By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/4/25 – On March 13, 1997, the real-life mystery of the Phoenix Lights lit up the Arizona skies—and the imaginations of thousands who bore witness. Filmmaker Adam Finberg’s feature debut, Star People, picks up that otherworldly thread with cinematic elegance and indie grit, centering the story on Claire, a young photographer still haunted—and maybe even chosen—by what she saw that night as a child.
Played with raw magnetism by Kat Cunning (The Deuce, Trinkets), Claire is neither a traditional believer nor a typical hero. Their portrayal is intimate and grounded proof that subtlety can be its own kind of superpower. “It’s a character I haven’t gotten a chance to play,” Kat shared in our exclusive interview. “Usually, I’m cast as these larger-than-life shape-shifting characters. But here, I just got to be.”
Click below for our exclusive interview:
Claire’s mission begins with a tip that leads her and two co-travelers—her UFO streamer boyfriend (Connor Paolo) and troubled younger brother (McCabe Slye)—deep into the Arizona desert during a brutal heatwave. What starts as a quest for celestial answers quickly becomes a terrestrial reckoning, especially when the trio encounters an immigrant family in dire need. The encounter adds emotional weight to the journey, pulling Claire between the past that haunts her and the present that demands her humanity.
It’s a bold choice for Finberg—who previously explored disaster recovery and addiction treatment in documentaries—to lead his narrative debut with layered themes of trauma, resilience, and moral ambiguity. But the gamble pays off. Star People is visually hypnotic, thanks in part to cinematographer Adrian’s sun-scorched lensing, which treats the Arizona desert as both sanctuary and threat.
As Claire, Kat Cunning doesn’t just act the part—they become the lens through which the audience sees the story. “The script gave me so much,” Kat told me. “I could really perform with subtlety because the people I was acting alongside were giving so much back.” That organic exchange translates beautifully on screen, particularly in scenes of quiet despair and surreal wonder.
What makes Claire a particularly compelling protagonist is not just their obsession with the lights, but their refusal to be defined by it. As a non-binary actor, Kat brought that same complexity to the role. “Claire wasn’t necessarily written as queer,” they said, “but I chose to approach the character through my own experience. Sometimes it’s exhausting to explain queerness, so it was freeing to play someone who just is.”
The film also manages to mirror the themes of Kat’s debut EP Glass Jaw, which dropped in 2025 and explores emotional resilience through the metaphor of a boxer. “It’s about getting knocked down and finding your will to make art again,” they told me. Their music, like Star People, is power pop with purpose—bold, honest, and tinged with the vulnerability of someone who’s lived what they’re singing about. Songs like “Cinderella” and “Dancer” evoke the same emotional tug as Claire’s journey, a blend of autobiographical truths and cinematic storytelling.
Kat’s multidisciplinary artistry—spanning stage, screen, and music—makes them a fascinating force in today’s cultural landscape. As they gear up for their headline shows this fall (mark your calendars for October 6 at The Echo), fans can expect a performance that blurs the line between concert and confession. “There’ll be songs that make you cry and songs that make you feel like you’re in Madison Square Garden,” Kat teased. “It’s pop music with a rock-and-roll heart.”
Back on Earth—and in the heat of the Arizona desert—Star People dares to ask: What are we really chasing when we look to the sky? Is it truth, closure, escape, or maybe even ourselves? Adam Finberg’s first narrative feature offers no easy answers, but it offers something arguably more powerful: a space to wonder, a place to feel, and a protagonist who reflects the quietly radical act of simply existing on one’s own terms.
As Claire peers into the unknown, so do we—and like the lights over Phoenix, what we see is unforgettable.
Follow Kat Cunning:
Instagram | Twitter | YouTube — @katcunning
Music available on all streaming platforms
Catch them live at The Echo, Los Angeles – October 6, 2025
Star People is currently screening at select festivals and will release more widely this fall.
