5 Questions for SXSW Shorts Filmmakers 2021

by Le Anne Lindsay, Editor

Tinsel & Tine’s 5 Questions Series continues with our first ever coverage of SXSW! March 16-20, 2021. Below is a deeper look at a cross section of shorts in competition (Narrative, Documentary, Animated and Student) and the filmmakers behind them…

JUMP TO:	COMEUPPANCE	(HI)STORY OF A PAINTING	MARVIN’S NEVER HAD COFFEE BEFORE
SISTERS	THE BOX	TEN LEAVES DILATED	YOUR OWN BULLSHIT

Andrew & Kahlil intro…

Tinsel & Tine 5 Questions for Shorts Filmmakers continues with @sxsw check out Andrew Carter & Kahlil Maskati MARVIN’S NEVER HAD COFFEE BEFORE Q&A – https://t.co/b6XLFO8nhN #Filmfestival #Filmmaking #SXSW #sxsw2021 #shortfilm pic.twitter.com/r7olyFXCfx
— Tinsel & Tine (@tinseltine) March 11, 2021

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Andrew: The inspiration for Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before came from the fact that I had never had a cup of coffee until I was 30. I’m 32 now and have since had a few cups here and there. One day last August I decided to have a cup. I then got in the car to run an errand, and called about six people. No one answered. I found this funny and a little sad. I called Kahlil and pitched him this idea for a short film about a lonely dude who tries coffee for the first time, and he was on board. Kahlil: the more we talked about the idea, the more it became clear that we had something to say. Ultimately, Marvin is about the desire for connection & loneliness, all told through the eyes of an eccentric, loveable guy who just wants someone to talk to. We wrote the script in a week, shot it over two days in early October, and two months later we got into SXSW. I’m still pinching myself. Andrew: I’m still pinching him too.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food in anyway play a significant part? Or answer both.

Andrew: the music was crucial to how we told our story. When editing the first cut, I put in two songs that helped bring the images to life: The Rascals’ “Beautiful Morning” and Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”. Since there was no way we’d be able to afford the rights to those songs, we reached out to our friends HYPOTHETICAL who composed original music using the two aforementioned songs as references.

And as for food, we wanted to visually introduce Marvin as a guy who’s never had coffee before. Our main reference for that was, surprisingly, the opening of Crazy Stupid Love. Kahlil: I like to say that the opening images of our film are summed up like this – “coffee, coffee, coffee, water, who’s drinking the water? This is their story.” We immediately are interested in this guy & his water glass because of his juxtaposition to the cups of coffee we just saw.

T&T: What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

Kahlil: I have a friend who is extremely tough to please, but every time we make something, I always send it to him because he has a perspective that we wouldn’t get otherwise. I sent this to him prepared for an onslaught of criticism, but to my surprise, he responded enthusiastically with, “that was pretty damn great!” I texted Andrew immediately and said, “we silenced the critic.” Andrew: This was our first time working with our lead actor, Charles, so I was a little nervous as to what he would think. The night before we put the short online I sent him a private link to check it out. I woke up in the morning to very sweet texts from him saying how much he loved it & how happy he was to have been a part of it. Which made Kahlil & I feel great because he completely carries the short.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get “Marvin” from an idea to SXSW.

Andrew & Kahlil: We have to give a shout out to our cinematographer, Patrick Ouziel. He manages to make everything we shoot look like millions of dollars when it’s barely a fraction of that. He is the king of doing a lot with a little, thinking of creative solutions, and, arguably the most important, quoting obscure movies with us on set. Our rapport with him is one in a million and we are so grateful to work with him every time. He’s the best DP we know. We also have to shout out the cast: Charles, Annie, Aaron, Nirav, Liz, Grant, Malgosia, and Malcolm. As we said earlier, Charles really carries the thing and it wouldn’t be what it is without his hilarious & appealing performance as Marvin. Annie steals the scene she’s in as Marvin’s mom. Aaron steals his scene as well. And the other cast members play Marvin’s co-workers to awkward perfection. Hypothetical scored the hell out of this thing and brought it to life in a very exciting way. And finally, Melody Gun are the best sound designers in the game. They are creative, smart, and unpredictable in the best way in terms of their choices.

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

Andrew: My five favorite films, in order, are Casino, Goodfellas, Jurassic Park, Toy Story and Airplane!
Kahlil: My favorite films, in order, are The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Dark Knight, Monsters, Inc., A Goofy Movie and Iron Man. We both acknowledge that you will see influences from none of these films in Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before. But that’s the point. Andrew: We don’t want to make a Scorsese or Pixar movie; Socrsese and Pixar will do that better than we can every time. But we are constantly inspired by these great movies & will try to make little nods to them in our work along the way.

(HI)STORY OF A PAINTING
Filmmakers: Quentin Darras & Gaëlle Mourre
2021|USA|English|World Premiere| 12 Min | SXSW Screening
TRAILER | Website| LinkedIN |LinkedIN | Instagram | Instagram
Synopsis: “(Hi)story of a Painting: What’s the Point?” journeys into the story behind La Grande Jatte, an iconic painting by Georges Seurat that we all know but don’t actually truly know… until now. Follow us as we learn how Georges went from underdog to world-renowned artist.

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Gaëlle: The seed idea for (Hi)Story of a Painting started when I was studying Art History as an undergraduate. I had a very murky and undefined idea to create a tool that would allow people to discover in depth the process of creation of a painting. Then, years later, Quentin and I started brainstorming what kind of VR project we could work on together and we built on this seed of an idea and created (Hi)Story of a Painting.

Quentin: Art is a reflection of society, so art history, beyond the study of some old paintings, is a way to better understand how society was in different times, different places. It is very important yet somewhat misunderstood or seen as inaccessible. So this was our main motto: How to make it not only accessible, but also interesting, to reach as many people as possible.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film?

Quentin and Gaëlle: We’ve both separately worked with Jasmin Kent Rodgman, Music Composer on (Hi)Story of a Painting, on a number of previous projects so it felt like a no brainer to ask Jasmin to join the team on our first joint project!

We created a soundboard of music references with the overall guiding idea that we wanted both a flowing melody to carry the viewer through the experience, mixed with more contemporary music themes and instruments, to contrast with the subject of (Hi)Story of a Painting: Georges Seurat, a 19^th century artist!

Overall, it was important to us that the music not only supported the visuals and narration of the experience, but that it also served as an emotional tool, all without distracting from the story. In 360 / VR, music comes across differently than it does in traditional media. Because a 360 / VR environment is so immersive, it’s actually important for the music to be pared back – this in no way means it should be less complex and so in a way, this is quite a challenge! Jasmin created a true original piece and knew exactly what the story needed.

T&T: Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish (Hi)story of a Painting? And if so, what pushed you forward?

Quentin: There was never a point where we almost didn’t finish the project, but there absolutely was a point where we almost didn’t even start HOAP! We were only able to make this project thanks to the support we received from Creative XR, who not only gave us funding for our pilot episode, but also gave us a wealth of in-kind support and guidance.

Gaëlle: In terms of the ups and downs of production: we were such a small team and wearing multiple hats, so it was a very intense process. But the good thing is that we built a team around the project that was incredibly supportive and who believed in the project, which was vital to the project’s creation and success. And Quentin and I also balance each other out really well. When I was super busy working on the project, Quentin had a lighter load of work and vice versa, which meant that when we needed it, the other was available to give extra support.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get (Hi)story of a Painting from an idea to SXSW

Quentin and Gaëlle: Well we absolutely would not have gotten this far without the support of the whole team at Creative XR! And we were so lucky to be able to work with Speech Debelle, who narrated the experience so beautifully.

And of course, our kickass team:
Co-producer, Charlotte Mikkelborg
Composer, Jasmin Kent Rodgman
Art History Consultant, Dominique Darras
Audio Producer, Larissa Miola
And so many more who helped us along the way.

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

Our top 5 films at the moment are:

Quentin’s:

Fight Club
Pan’s Labyrinth
Amélie
Princess Mononoke
Darjeeling Limited
The OA (series bonus)

Gaëlle’s (completely agrees with Quentin’s list but adding my own):

Waves
Mustang
Arrival
Good Will Hunting
Les Intouchables

But neither of us felt like there was a single film or a single list of films that influenced our desire to become filmmakers. The list above, for both of us, is ever changing, it’s like music, you adapt it according to your mood, your current situation in life and what you continue to discover.

For us, becoming filmmakers was something we both naturally gravitated towards because there was nothing else we could do.

Quentin: I started out studying Medicine, and then Chemistry, because I was told working in the cinema industry wasn’t for me. But I was never able to put in the work needed the way that I do when working in the film industry. So since I was obviously no good at anything else, I gravitated towards Animation, and never looked back.

Gaëlle: And I studied Art History and Spanish Literature, with the goal of working in Brand Design before I realized that making films was a thing and a possibility for me and that it was the only thing I’d be happy doing – life is long so I wanted to be sure I’d have zero regrets down the line.

Synopsis: SISTERS focuses on two estranged siblings who are forced to confront each other as their comatose mother nears death. Andy, a self-centered failing actress, returns to her childhood home to find Emily,her older sister whose life is on hold while she cares for their dying mother. Tensions mount as they argue over whether or not to sell their mother’s house, but when the two devise a game to divide upthe belongings, hidden secrets come to light resulting in a well-intentioned, but ill-fated resolution.

Jess Brunetto intro…

Tinsel & Tine 5 Questions for Shorts Filmmakers continues with @sxsw check out Jess Brunetto’s SISTERS Q&A – https://t.co/b6XLFO8nhN #Filmfestival #Filmmaking #SXSW #sxsw2021 pic.twitter.com/MtmVP4YK76
— Tinsel & Tine (@tinseltine) March 9, 2021

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for SISTERS and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Jess Brunetto: SISTERS was conceived after my oldest sister and brother-in-law provided home care for his ailing mother until her passing. The story of the film is a journey of breaking down and building yourself back up with the help of people who know you best and love you unconditionally. While SISTERS has illness and death, it’s about birth, change, and how deeply funny life can be in its most serious moments. The concrete details of my sister’s life mixed with the memories of our childhood helped me utilize examples of real humor, which gave the film an authenticity that I hope will have an emotional impactful for all kinds of people.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film?

Jess: I had spent a lot of time thinking about the score for the film before approaching my long time friend Brian Langsbard, who is the musical genius behind KIRKWOOD. Brian is known for building big orchestral sounds, but for SISTERS I wanted to push him in a different direction and he graciously rose to the challenge. Together we talked about mixing an 80’s synth vibe with the sounds of a toy piano to evoke a feeling of nostalgia throughout the film. The final score is truly breathtaking and his ability to understand character and story enable him to compose songs so quickly it is mind blowing.

T&T: What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

Jess: The most memorable response was showing the film to my best friend of thirty years who said, “Whelp you nailed it. That’s exactly how sisters act around each other.”

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get SISTERS from an idea to SXSW.

Jess: There are so many people on my creative team that I need to thank. First is my producing and life partner Christian Baker. He really has been a part of this film from script to screen, always encouraging me to push the material and to keep evolving the film every step of the way. My Executive Producers Jorma Taccone and Ryan Cunningham also played an integral role in helping me believe in myself as a writer/director and supported the vision I had for the short. Our Director of Photography Wes Cardino, Madelyn Wilkime (Production Designer) and Maria Garcia (Costume Designer) truly helped me create and expand upon the visual style I envisioned. Together we utilized triadic color blocking in every detail of SISTERS and assigned each one of the women a primary color. Mom (Florence C.M. Klein) was yellow, Emily (Sarah Burns) was blue and Andy (Mary Holland) was red. Last, but not least, I need to give a shout out to my editor Kate Itzkowitz for her talent, taste and patience.

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

My top five favorite films are RED DESERT, CLEO FROM 5 to 7, THELMA & LOUSIE, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN and THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN. I have always been drawn to films for and about women since I was a kid. I was ten years old when Penny Marshall’s A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN was released and I think it was the first time I felt like I saw a version of myself on screen. Growing up I spent tons of time playing sports and I most connected with the character Doris played by Rosie O’Donnell. She was a loud mouth third base-woman who was always making wise cracks. Doris was entertaining with a big heart both on and off the field. As a filmmaker I’ve always been drawn to finding humor in the midst of life’s most serious situations and I think SISTERS is a perfect example of that.

Your Own Bullshit
Filmmakers: Daria Kopiec
Poland |North American Premiere| Animated |6 Min | SXSW Screening | Vimeo
Synopsis: There is nothing greater than having a dinner with the family. Although it resembles a looped scenario that repeats itself endlessly. Recited with flying colors for many long years.

I am an independent filmmaker and theater director living in Poland. My latest animated film Your Own Bullshit is an original animation made in traditional animation techniques. It is a film about emotional indigestion, about the lack of dialogue between parents and children. About serving dishes with words that hurt, without giving a feeling of emotional satiety.

Daria’s Intro…

#SXSW Day 3 about to check out #shortfilm YOUR OWN BULLSHIT by writer/dir Daria Kopiec (Poland) here’s her intro for our interview 5 Questions for #SXSWOnline Filmmakers – https://t.co/IXMnKlmBJ0 @sxsw #filmfestivals #shorts #animation #sxswfilm pic.twitter.com/2D8gMdqiWc
— Tinsel & Tine (@tinseltine) March 19, 2021

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Daria : Work on the script of the film took a very long time. In my heart I felt what I would like to say, but I couldn’t verbalize it. I was convinced of the idea to have the main character whose interior is filled with the recording system, but it was difficult for me to find the circumstances for the film’s plot. I rewrote the script many times, until the relationship between the parents and the child came to the foreground. Then I felt that this topic electrified me. I wanted to talk about the extent to which our parents pass on to us patterns of behavior that we consciously or subconsciously repeat in adulthood. Our parents’ words are imprinted on our body and head and become our prison, even when we are seemingly independent. I’ve had this feeling in my experience since I was a teenager. I felt that I could not free myself from mechanisms, thoughts, words that are not really mine. I felt trapped in those words. Working on the film allowed me in a way to look at myself.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food in anyway play a significant part? Or answer both.

Daria: The food theme in the film has a symbolic meaning. The ingested food has life-giving force, or at least it should fulfill this role. From the first days of life, a child receives food from its mother’s breast, theoretically adjusted to its needs. Then it is fed by its parents, not only in a literal sense, but also in a metaphorical sense. Sometimes the ingested food is indigestible, causes vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and eating problems. In Your Own Bullshit, meals set the rhythm of the film, but above all symbolize the main character’s “emotional indigestion” caused by the inability to express himself freely in front of his parents. They give him indigestible food, which makes him sick or vomit. There is no place for a joint dialogue over a movie dinner. There are, however, looped monologues of mother and father. Even they don’t talk to each other. They are absent from their relationship. They also do not give room for their child’s emotions. Such a relationship causes indigestion for all family members. But the context of food in the film can also symbolize strange juxtaposition of feeding somebody (with food) and starving (emotionally), paradox of giving and tat the same time taking away, caring and controlling. As you see, it’s open to various interpretations.

The choice of the main character, whose interior is filled with a cassette tape, inspired me to use a formal means in building the sound and music layer. In order to avoid dialogues to be pretentious, I found an operatic form for them. The rhythm of the words, repetitions, emotional load of the sang words, allowed me to feel at ease while telling the story of the effects of a toxic dinner. I wanted to avoid a moralizing tone, and at the same time, in a short form, looped repetitions, inform the viewer that these words are not spoken by the parents for the first time, but are like an old record played endlessly. The rhythm of the words charged with negative vibration was supposed to have the effect of a painful experience not only for the film’s protagonist, but also for the viewer. Parents’ words are like daggers that cannot be swallowed, they hurt us from within.

T&T: Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish Your Own Bullshit? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

Daria: I applied for a grant for a film for a long time, I was already frustrated because my earlier animated film projects were rejected. I was not sure that I would be able to develop in the field of animated film, and I dreamed of making my own film. At the same time, I applied to study directing at the Theater Academy. When I found out that I have the budget for the film granted, I was not sure if I’d be able to meet the production of an animated film with the extremely intensive course of directing studies and developing career of a theater director. It is thanks to my producer, Justyna Rucińska, that I managed to bring the whole film to a happy ending. With understanding, she supported me and our animation project, giving me freedom and a time space tailored to my needs. Without her support and understanding, the film would have to be made quickly. It took a long time to make the movie, but I could concentrate on it. There were a lot of crisis moments, but thanks to Justyna we managed to finish it with right focus and passion.

To this day, a few reports from viewers after watching the film remain in my heart. One is of my friend who after watching the movie cried unable to utter a word for the next few minutes. Her life experience was reflected in the animation she watched. She empathized with the protagonist of the film. When she cried, my heart broke too, and I cried. It was a cleansing moment. I also remember very well the moment of the film’s presentation before the committee approving the project. There was silence after the projection, no one said anything. After a while, one of the committee members said that he had not spoken to his son for a long time and that he needed to make up for this time quickly. Another person admitted that she had similar life experience and in short, blunt words told us about her toxic relationship with her mother, and yet another member of the committee asked if he could hug me and hugged me without saying a word. I was shaken but also very happy. I managed to talk about something that for many years of my life I couldn’t find words or courage for.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get Your Own Bullshit from an idea to SXSW

Daria: Many of the invited creators cooperating on the movie Your Own Bullshit are my friends with whom I have been working for years. With the producer of the film Justyna Rucińska we have known each other for 11 years. I have produced all my original animation projects with her. We understand each other, we are interested in similar topics. I feel Justyna’s support at every stage of the production. With film editor, Monika Sirojc, we have known each other for over 13 years, I edited my most important projects with her. We know our sensitivity, I trust her, and I feel safe in this cooperation. In the end a film is finally created during editing. With sound director Agata Chodyra we’ve known each other for about 15 years. We met on a film set during my first year of film studies. We have been inseparable from my first animated film. With the film’s composer, Natalia Czekała, we know each other relatively shorter, but very intensively, because during the 5 years of our relationship we have prepared together 7 theater performances in which Natalia made music, often playing live. We have known each other for 10 years with Aleksandra Kotarska, the creator of the visual side, of puppets and flat animation in film, we met during workshops of short animations made with children. On a film set and during post-production, I like to feel safe. In addition, I like to spend the time-consuming and time-consuming process of making a film with people who are important to me, with whom I want to share my life, my everyday life. I combine friendship with passion. I know I’m lucky!

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

Daria: Breaking the Waves, Lars von Trier | Irréversible, Gaspar Noé | La Cité des enfants perdus, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro | The Pillow Book, Peter Greenaway | Last Tango in Paris, Bernardo Bertolucci. And many other films.

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Kate E. Hinshaw : Ten Leaves Dilated started as an investigation of my own familial folklore. Growing up my parents always said that when I was born I was so small that they had to put me in Cabbage Patch Kids clothes. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned that the darker version of the how I was born. I became fascinated with the disconnect between the fantastical stories we tell about childbirth and the experiential truth of birthing in our society and in the south in particular.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food in anyway play a significant part? Or answer both.

Kate: A lot of the music was by Hot Air Henry, modern classical drone project of instrumentalist Samuel Laubscher. Cabbage certainly plays a big role as well of course. Cabbage is a fascinating vegetable. It can help cure migraines, reduce inflammation if you’re nursing, and there’s an old wives tale that it can predict the sex of your baby if you mix urine with cabbage juice.

T&T: Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish Ten Leaves Dilated? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

Kate: Absolutely! This film was really difficult to finish at times and there were moments when I wanted to drop it all together, but I kept coming back to it. The idiosyncratic connections between cabbage patch kids and politics around childbirth were not immediately known to me as a filmmaker, but I always felt like something was there, so I kept digging. A big part of the filmmaking process is sitting through discomfort. The best advice I got when making this film was “follow what bothers you” and this subject matter kept bothering me.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get Ten Leaves Dilated from an idea to SXSW

Kate: All the love to my co-director Ebony Blanding who went with me to Babyland General Hospital. No film is made in total isolation and it takes a lot working out ideas with others to get to that final piece.

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

Kate: Daisies, Vera Chytilová | À ma sœur!, Catherine Breillat | Removed, Naomi Uman | Tabloid, Errol Morris |Heart of a Dog, Laurie Anderson

COMEUPPANCE
Filmmakers: Meredith Smith
Texas High School Shorts Competition | USA |Drama |5Min | SXSW Screening
Twitter | Instagram | Website
Synopsis: A family vacation forces Aaron to spend time with his diabolical cousin, The family’s indifference to Richard’s relentless bullying proves tragic as Aaron is ultimately led to his destructive breaking point.

Meredith intro…

5 Questions for #SXSW Filmmakers #SXSW2021 meet @meresmithcinema her film COMEUPPANCE is in the #SXSWFilm Texas High School #Shorts Competition
Check out her T&T Q&A – https://t.co/xUCpCKe2lY @sxsw #SXSWOnline #FilmFestival pic.twitter.com/5r0rfahxbX
— Tinsel & Tine (@tinseltine) March 19, 2021

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Meredith Smith : The main inspiration for Comeuppance was the memory of a game played in the film, flashlight tag. I had gone on a camping trip over a decade ago and playing that game is one of the only memories I have of it. I was prompted to write a short film drawing inspiration from real life and I chose that memory.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film?

Meredith: The music in this film is indicative of a character’s state of mind and their emotions. I tried to assign the protagonist and antagonist an instrument so the audience could easily identify them and their emotional states. For Aaron,’his’ instrument was an electric guitar that I heavily adjusted the reverb and sustain on. Richard’s instrument was various brass instruments that were played on a keyboard. All of the score was experimental when it was recorded,as I was trying to find and test the “sound” of the film. I ended up chopping and arranging the pieces I had recorded, and that’s what the final score ended up being.

T&T: What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

Meredith: The most memorable response I’ve received after someone watched the film was them shuddering and declaring it “creepy”. I felt incredibly accomplished in that moment.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get Commupance from an idea to SXSW

Meredith: I want to thank my parents for being with me and supporting me throughout the entire process. Like me, they filled a lot of roles and did everything they could to help, from helping me book locations to coiling power cables. I wouldn’t’ve been able to do it without them. I also want to thank Xai Homechan because he helped me with the logistics and the paperwork necessary to make a short film. This was the first time I had done it “properly” and I’m immensely grateful he allowed me to bug him with many phone calls asking for help or an opinion on the latest version of the script.

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

Meredith: My 5 favorite films are Little Miss Sunshine, A Ghost Story, The Godfather, A Quiet Place and 12 Angry Men. Out of all of them, The Godfather influenced me to be a filmmaker out of my top five favorite movies. I loved the lighting, the story, the cinematography. To me, they are perfectly married in a way that allows for an entire world to be created. It’s compelling, and I hope to make a film as iconic and moving as this classic.

THE BOX
Filmmakers: Shal Ngo and James Burns THE B
World Premiere | USA |Documentary Short | 15Min | SXSW Screening | Instagram | Website
Synopsis: The Box is a hybrid documentary that explores the effects of solitary confinement through three people’s harrowing true stories – they’ve spent a combined nine years in isolation, and one of them co-directed this film.

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Shal Ngo : The film was inspired by my friend and frequent collaborator Matt McLaughlin, who suggested that James Burns, my co-director, and I make a film together. I knew James himself had spent a lot of time in solitary, and so we started discussing how to collaborate on this and turn it into an evocative film with a message. The goal was always to make our audience feel what it’s like to go through solitary; we were interested in the psychology and the emotions of that experience. We knew that if we wanted to create political movement and change on this issue we would need to move our audience emotionally, not lecture them. Thus we pulled out all the stops in our cinematic wheelhouse, including stop-motion and reenactments, while never losing sight of the real human element.

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music of your film?

Shal: The music was composed by Jay Wadley, who’s a great friend of ours and frequent collaborator. He really brought the whole film to life. We were careful with the score not to get too maudlin or force emotional states on our audience; it’s a delicate balance since our subject matter is frankly quite horrifying and 100% true.

T&T: Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish The Box And if so, what pushed you forward?

Shal: James and I were always determined to see this through, however that’s not to say the production and post process wasn’t quite painful at times. We had a lot of major setbacks throughout, including losing one of our initial interviewee two days before the shoot. But in the end it all turned out great!

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get THE BOX from an idea to SXSW

Shal: Shoutout to Matt McLaughlin for first having the idea that James and I should collaborate on this. And shout-out to my incredibly talented co-director James Burns; he had to go in front of and behind the camera for this, and I know it was a very emotional experience for him. And huge thanks to Chris Wilson, our EP – without Chris none of this would be possible. And thank you so much to an incredibly dedicated cast and crew, this was a very difficult endeavor but everyone approached it with open hearts and minds. And lastly, special thanks to Pam and Five, for sharing their stories with James and I.

T&T: Name 5 of your favorite films, which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker?

Shal: Dead Man | Au Hasard Balthasar | Woman Under the Influence | 2001 a Space Odyssey | Gates of Heaven