a news reporter is a lot different, particularly one dealing with a real life crime event. I had to do a lot of research, making sure I had my facts right. Also the movie Dorner was mostly a fictional story that resolved around a small group of protagonists with different agendas. My character wasn't the likeable type at all,It was hard to find her humanity without making judgements. Most of the shooting was filmed in green screen and the script was very wordy too, so yes definitely a challenge! 

What was it like working with Producer, Director and Writer Tim Pipher?

It was amazing! Tim Pipher had a great vision in his script and made the shoot run smoothly despite the challenges. He gave us a lot of creative freedom, was always supportive with directions and always made us laugh on set despite the seriousness of the subject. 
A great learning experience. 

In the production, the producers of the film had created million dollar virtual news and talk show sets that were almost identical to the actual sets that viewers were watching on TV during the manhunt. Tell us about this:

Dorner was shot in LA castle studios, a one of a kind high technology green screen studio in Burbank actually owned by Tim Pipher . That 's where most of the filming happened. We were lucky to shoot with the best technology can offer.

Do you see both sides to this tragic story? What are your thoughts as to what happened?

You know the saying, there's your side, their sides and the truth in between. To this day, we still don't know what really happened, I don't take sides it's not my job as an actress. I had to keep an open mind while researching and preparing. I had lots of people on social medias sending me messages about conspiracy theories and what they thought really happened, also there was a ex LAPD officer who contacted me about it, it was all very interesting, everyone came from personal experiences and beliefs and had something valuable to say. 

What would you like audiences to take away with them when they see this film?

First of all, the audience needs to know that Dorner is a fictional movie inspired by real life events, in no way a biopic. It's mainly focusing on the manhunt and the involvement of the media. It gives the audience a chance to see a different perspective, in the end though, they will still have to make up their mind, that's all I can say but there's one thing for sure, it won't leave them indifferent.