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With his film The Compatriots, director Spencer Cohen set out to tell a story about Dreamers that feels authentic, lived-in, and deeply personal. In this conversation, Cohen speaks with VENTS about the guiding principles behind the film, the challenges of balancing humor with heavy social themes, and the moments during production that tested him the most.
The Compatriots stars Rafael Silva (Don’t Look Up) and Denis Shepherd (Paradise Lost) alongside Dakota Lustick (Dexter: New Blood, The Holdovers), Caroline Portu (Love, Weddings & Other Disasters), Jaison Hunter (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), and Brandon Grimes (PansyVision).
The film’s release also coincides with Citizen Day in the United States (Sept 17, 2025) and highlights the continuing relevance and resonance of stories about immigration, identity, and belonging in American cinema.
VENTS: So what were your guiding principles in portraying undocumented immigrant experiences with authenticity while avoiding stereotypes?
Spencer Cohen: Yeah, thanks for asking. And thanks for watching the film. That was basically my major point of interest going into this film—making an authentic experience for immigrants who were watching.
I set out to not make a film for the white audiences, the citizens of the United States. I set out to make a film about Dreamers for Dreamers. And the way we did that was years of conversation between me and my best friend, Alberto, who the film concept is based on, and him being brought to this country at a very young age.
So he got many late-night Facebook Messenger messages from me like, “How would this go down? How would this character say something to this character? How would the dad speak? Can you go through these lines of dialogue and let me know how this feels?”
When we got closer to production, we brought on a few more Dreamers who had some experience in film. Alberto is an entrepreneur—he owns a print shop—but doesn’t really know that much about film. So we brought in Dreamers with writing experience to get their thoughts and opinions on the script: how would this character say this, how would that character act?
When we went to hire our crew, we really valued people who had personal experiences with this story. We had a lot of first-generation immigrants on set. We had people who had been through the green card process, had sat in those rooms, and could tell me, “This is what would be hanging up on the wall. This is what they’d have in their house.” So everything felt super lived in and authentic.
And yeah, being a director who isn’t of those circles, that was imperative for me—I needed to make sure this was as authentic as possible.
Then obviously in casting, with someone like Rafa, bringing him on board and having him just be himself—that was huge. So when I showed up on set, most of my job was already done, because he felt so authentic. And it showed. We’ve gone through all these film festivals, and people come up to me saying, “Wow, how did you know that’s the color of the wall? How did you know those are the questions they ask? This is my experience—thank you for putting it on screen.” That’s been really cool.
VENTS: The relationships carry both tension and warmth. How did you work with the actors to strike that balance?
Cohen: It was so fun working with the actors. We did chemistry reads early on, before we even cast anybody, just to see how they worked with each other. Could they give each other crap? Could they laugh with each other, smile at each other, fight with each other? There’s a wide range of emotions that come through.
So we ran this gamut of auditions, and when it boiled down to Dennis, Caroline, and Rafa, we knew we had our match.
We built camaraderie by going out for meals before the shoot. We had a week of rehearsals, which was awesome. Some rewriting came out of that—actors saying, “I wouldn’t say this, I’d come in the door and say that instead.” That really helped.
When we got on set, it was great. They’re just so amazing. They really brought themselves to the roles.
Humor in The Compatriots
VENTS: What role does humor play in telling stories that deal with heavy social realities? Because some people insist you can’t have humor with serious topics, but there’s also the reality that humor disarms people and helps them understand.
Cohen: Yeah, that’s kind of what my work revolves around. Those are the films I like to watch. So when I set out to make this film, I asked myself, “What films do I like? What film would I choose on a Friday night, browsing through all the platforms?” And the answer was: I love comedies. I love laughing. I wanted to tell a serious story, but I love laughing.
And I think a lot of other people love laughing too. In theaters, it’s been remarkable to have groups of people all laughing together, feeling together, crying together.
Early reviews of the script—whether from mentors or script services—would say, “You can’t switch up tones like this.” But I pushed back. I said, “This is a film about people. And people have very different tones. People are going through very different things in their lives. Some people are in a romantic comedy, and some people are in a horror film.”
So I said, as long as we stick with the authentic nature of these characters as humans, it will work. And I’m glad we stuck with that, because I think it is a fun ride. People leave the theater not feeling sad and depressed, like when we’re endlessly scrolling on our phones, but uplifted—and wanting to do something to help.
VENTS: Some say you shouldn’t depict toxic behavior on film. But isn’t that part of conflict—and without it, how do you make a compelling story?
Cohen: Yeah, absolutely. Jealousy is one of the major themes, especially for Ryan. He represents a real thing happening in this country: people feeling like their lot in life isn’t due to circumstances they could control, so they look outward to find someone to blame. Usually, they look to their neighbors.
It’s an unfortunate reality of the times we live in, but I thought it was important to pick up on that. People are feeling jealousy, feeling like they’re being passed by, and blaming others when that’s not really the case.
Tough Scenes
VENTS: Was there a moment in the filmmaking process that was especially difficult?
Cohen: Yes. The climactic scene of the film—the verbal fight between Javi and Rafa—was challenging. It was long, with a lot of back-and-forth, blocking, and people in a tight space.
On top of that, we had a hazer filling the room with a smoky vibe for lighting, which made it hard to breathe. It was just a hard scene with a lot of emotions going on. But I’m really proud of how it turned out—Dakota and Rafa nailed it.
There were also stunts. Hunter bursts through the door, tackles someone, all in a small space. Our stunt coordinator had to work that out. It was chaotic, but I think it turned out really well.
People often don’t think about stunts in a movie like this, but they can be just as dangerous as in any other movie. I didn’t know, for example, that if you have a bunch of people jump into a pool, you need lifeguards—especially with SAG. You need a lifeguard for every six people, plus a stunt coordinator.
When we went through the script with the stunt coordinator, he pointed out things I hadn’t considered stunts—like Hunter dancing on the bar. It’s dangerous, so it’s a stunt. Tackling someone to the ground? A stunt. Even if you’re not punching someone in the face, you have to learn how to fall so you don’t hurt your acting partner. So yeah, there are a few stunts in the film.
VENTS: What do you hope The Compatriots does for audiences? What sort of conversations do you want them to have about immigration or other topics?
Cohen: I want them to leave with a better understanding of who Dreamers are. Polling shows Dreamers becoming citizens ranks really high in support, but not very high on people’s lists of issues they want dealt with. Usually it gets lumped in with other immigration or budget issues, which is crazy. Something so popular in polling should be easy to accomplish.
I think that’s because people don’t have personal relationships with Dreamers. My hope is that this film helps people see Javi as a friend and understand what their nurses, their teachers, people in their lives might be going through. There are millions of Dreamers in this country, and you probably interact with them daily without knowing it.
So I hope audiences leave with a better understanding, and will support Dreamers—through legislation or just personally.
VENTS: And they’re not all violent criminals or drug dealers or eating cats and dogs.
Cohen: No, definitely not. Definitely not.
Representation in The Compatriots
VENTS: The film has already won awards and had multiple screenings. Has there been a particular audience reaction that surprised or moved you?
Cohen: At the Chelsea Film Festival screening, a young filmmaker came up to me—I didn’t know her beforehand. She told me she was a Dreamer. She shared her immigration story, where she came from, and said she’d never seen herself on screen before. That was really special, that I could give her that.
We’ve been communicating back and forth since then. She’s sent me some of her projects, and I’ve talked with her about filmmaking. It’s been really cool. I can’t wait to see what she creates, because seeing yourself on screen can be a pretty magical experience. I was just glad I was able to give that to her.
VENTS: Okay. One final question here, if I have enough time. What are you working on next? What’s the next project?
Cohen: Thanks. The next film I have is called 30 Dirty and Trying. It’s about a young couple trying for their first child.
My wife and I were in that position while I was shooting The Compatriots. Unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage the morning of a night shoot—the bar scene where Javi and Hunter first meet. We got the news in the morning, and I had to go to set that night and direct a comedy. Thankfully, she came with me. Our producer had gone through something similar before, which helped.
When the film wrapped, I had to get my emotions out somehow, so I just poured out this 100-page script in a few days. It’s gotten some good traction, and we’re going to start reaching out to talent in the next couple of weeks. I’m very excited about getting that off the ground.
VENTS: …Is there anything else you’d like to add about this movie?
Cohen: I’m just so grateful for everyone who watches this film. If you see it, give us a review on Letterboxd, give us a review on IMDb, tell your friends about it. We’re a smaller independent film—we don’t have huge budgets. We made something we think is very authentic and special, and word of mouth is where this film will live. So please tell everyone about it.
