Based on the novels by Ann Brashares and starring Amber Tamblyn (Tibby), Alexis Bledel (Lena), America Ferrera (Carmen) and Bridget Vreeland (Blake), Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is about a friendship that began on film in high school and reconnects three years later when all four girls are 19-years-old.

Tackling this adventurous story that follows four women’s journeys from adolescence to young adulthood is the talented, hip, very sweet and highly passionate director Sanaa Hamri. With a background in theatre acting that led to editing then directing music videos for artists such as Mariah Carey followed by directing hit TV shows and a feature titled Something New, Hamri chatted with Acted By about working on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, as well as offering her inspiring take on what led this ambitious woman to achieve her dream as a filmmaker in Hollywood.

AB: So, Sanaa, how did you end up directing this film?

Hamri: Well, I was a huge fan of the first film and I loved the book series! When I heard the producers were looking for a director, I really wanted to meet with them and jump to the occasion. I read all the books and I knew that this story could continue in sequel form successfully.

AB: Since Ken Kwapis directed the first Sisterhood, do you feel like you brought your own unique style to the second?

Hamri: Hmm, well, I wanted it to feel like a progression to the first. However, the tone has changed because the girls are older and it is a PG-13 movie and I am a different filmmaker. So, sure, I think that there’s a certain quality about it that reflects me as a director in it.

There’s more comedy in the movie now because the girls are 19-years-old and the world is a lot more multidimensional versus when you are 16-years-old and in high school. I just felt like the film really reflects the tone and the story.

AB: Speaking of which, how was it to take the story from high school and jump a few years to college age? In other words, did you build off the original?

Hamri: We based the sequel on the fourth book and took elements from the second and third book just to make cohesive story lines and develop characters in the right way. You want space between the first and second novel so there’s enough material and different emotional journeys that these young women are going through.

AB: Were you a part of the creation of this second film?

Hamri: I was part of the process in which the producers had a treatment and basically the concept of what storylines they wanted to go with and I, in turn, sat with them and we developed it together. It was definitely a development piece for me, as well.

AB: What was it like working with all the girls? How was that experience?

Hamri: It was such a great experience! For a director, it’s always great to tell stories that you can also relate to. You don’t necessary have to do stories about your own gender but it’s a great process because you have insight. Working with young women… it was incredibly rewarding.

All those girls became friends after the first movie off-camera so when we met for the sequel it was like a reunion on set for them and they were just happy to be there. And because they were really friends, there was a lot of chemistry.

AB: Did you feel right at home with them even though you came on board for the second film?

Hamri: Yeah, as a director your job is to create a mood and give your actors a platform to do the best they can. I truly believe that’s how I go into any project. It’s part of the movie process.

I love directing. I love taking a concept on paper or a concept that’s in someone’s head and collaborating with people and putting it on the screen. That’s the most fulfilling process for a director. Really, you know, breathing lives into these characters and into the story and then presenting it for the world to see.

AB: I think that sounds awesome! How long was your shooting schedule?

Hamri: It was about six weeks, I would say. It was a very tight schedule because we had four storylines to get in and our actors had TV shows they needed to get back to and that was a challenge.

AB: What is your most memorable scene from Sisterhood…?

Hamri: When we were shooting in Greece. It’s just so beautiful! It’s like being in the middle of a painting. For a filmmaker, it’s amazing to be in such a stimulating place. So, all those scenes were very memorable to me.

Greece is where we started filming…last year in June. And now it’s so incredible to know that our movie is coming out in August.

AB: Did you connect with any one particular character?

Hamri: What was so great was that even though Sisterhood is about 19-year-old women, there’s something for everybody of all ages within each character. So, there are different moments within the journey each girl goes through that I connect to. You know, there are these scenes when Amber Tamblyn, who plays Tibby is at a video store in the East Village and is attending NYU for summer school. I did the East Village thing and I really was laughing at the fact that I was shooting in Alphabet City where my stomping ground was–where I was once walking around–you know, just trying to make ends meet. And there I am on set doing the movie.

AB: That sounds really powerful to me! You were standing in places where you once dreamt of doing what you are doing now. And there you are, in the exact spot where you used to wonder if it was all ever going to happen for you.

Hamri: Yep!

AB: And while we are on the subject, since many of our readers are fans of filmmaking or either in the industry or aspiring to be, I’m sure they’d be curious to know how your own personal journey into the entertainment business started.

Hamri: I believe the path to direct films almost found me. I studied theatre acting in New York but when I graduated, I started working in post production and became an editor. Through editing, I transitioned into directing and so I have both the creative background of acting mixed with the technical background of editing and I always loved telling stories and was really into films and stuff.

AB: What advise would you give our readers regarding their decision to possibly tackle the film world head on?

Hamri: The one thing I could see that made a difference was that wherever I was, I tried to do the best that I could and worked really hard. I think when you are starting off and you, for example, are interning at a company, my advice is that even if you are just filing papers or making coffee or whatever you are doing, just do the best you can. File the best papers… (Hamri laughs). I think it’s about being a perfectionist. It’s about being driven. It’s about excellence and I think that allows other people to place you in better positions and that’s how you get closer to your dream. It’s not something that you just say, ‘Oh, I want to be a director and imagine yourself sitting on set in a chair with your name on it.’

It’s really about putting in that time and that work and learning, and reading, and researching. I was an assistant at a post production company and I answered phones. But I was reliable and because I was reliable people noticed me. People then placed me in better positions.

AB: People say so many different things in so far as breaking into the film industry. They say part of it’s luck and part of it is being in the right place at the right time.

Hamri: Yes, it’s about being in the right place at the right time but everybody’s in the right place. They just aren’t aware of that. So, actually, it’s about what you do when you are in that right place, right time. You have to take advantage of it.

AB: You have to learn to put your ego in a drawer.

Hamri: Exactly!

AB: Last question for ya…I asked about your favorite scene and you said it was when you were filming in Greece, but, was there a particular event that stands out to you the most while filming?

Hamri: Yes! I think the one scene that stands out to all of us was when the girls are jumping off a cliff. See, I gave them an assignment to think amongst themselves of an activity that they could do in Greece together. I always take the collaborative approach and I wanted it to feel natural. I gave examples such as hanging on the beach, shopping…you know, something that girls could do together. And they came to me and they said, ‘We saw these guys jumping off the cliff and we want to jump off the cliff.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh nooo! Can we do something not as dangerous?’

They showed me the spot, we did safety checks and I said, ‘Oh, OK, Let’s do it, it will be fun.’ As I was filming the scene, I realized that it was going to be in the movie, first and foremost, and that it was going to be such a symbolic metaphor of their friendship because they are taking the plunge of friendship together and entering the sea of the universe as they glide off the cliff. It was visual…and…emotional and just perfect.