Thicker than water

IT was inevitable that Zoe Cassavetes would enter the family business. After all, her father was actor-director John Cassavetes, one of the pioneers of the indie film movement. Her mom is award-winning actress Gena Rowlands, who was her husband’s muse in the majority of his films. And her older siblings, Nick and Xan, have also established themselves as directors.

“It never occurred to me not to do it,” Zoe Cassavetes said. “The set was our house. It was such a fun atmosphere. It was very intense what they were doing, but it never seemed so intense that the kids couldn’t be running around. It was such a family feeling.”

So it is only natural that Zoe Cassavetes, 36, is making her feature writing and directorial debut with the romantic dramedy “Broken English,” opening Friday. And one of its stars just happens to be Rowlands.

“I am so lucky,” she says of working with her mother. “Of course

In the film, the “Queen of the Indies” Parker Posey stars in her first adult role as Nora Wilder, a thirtysomething who works at a boutique New York hotel and wonders why she can’t find the perfect man. Rowlands plays her overbearing mother, who keeps reminding her daughter that she is unattached. And Melvil Poupaud plays Julien, a charming, much younger Frenchman who may be Mr. Right.

Cassavetes, who previously directed short films and commercials, wrote the screenplay for “Broken English” several years ago -- but it took three years to get financing.

Like a lot of films from first-time directors, “Broken English” is filled with autobiographical touches. “I worked in a hotel, which is part of the autobiographical part of the movie,” she said. “When you live in New York, you have to have a job. I worked hard. And I worked in production when I lived out in L.A.”

Just like the character Nora, Cassavetes has had her share of people asking her about her love life. “It doesn’t matter if you are a brain surgeon, if you get to a certain age, people ask you: ‘Are you married?’ ”

Cassavetes found being on the receiving end of the third degree “totally annoying. I was talking to my friends about it, and they were, like, ‘It happens to me all time.’ It can drive you crazy, because everybody wants someone to love -- that is the bottom line. But it’s a mix between the outside world pushing your buttons and what the inside of you really wants.”

In a case of life imitating art, since finishing the script, Cassavetes -- who splits her time living in New York and Paris -- fell in love and became engaged to French musician Sebastian Chenut, who co-wrote the score of “Broken English.”

Though Cassavetes said that you “have to be an insane person to do this job,” she admitted that she had a lot of fun during the 20-day shoot.

“You have to worry about every single thing that’s going on in the movie,” she said. “It was a real education to learn so many things. I just liked having enough energy to make the movie and that people would follow me.”

She’s just beginning to write her second script.

“I just figured it out,” Cassavetes said. “It isn’t easy. You just don’t want to do anything. I want to explore some other things. I am really excited to get into writing.”

susan.king@latimes.com