Jay Duplass is back behind the camera, returning to directing after a 13-year hiatus with his Sundance film 'See You When I See You'. The film, an adaptation of Adam Cayton-Holland's memoir 'Tragedy Plus Time: A Tragi-Comic Memoir', follows a comedy writer grappling with his sister's suicide. It stars Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Hope Davis and Kaitlyn Dever, and received a standing ovation at its world premiere.
Duplass, who alongside his brother Mark became a key figure in the mumblecore movement with films like 'The Puffy Chair' and 'Cyrus', had stepped away from directing as acting opportunities arose. He played a supporting role in 'Transparent' and appeared in numerous other projects. But his passion for directing never waned. In 2025, he directed 'The Baltimorons', a comedy that won the Audience Award at SXSW, marking his first directorial effort in over a decade.
'It felt like a comeback,' Duplass said. 'And it felt good to be doing what I really love again.' He described 'See You When I See You' as a film about a family dealing with tragedy, but emphasised that the plot centres on a young man with undiagnosed PTSD. 'I cried really hard when I read the script and I laughed really hard too,' he added.
Duplass also discussed his decision to cast Cooper Raiff in the lead role, despite the actor not being a major box-office draw. 'He has this very unusual combination of having emotional access to everything, and being very funny and willing to laugh at himself,' Duplass explained. 'I just couldn't find anyone else with that level of confidence and vulnerability.'
While Jay and Mark Duplass no longer direct together, they continue to run a production company. 'We're actually getting along better now than ever,' Jay said. 'There's something about being a director team that puts you on this forced march.'
