Mammoth Film Festival / Berlinale - Indigo Valley
Young couple Louise and John elope and travel to Iceland for their honeymoon. The couple is unexpectedly joined by Louise's estranged sister, Isabella, an actress recently released from rehab. Jealousy, insecurity and sexual tension run high in the desolate landscape of Iceland, highlighting the tumultuous future these three people face.
Interview with Writer/Director Jaclyn Bethany
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I feel like I had to make the film. I think it is the bravest story I have told thus far. The idea sprouted from a chance trip to Iceland in 2015, where my first short film was in the Reykjavik Film Festival. I am very inspired by intimate, intense character driven drama (Strindberg's Miss Julie, Chekhov's plays, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire) and had been aching to write something in a similar vein for a long time. When I went to Iceland, it seemed like the perfect setting for this kind of story.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think it's unique and beautiful. It's intense, and definitely takes the audience on a roller coaster of a journey. The lead character, whom I play, is almost immediately unlikable, which I find very interesting in a protagonist. Hopefully I have given her enough colors and vulnerability for the audience to understand her. I also think the performances are powerful and specific, especially for such a young cast. Barney White (who plays John) really astounded me with his performance. The story keeps you on your toes, it's almost dangerous. There's so much great work going on both behind and in front of the camera.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think with Indigo Valley we enter the world of three very flawed humans. Whereas Isabella's flaws may seem more immediate, her "confidence" is questioned as the film goes on and her vulnerability starts to surface. John is a young man who has devoted himself to an intense artistic career at a young age. Because of this he doesn't have much life experience and has fallen naively in love with s seemingly perfect girl, the intelligent and put together Louise, Isabella's younger sister. Neither of them are what they seem - or really know each other and it takes Isabella's entrance into the world to shake things up and reveal that darkness. I think it speaks to our generation. The fears we all have - marrying too young, how mistakes can catch up with you, the risk of letting your true self show, etc. It's brave.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I mean, I started developing the script in May of 2016 and we shot the short in summer 2017. So I think I had about 20+ drafts of just the short before it even got made. It was always going to be a feature, but I wanted to make it work as a short/proof of concept first. Originally I think there was more focus on Louise's illness. It was supposed to be based on a sudden illness I experienced but this wasn't really translating and readers didn't really mind that they didn't know exactly what it was. There was no way for it to be fully explained, since Louise falls sick in the middle of nowhere. It's still something I am working on. I have now written five drafts of the feature, and It has become entirely Isabella's story. I cut the short to reflect this POV.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I think we have received good feedback! We are just beginning our festival run, and have gotten a few reviews. People have seemed to enjoy the film, if not been affected by its intensity.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I never really let that get to me. If anything I am still confused by the thought that people are surprised I can act/direct/write successfully; that a young woman can be a multi-hyphenate and actually be skillful and successful in each area is still some kind of benchmark. Going into meetings I am often asked to chose which art form I would like to focus on. I don't really think that is a fair question. We shouldn't be asking this in 2018. Sure, this is a business and people want to pinpoint and market you, but I'd like to challenge the norm. That's what I've been doing my whole life. I'm not going to give up doing what I love to please someone's perception of me. I really hope through my tenacity and perseverance that I can inspire other girls to do whatever they want.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I think any visibility and press/feedback is always beneficial in the process of releasing a film! I am honored to be interviewed.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
You know, the best thing about filmmaking is collaboration. I am not really knowledgeable about film business though I am learning more about it as I go into making my first feature. I feel like I have been very lucky with Indigo Valley going from the short to the feature in that everyone I am working with seems to be adding a piece to make our little film happen. They believe in the film and its message. I'm not looking for anyone specifically, but I would always welcome like-minded artists and individuals to join our journey. I really just want to make the film, and make it the best it can be. It's so hard getting a feature made. I am grateful for the opportunity to just make it. Then we will see what happens.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope people think about it, that the film sparks something in the minds of the audience. I always love films that aren't part of "the norm" and really challenge the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. I want to make films like that. A really good example of a film that has stuck with me that I saw recently was In The Fade starring Diane Kruger. It was truly remarkable, unsettling, raw and daring.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think this film questions boundaries - so I suppose something like, what is the line between right and wrong? Between desire and love? Between success and stability? Between want and need? How do we fulfill it as humans - what if we don't? Where all of this begins to blur is what I find really fascinating.
Would you like to add anything else?
Indigo Valley, in development stages was developed at the Cannes/Shorts TV sponsored program pitch, the Edinburgh Talent Lab, BFI's First Feature Program and was selected as a work in progress pitch at FEST: New Directors/New Films in 2017.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently in pre-production for my American Film Institute Thesis Film The Delta Girl which stars Isabelle Fuhrman, Caitlin Carver and Ashley Bell. It is a 1964 period piece at the height of the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi. Again, a bit of a morality tale. I am also working on prepping the feature of Indigo Valley, one pilot-like short film entitled The Rehearsal set in the NYC theatre world, an art house feature called The Willow and two short films of mine that are being turned into series and being eyes by a major network. I have never worked in television, and the possibilities seem vast. I would love to direct a television series.
I also eventually want to start a theatre company, so I am planning to direct a play entitled Edge of Our Bodies by Adam Rapp in London in 2019. It's a one woman show following a teenage girl and her volatile coming of age journey. I hope to pair it with some other thought provoking texts. I am working hard to make these projects happen. I also run an women in the arts focused online magazine: Constellation (www.constellationmag.space) I always have like five million things going on.
Interview: February 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. 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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Indigo Valley
Young couple Louise and John elope and travel to Iceland for their honeymoon. The couple is unexpectedly joined by Louise's estranged sister, Isabella, an actress recently released from rehab. Jealousy, insecurity and sexual tension run high in the desolate landscape of Iceland, highlighting the tumultuous future these three people face.
Length: 15 mins
Director: Jaclyn Bethany
Producer: Courtney Harmstone
Writer: Jaclyn Bethany
About the writer, director and producer:
Jaclyn Bethany is an actor and filmmaker. She holds a BA in Acting from Fordham University, an M.A. in Screenwriting from the London Film School and is finishing her Masters in Directing at the prestigious American Film Institute.
Courtney Harmstone is a London based producer. Since graduating with Distinction from The London Film School and The University of Exeter with a MA in International Film Business, she has worked in a variety of film production both commercial and narrative.
Key cast: Jaclyn Bethany, Barney White and C.C. Kellogg
Social media handles: @jaclyn_bethany, @indigovalleyfilm on Instagram
Facebook: Jaclyn Bethany
Made in association with: BKE Productions
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? The Mammoth Film Festival or at Berlinale with our EFM screening. My other short film The Last Birthday will also play Mammoth and be available to watch on semaine.com next week!