In just three years, Sasha Grey has risen to the top of the adult film world. Now 21, Grey is making her way into mainstream cinema at Tribeca with Steven Soderbergh’s latest film. The Girlfriend Experience is a vérité look at a week in the life of a high-end call girl.

What makes The Girlfriend Experience a Tribeca Must-See?

I’m in it. Duh. No, really, there’s never been a film about the escorting world done quite this way in contemporary American cinema.

What’s the craziest thing that happened while making the film?

The economy crashed!

Did you add that element as you were filming? It is such an integral part of the movie.

The crash of the economy literally happened the day before we started shooting. So naturally, since this was supposed to be a movie about things that were happening in one five- to seven-day period, how could we not include it?

How was it woven into the script? Was there a script?

We were just provided an outline [for the next day] the day before we started shooting. Once the economy stuff happened, Steven threw that in there. He would say, “Hit these key points.” He encouraged us to watch the news, read the daily newspaper, and if anything stuck out for us, we put that in. We couldn’t have picked better timing. Or worse—I don’t know.

What are your hopes/fears/wishes regarding Tribeca?

I hope that I will be awake enough to do the interviews since I’m coming in from LA. I want to give my full attention, 100%.

My fear is that the aspect ratio will be fucked up and the sound won’t work. (That happened to me with a world premiere once.)

My wish is that people like it, and I hope I can do some good networking while I am there as well.

If you could have dinner with any filmmaker (alive or dead)—who would you want it to be?

That’s such a hard question, because I feel that there are some people you really look up to and admire, but once you meet them, they might disappoint you. Obviously Steven [Soderbergh], and Tony Wilson of Factory Records—they are exactly the kind of people I thought they would be. We’re all just people at the end of the day.

For other filmmakers, I would have to say Catherine Breillat or John Cassavetes. I’ve heard great stories about him. Filmmakers like him, or even people, don’t exist in this world today.

What piece of art (film/book/music/what-have-you) do you recommend to your friends?

The entire Criterion Collection. Just start there. If you can stay awake during one of those films, you will be my friend.
 

The Girlfriend Experience premieres on Tuesday, April 28, at 9:00 pm, with two more screenings to follow. A panel with Soderbergh and Grey will follow the screening on Wednesday, April 29, at 8:00 pm.

Rush Tickets are available for remaining screenings, and keep checking back in case additional tickets are released.

Read more Faces of the Festival.