The following is an interview with directors Meghna Balakumar and Kevin Konrad Hanna (Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters) regarding the recent Kickstarter campaign launch for the Gilmore Girls documentary, Drink Coffee, Talk Fast. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Balakumar and Konrad Hanna about diving into the cultural impact of the Gilmore Girls with the cast, crew, and fans, the incredible backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the documentary, Drink Coffee, Talk Fast, examining the cultural phenomenon and impact of the beloved television series, Gilmore Girls. What can you share with us about the genesis behind this production?
Kevin Konrad Hanna: Honestly, what struck me is that this show just never went away; and in some ways, it feels even bigger now. We were grocery shopping one day and saw two full Gilmore Girls editions on the stands at Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly. That was the moment it really hit us: Twenty-five years later, this series is still everywhere.
Meghna Balakumar: And beyond the magazines, you see it all over social media; TikToks deep dives into outfits, character analysis, boyfriend drama, you name it. People our age are now re-watching it with their daughters and are even making pilgrimages to Connecticut like Stars Hollow is a real place. So, Kevin and I kept coming back to the same questions: Why this show, and why has it endured the way it has? That curiosity is what sparked the film, to look not only at how Gilmore Girls was made, but why it continues to resonate so deeply across generations.
BD: The Gilmore Girls has made an indelible mark not only on its fandom, but on all of the individuals involved with the show. Was there anything that you gleaned from the interview process that you hadn’t anticipated when initially developing the project?
MB: What surprised us most was just how emotional it still is for the cast and crew. Many of them have gone on to major projects, but when they talk about Gilmore Girls there’s still this unmistakable spark in their voice. Even after 25 years, their energy around it feels so raw, and more than a few have said they don’t think they’ll ever work on something quite this special again in their lifetime.
BD: Kevin, given that this film will release on the heels of your previous documentary focusing on critically acclaimed comics creator Mike Mignola, how do you feel that your creative process has compared to or diverged from the prior film?
KKH: For me, these projects are one conversation. Each is about how creators find their voice, and in doing that, they create a space for others. Mike’s monsters gave people a world to escape into, just as Stars Hollow gave people a town to return to. That’s the creative heartbeat I’m trying to capture.
What’s different this time is Meghna. She’s one of the most brilliant interviewers I’ve seen: sharp, intuitive, and with an incredible instinct for story. The creative process has become a real collaboration, where our ideas bounce off each other and build into something better than either of us would have landed on alone.
BD: Meghna, given that you have more interviews that have yet to be filmed, is there anything that you’re hoping to learn or garner to complement the prior interviews?
MB: I’m really excited to sit down with more of the crew who lived this show day in and day out. That’s where so many of the untold stories are, and those perspectives help paint a fuller picture of what it really took to bring Gilmore Girls to life.
BD: Amidst the many challenges facing our community this year, Fanbase Press is focusing on the idea of “Building Your Community” to navigate a collective path forward. How do you feel that Gilmore Girls’ impact has helped viewers to find a sense of community or belonging?
MB: That’s the heart of it. The show is about chosen family, and that’s exactly what the fandom has created for itself. You see it at the fan conventions and on social media; it’s a space people come back to when they need comfort or connection. And even for fans who never make it to a convention, just turning on the TV and going back to Stars Hollow feels like community. We filmed at a fan convention last October, and when I ran into someone from there recently, I just ran up and hugged them. (I surprised both her and myself.) This process has been so much fun, but also a little isolating, living in my Gilmore Girls echo chamber in the editing suite. Moments like that are the best reminder that the community is real and alive outside of my laptop screen.
Even through making this film, it’s made me appreciate the small community I have in Los Angeles; every interaction with a neighbor, a dog, or my barista feels that much more special. In this cluttered world of endless information, those little human moments mean everything.
BD: Lastly, in light of the Kickstarter campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
KKH: The Watch Party! The Watch Party is simple. Everyone who pre-orders the documentary on Kickstarter will get a brand-new short-form documentary about a Gilmore Girls topic every month for a year. It is basically like subscribing to a series with 12 exclusive episodes rolling out while we finish the film.
