Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival - Great Escape
A 70-year-old leaves her husband for a woman she met decades ago.
Interview with Writer/Director Sal Bardo
Watch Great Escape on YouTube
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I've always been a huge fan of music videos, since the medium marries two of my biggest passions: music and film. "Great Escape" is an original song I wrote for my short film "Pink Moon," so I thought it would be a great way to get my feet wet. I had recently watched a TV interview with Edie Windsor, the 85-year-old plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, legalizing gay marriage across the country. And when I was deciding on a concept for "Great Escape," I thought a lot about other older people seeing the progress the LGBT community has made in just a few short years, and wondered how it must feel from that vantage point.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Both women and older LGBT people are under-represented in the media, and I think the story of a 70-year-old woman leaving her husband for another woman tells a familiar tale in a new and relevant way.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
LGBT struggles are human struggles. The main character could be my mother or yours. She's a woman searching for something and deciding whether or not she has the courage to go for it, to risk losing everything to find it. I think everyone can relate to that. Redefining who you are in the eyes of the people you love can be a liberating but also terrifying prospect for anyone regardless of age, sexuality, or gender.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
I went through several concepts before settling on the one you see in "Great Escape." When I started thinking about ways to visually interpret the song, which is about impossible love and impossible escape, I originally planned to tell a story about a young couple. But I felt like that was too similar to "Pink Moon," which is about two teens who are forced to hide an unplanned pregnancy in a society where heterosexuals are persecuted and abortion is forbidden. I also wanted to make the main character's journey as difficult as possible, so I decided to set the story in a snowy landscape. We shot in upstate New York and ended up filming in the middle of a blizzard, which was certainly a challenge but raised the stakes even higher.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The response has been amazing and totally unexpected. This started as a small side project, which I funded entirely on my own. It's screened at film festivals around the world, and was nominated for the Iris Prize, which is the world's largest LGBT short film competition. I originally planned to make a feature-length version of "Pink Moon" next, but "Great Escape" has taken on a life of its own so I'm developing a feature-length adaptation of this one as well, tentatively titled "Paper Ring."
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback I've received has really confirmed that the story is filling a demographic gap -- older LGBT people -- that is untapped and unappreciated. I know from personal experience how essential, how powerful, it can be to see yourself in media, in art, in the world -- and how devastating it can be when you don't. LGBT people have seen a lot of progress in the last few years, but subsets of our community remain in the shadows.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
First and foremost, I think it's important to share our stories. I want more people to see "Great Escape." I'm also looking for an agent and manager. And I'm always looking for new scripts and projects to work on, and I'm eager to direct more music videos.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I'm hoping to find a producer to help develop the feature-length screenplays for "Pink Moon" and "Paper Ring." I've made several short films that have done very well, but I'm eager to take the next step and make a feature. I'm also developing a web series and hope to collaborate with other writers, directors, and producers on that.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love to see more younger people watching films about older folks. Growing older is something we all have in common, even if we don't realize it yet. I think the older generation has a lot to share with us. We just need to give them a voice, and I hope "Great Escape" can play a part in that.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is it ever too late to change your mind, alter your direction, and become who you were meant to be?
Interview: November 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Great Escape
A 70-year-old leaves her husband for a woman she met decades ago.
Length: 6 min
Director: Sal Bardo
Producer: Sal Bardo
Writer: Sal Bardo
About the writer, director and producer:
Sal Bardo is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has screened at festivals around the world. His work has been viewed over 12 million times on YouTube and Vimeo.
Key cast: Maxemillian Corkum, Diana De Rosa
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Release date: 2015
Where will it be screened in the next month?
Image Nation: The Montreal LGBT Film Festival.