Broken
A controlling father struggles to accept the fact that many things in life are out of our control.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Alper Kasap
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The film was inspired by an old picture of my dad and his family from the 1950’s. It got me thinking and reflecting on my own upbringing and my relationship with my family and the disparity of being born in Australia to migrant parents. Then my mind just started ticking away contemplating why we do the things we do and decisions we make that are influenced by the past. Through this thought process the characters for the film were born, once i had the characters and a story I knew I just had to make the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It's an engaging family drama, i think it has interesting characters that people will relate to in someway or another, I also hope it is a little thought provoking.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This is why the film is thought provoking as i think the film explores many direct and indirect themes. The central character being a controlling father that's very set in his ways, sometimes doing unloving things in the name of love. There are underlying themes of control and power, the acceptance of life, remorse, love and understanding.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film doesn't have much dialogue, i wanted to make it more a character piece and show the disconnect between the characters with actions and silence. So although the script had a base foundation of characters a lot of my time was spent on trying to keep it engaging enough with the lack of dialogue and really see how i can use elements such as audio, production design and cinematography to evoke certain emotions in the audience.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has only been seen by a small number of people who have really enjoyed it. I had some great constructive criticism once i had a rough cut which really helped me tighten the film up.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has mainly been positive, but its always going to be a subjective thing, I’m happy and proud that i expressed thoughts onto paper, gave it wings and now have a finished film in my hands. Its no easy task and yes there will be people who possibly don't like it but I hope people find it interesting,
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To get the film reaching to a broader audience ! Stories are important to share so It's important for online platforms like www.wearemovingstories.com to be around to help spread the work of film makers especially in the indie level.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
All of the above. Anyone who likes the film and is interested in doing more. After the promotion and film festival momentum of this film, I will be in development writing and making another short film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like audiences to be immersed in the film. Find the characters, the world and themes engaging enough to possibly reflect on their own lives and their family relationships.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Are we simply products of our past ? How much of our social behaviors are determined by how deeply the past is in us?
Would you like to add anything else?
I'm just so thankful for the support I received during the whole process of making this film. The harder I worked the more support I got, film making is a collaborative effort and I'm just so thankful for every single person for lending a helping hand. A big thank you to the cast and crew who worked so tirelessly and off course to the amazing pledgers. Much love !
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm a cinematographer so I have some films I'm now in pre production for, I'm also looking to develop another idea i have for a film into a script and hopefully get it made this year.
The actors i used on BROKEN all gave great performances and they are always active in films and TV. All crew members on BROKEN are currently quite active on other projects.
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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BROKEN
A controlling father struggles to accept the fact that many things in life are out of our control.
Length: 13mins 30 seconds
Director: Alper Kasap
Producer: Alper Kasap
Writer: Alper Kasap
About the writer, director and producer:
Alper Kasap is a cinematographer based in Melbourne, Australia. After a short documentary he shot with a handy cam took out the best cinematography award at a local film festival, he decided to pursue his interest in visual storytelling. Spending his time on numerous film sets as a best boy and camera assistant, Alper developed his strength for lighting and composition. Inspired to learn more he enrolled into a short film course at Open Channel then followed that up with further studies at Australia's most prestigious institutions, the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS). in 2017/2018 for the first time he wrote , produced and directed BROKEN a short family drama. His work can be found circulating throughout the world's film festival circuits and is in development to write and direct his 2nd short film.
Social media handles:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alperkasapdp
Twitter: twitter.com/alperkasapau
Instagram: alper_kasap_cinematographer
Other:Funders: Crowdfunded & Self funded
Made in association with: District Films
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hopefully on the film festival circuit worldwide. Keep an eye out for it :)