Matt Ross Is Certainly Not Off the Grid with ‘Captain Fantastic.’

Since the unveiling of his sophomore feature, “Captain Fantastic,” to an uproarious standing ovation at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Matt Ross has undoubtedly made an indelible mark as an outstanding serious movie director—surpassing his writing-directing feature debut, 2012’s “28 Hotel Rooms.”

“Captain Fantastic” portrays the story of Viggo Mortensen’s Ben Cash, a father of six who chooses to live off the grid, raising his children as survivalists. However, a twist of fate would force the family to venture into the outside world.

Moviegoers and critics around the world are singing their praises for his new film, for which Ross was awarded the Un Certain Regard director prize (Best Director) in Cannes 2016.

We sat down with Ross, a Berkeley resident, to talk about the genesis, plot, and the message of “Captain Fantastic.”

Photo Credit: (l-r) Actor Charlie Shotwell and Director Matt Ross, Bleecker Street