Richard Jenkins and Haaz Sleiman in The Visitor Courtesy of Overture Films

In the film, Richard Jenkins' character, Walter, finds drumming to be a liberating, primal experience. What gave you the inspiration for the act of drumming to be that cathartic force?
Good question. I did have the idea early on that he would be a musician. It seems it is every young guy's dream — from America and other countries — to go to New York and become a musician. I think the City is something of a Mecca in that way. I think that it started there. I also liked the connection with Richard at the piano at the [beginning]. Just as you said, there is something about the drum that is so cathartic and it is so easy [to find] a release. It is such a great instrument that way.

I found it wonderfully ironic that Walter, who is so disconnected from his life and everyone around him — yet he works in global development and policy.
I think there is something interesting about that, actually. One thing about this movie, first and foremost, is character — it is a story about these people coming together. When the issue of immigration or detention is addressed in this movie, I think what I am trying to do with these issues is to humanize [them]. And not to make it an "issue movie" but to make it a movie about people. And I think Richard's character — thinking about it now — talks about global development and connections and international relationships as a topic, as an issue but he doesn't live it as a human being. And I think that is what happens in this movie: he really comes off the Ivory Tower and becomes connected a little bit with the people around him.