HollyShorts / Rhode Island International Film Festival 2019 – Balloon
Exploring gender through the lens of the superhero myth, Balloon questions how we raise boys when our concept of masculinity has become narrow.
Interview with Writer/Director Jeremy Merrifield
Watch Balloon here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
For my thesis at the American Film Institute, I knew which filmmakers I wanted to work with and I wanted to build the project around what the whole team would connect with. We had a lot of conversations and the issues that were really concerning us at the time (and still do!) were gun violence and devastating examples of male role models and heroes in the news such as Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and some of the things our President has said about women. At the same time, I was watching my twelve-year-old nephew survive the perils of junior high. He was facing many of the same challenges that my younger brothers and I went through. The question that we came up with was “How can so many boys grow up to exhibit such toxic behavior as men?” Through a lot of research, we began to question how our culture raises boys. It’s almost as if the way we raise our boys is by different forms of bullying and then we’re surprised when so many of them grow up to be bullies. I made Balloon for my brothers who I saw growing up, constrained by the same prison I see my nephew in. I also made it for the women in my life—some of whom collaborated on this project with me. They have too long had to stomach the toxicity of our culture’s narrow concept of masculinity. But it’s also for me—for the boy I was who felt so isolated, unwelcome, and unloved. With Balloon I give him the superpower he always wanted, and hopefully hint at the kind of hero he still can become.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Above all I think you watch it because you will love this character, he is a boy that you know and you want him to have the life that he wants, the friends he is looking for, and you want him to catch a break. It’s fun to see that conflicted boy have the superpowers to deal with his problem and hopefully inspiring to see him do the right thing. You watch above all because it’s entertaining—15 minutes in the dark that let you escape—but hopefully, you take it with you out of the theater. Hopefully, it resonates with you and sparks a conversation about our approach to masculinity.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The whole film deals with the “mask of masculinity.” On a personal level, that’s Sam’s struggle and what it was like for me growing up. Paul Scheer’s character jests, “Thought you’d escape, huh?” Well, no. No one escapes society’s expectations of gender, and boys are no exception. The real problem is that we measure our boys is by what we expect them not to be. Don’t be a “loser”, a “pussy,” a “faggot.” But, we’re hopeful. Sam has superpowers—maybe he will be the exception? On a larger more universal level, its how that “mask of masculinity” manifests in real issues that we as a society are wrestling with: gun violence, bullying, and other toxic behaviors.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script went through a lot of development over the course of a year. All the different drafts led us back to where we started, though I think we found a lot of layers along the way. My initial treatment was from a childhood memory. My family moved a lot when I was growing up and I once again found myself in a new town. One day I went to school and the teacher explained to us that we would be doing a balloon release (this was before there was much awareness about the damaging effects balloons can have on wildlife). The idea was we would attach messages to the end of a string and then send those messages up on balloons in hopes of finding a pen pal. I remember this vividly because, at the time, I sincerely believed it was my only hope to find a friend. But very early on we wanted to address this concept in a modern context. I think we were able to stay true to this inspiration by creating a character that wants to fly away, to escape just like my balloon.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mixed! Which is GREAT! Nothing is more exciting as a filmmaker than when people respond to your movie. It's nerve-wracking every time your film is screened in front of a new audience, but to see people moved to tears, laughing at the right moments, and to cheer for Sam is really thrilling for me. That said, for a small group of people the social issue completely misses them and they think they’re watching just another superhero film. The social issue is there for you if you want it. But it’s the people that don’t get it that make me most happy. We’ve had people deny there was any social issue in the film, defending the same dated concept of masculinity, defend the right to bear arms (as if we are disagreeing with them), and even walk out of the film or Q&As after complaining about the film’s content. It’s a strange feeling. You don’t really want to offend—at least I don’t. But, we made this film to spark conversation. Now they are talking about it, and that’s the best that we can hope for.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
At first, I was pretty bummed that someone would walk out or someone didn’t understand the issues of the film. But over time, I realized that most people did. And the stories we’ve heard from both women and men about how Balloon resonates with their own experiences of masculinity are particularly moving. Now, if anything, the negative feedback emboldened our resolve to tell this story. We’ve had so many people come forward to help champion the film and offer to help us make a feature version.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’m actually really reluctant to talk about the movie. Though I love the topic and can certainly talk about it for hours on end, I always hope that the film is the conversation and I really don’t want to tell audiences what to think. That said, what I love about We Are Moving Stories is how conversation-focused the content is. If the We Are Moving Stories audience reads about Balloon and it inspires them to see the film, that is a great thing. Anything we can do to spark conversation.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this point, for the short film, we’ve begun talking to potential buyers and distributors. This is really exciting because again—the potential for more people to see the film can increase its impact on the conversation.
Beyond that, we’ve also started to talk to educators, schools, and some non-profit groups to use the film as part of a curriculum for young people. This would just be a dream come true—because though we certainly made the film to entertain an adult audience, it was so important the film was respectful of the experience of the young people it depicts.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Conversation. I don’t think we can expect art to directly make a change, but we can hope that the power of stories expands our consciousness. Stories have the ability to break down boundaries. When we break through those barriers, we allow for ourselves to breathe. It releases tension and puts some fresh air around an issue. When we suspend our disbelief and let a story take us on its journey through a little life, we find ourselves empathizing. And when we emerge from the dark theater and back into reality, that empathy lets see things a little more objectively, a little more awake. And that’s a great place for conversation to start.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Were the superpowers real? What is that look we see Sam’s face at the end of the film?
For us, Sam’s last look is best encapsulated by a quote from playwright and activist, Eve Ensler: “Well, the tyranny of masculinity and the tyranny of patriarchy I think has been much more deadly to men than it has to women. It hasn't killed our hearts. It's killed men's hearts. It's silenced them; it's cut them off.”
How did his superpowers work?
This is intentionally ambiguous in the film. There’s a sort of spiritual mythology behind it. Openness, vulnerability, lightness—to be “light as a feather”—is a kind of spiritual path to self-empowerment. As children, we almost know this path innately, and we Sam can float when he makes this choice. But as we grow older, we become more brittle, we clench, we try to control and have power over things. This power over things yields destructive, explosive results.
Would you like to add anything else?
We are active on social media we’d love for you to include us in your conversation online! There’s also plenty more about the social issues in the film on our website—and you can find out about future screenings there! (balloonmovie.com).
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
My production company Dream Three Films, is developing my initial treatment into a feature called Spirit Week. A remix on the classic superhero story, Spirit Week follows a teenage boy trying to survive the week leading up to the Homecoming football game. The film explores how we raise our boys and how that not only encourages bullying but it cuts them off from our collective consciousness.
Interview: August 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, 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
Balloon
Exploring gender through the lens of the superhero myth, Balloon questions how we raise boys when our concept of masculinity has become narrow.
Length: 16:46
Director: Jeremy Merrifield
Producer: Christina Cha
Writer: Jeremy Merrifield & Dave Testa
About the writer, director and producer:
JEREMY MERRIFIELD has made four short films at the American Film Institute: Balloon, Line, A Traveling Symphony, The Bell. He has also created an original TV series, For Real. Prior to AFI, Jeremy worked in New York in the Broadway theatre community where his credits include Songs For a New World (off-Broadway, producer), Yanki (Off-Broadway, associate producer), The Boy From Oz (Broadway, casting), Miss Saigon (Broadway tour, “Chris”), and Our Sweet Life By The Pacific (off-Broadway, asst. director) at New York Theatre Workshop.
DAVE TESTA studied at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, studying English literature and creative writing. While attending the American Film Institute, he has written four short films including The Bell (directed by Jeremy Merrifield), The Visitor, Blood and Lost.
CHRISTINA CHA is a producer who recently optioned her first screenplay, Lilith, to Miramax. She worked under the mentorship of Scott Steindorff & Dylan Russell, handling story development, creative outreach, and a variety of producing assignments. Previous producing credits include Lost In America, Rediscover America, and A Traveling Symphony (directed by Jeremy Merrifield). Prior to filmmaking, Christina worked as a creative media consultant with companies such as Disney, NBC Universal, FOX, CBS/Viacom, Lionsgate, SONY, Technicolor, and Amazon.
Key cast: Paul Scheer (Officer Hart), Jonah Beres (Sam), Jaylin Ogle (Adam), Carson Severson (Jason)
Looking for: distributors, buyers
Facebook: Balloon
Twitter: @balloonfilm
Instagram: @balloonfilm
Hashtags used: #superheromovie #superheroes #masculinity #indiefilm #film #shortfilm #dream3films #americanfilminstitute @jeremydirects @balloonfilm @dream3films
Website: www.balloonmovie.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Dream Three Films
Funders: Crowdfunding & Grants
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? HollyShorts, Los Angeles - August 15th, 7:30pm Sci-fi / Fantasy Block; FilmQuest, Utah - TBA