#crowdfunding - Hyphen
A poetic journey of memory and fantasy told through the eyes of four versions of an artist as she creates her own identity.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Maria Servellón
Congratulations! Why are you making your film?
Hyphen is for the thesis completion of my MFA degree at Emerson College. However, Hyphen has become my most recent culmination of different variations from my overall work. My work is autobiographical and pays homage to cultural, societal, and historical influence from around the world. It then fluidly evolves into new forms after the eventual tearing down. Hyphen is the fiction narrative version of work that has taken form as music, poetry, dance, video, animation, and installation.
With 4.9% of films starring Latina protagonists and only 1% directed by Latinas, it was high time for me to create the film version.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because you remember how hard it was to discover your true self. Because you realize the journey is never over.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Though Hyphen is based on my own experiences and memories growing up as a female/Latina/first-generation/Boston/artist, it is ultimately about creating your own identity and sense of self past the barriers that limit you. All of us take some form of this self-discovery journey, it’s just up to us on how we mold it and not vice versa. And the 4 protagonists in our film must learn how to do this.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
My process came from having deep thinking conversations with myself. How do I best express myself? Through art, music, and dance. When do I feel the most myself? When I travel solo. What do I know best in this world? Oh, that would be myself! I thought about the different evolutions or “personas” I’ve been in the past. I can keep changing my sense of style, appearance, or way of thinking, but I’ll always be myself at the end of the day.
The idea started to morph into thinking of key events that made some kind of impact in my life, that changed me, especially recalling what kind of person I felt I was at that time. But then where do I draw the line on something feeling too personal? I realized I needed to accept the fact that the hardest stories to tell are the ones that make the most impact. And there are too many that don’t get their time in the light.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The script greatly resonated with my cast, crew, and test readers more than I thought it would. The Hyphen team came together through the love of this story, its characters, and having similar experiences in each of our lives. It is because of these positive impressions that I realized this was a story I was destined to tell.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Because Hyphen is based on my own similar experiences and memories, I didn’t expect instant personal stories to come from readers and how they connected with my story. I started to realize what a huge honor it is when storyteller also becomes archivist. Having people trust me with their own stories was as big as me telling mine.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I believe the We Are Moving Stories mission statement overlaps with ours as we aim to give voice to different people that haven’t been properly represented, not just in front of the camera, but also behind it. We are so proud to be part of the movement to better represent women, POC, first-generation Americans, young people, and urban artists. We are trying to reach out to as many people as possible and for them to know such a film exists.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for investors, journalists, film festival directors, distributors, and most importantly, new audiences. We are only as strong as those that are ready to listen, support, and spread the message of Hyphen. The number of people behind us is promising, growing, and yet, humbling.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope the different audiences that see Hyphen leave with an open mind of those around them, of those they’ll never get to meet, and of the voice within themselves. It is through self-evolution that we are able to gain strength and create the ripples of change. I personally hope marginalized people will feel inspired to know this big world is theirs to explore and shine in.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If you remove the checkboxes, the stereotypes, the hyphens, and the expectations, who are you?
Would you like to add anything else?
We are thankful for the support and hope new friends will join our exciting journey. Please follow us and check out what we’re up to on our social media sites and hyphenmovie.com.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Besides producing for Hyphen, Lissa Deonarain is currently working on a personal documentary about her family's emigration from Guyana that explores the concepts of home, identity, and memory.
Besides producing for Hyphen, Tim Wojcik is currently working on an experimental sound installation piece for his completion of an MFA degree.
Writer/Director/Producer/Actress Maria Servellon is intent on taking Hyphen as far as possible. Hyphen is intended to serve as the launchpad for a feature or bigger project! Please keep an eye out on the next reiteration.
Interview: December 2017
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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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Hyphen
A poetic journey of memory and fantasy told through the eyes of four versions of an artist as she creates her own identity.
Length: 20-25 minutes
Director: Maria Servellón
Producers: Maria Servellón, Tim Wojcik, Lissa Deonarain
Writer: Maria Servellón
About the writer, director and producer:
Maria Servellón is a Boston multimedia artist, filmmaker, and educator. Her work frequently explores relations between art, music, and dance in a synaesthetic-like approach.
Tim Wojcik is an artist, creative producer and educator working in soundscapes, media environments and narratives, exploring notions of universality in the familiar and mundane.
Lissa Deonarain is a multimedia artist, producer and activist from Omaha, Nebraska. Her work centers on personal, social and cultural themes including family, identity, and culture.
Key cast: Anjana Quintana-González, Nayeli Cintrón, Rosanna Jiménez, Maria Servellón
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Investors, journalists, film festival directors, distributors, new audiences.
Website: hyphenmovie.com
Facebook: facebook.com/hyphenmovie
Twitter: twitter.com/hyphenfilm
Instagram: instagram.com/hyphenfilm
Funders: Contributors on Seed & Spark
Estimated completion date: Projected completion by April 2018, Premieres May 2018.