Lighthouse International Film Festival 2020 – Her Favorite Patient
After years of treatment, Fairfax decides to come clean to her therapist and reveal a sad but not-so-dark truth.
Interview with Director/Producer Reuben Hernandez and Writer/Producer Brady Evan Walker
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
BRADY: Years ago, I was seeing a therapist and always felt this kind of inadequacy, a kind of mental-patient imposter syndrome, like my issues were so piddling that I owed it to her and her years of education to bring something meatier to the table. Remembering this feeling from years earlier, I quickly wrote a draft of a script in which someone comes clean after years of telling the lies that I was tempted to tell at one point. What captured my attention with this is the intuition that imposter syndrome is universal even in a setting like therapy where one should be dealing with it rather than experiencing it.
REUBEN: Thanks so much for featuring our film. I wanted to challenge myself as a director to make a film with two characters in a single location, without any tricks or frills. The film would rely solely on the characters, acting, and tension to drive the story. This is the second film collaboration that Brady and I have worked on, together with our editor Patrice D. Bowman and sound designer Ash Knowlton.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
REUBEN: Our film is relatable because I think all of us are a bit crazy in our own way. I can empathize with Fairfax's character because sometimes it takes a lot of courage and time to be honest.
BRADY: Have you ever felt crazy for feeling relatively well-adjusted? Have you ever felt the need to talk about your problems only to realize you’ve got nothing to say? Do you simply enjoy lying? You’ll love this short film.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
BRADY: The personal and universal theme is imposter syndrome and the ways we do or do not deal with it. I’m sure it’s not a universal temptation to lie to one’s therapist, but I bet I’m far from the only one who’s considered it. And if we can’t even feel fully truthful in a setting where we pay for the privilege of being fully truthful, then what does that say about our (read: my) ability to have healthy relationships?
REUBEN: Mental health, honesty, truth, and courage are all universal themes. Personally, I can look back and recognize how difficult it was at times to be honest and truthful. It really takes a lot of time, courage, and soul searching to arrive at a place of honesty and truth. Sometimes it is just best to end certain relationships, rather than deny the truth.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
BRADY: It was a quick process. There was a lot of overwriting and trimming down. The actors were both great and brought their own takes on the characters, and Patrice, our fearless editor, trimmed the fat that I was reluctant to get rid of.
REUBEN: Brady and I reworked the ending, and there's a night and day difference between the original ending and the ending we have now. The ending is risky.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
REUBEN: Overall the feedback has been positive. The audience seems to interpret the ending in various ways, to walk away with an understanding of the big picture and to be able to empathize with Dr. Fish's character.
BRADY: It’s been generally well-received with mixed opinions about whether the ending makes total sense.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
REUBEN: Sometimes I wonder if we should have stuck to the original script, which had a more straightforward ending. I do like an element of surprise and keeping the audience on their toes. The film is more relatable than what I had originally thought.
BRADY: I was actually surprised to hear other people say they’ve had similar feelings of at least wanting to exaggerate to their therapists on days when they didn’t have much to say.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
BRADY: Coming from a southern Baptist upbringing, going to therapy was seen as something you did only if you were severely broken. Even now, being on antidepressants and going to therapy signal to my mother how far I’ve fallen from her religious ways. Comedy is the best way to normalize that which is stigmatized, and while Her Favorite Patient is far from the first comedic therapy scene, it does seek to further the conversation.
REUBEN: Hopefully our film will further highlight the importance of mental health. I'm also always looking for people to collaborate and work with.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
REUBEN: It would be great to connect with film festival programmers, journalists, buyers, and distributors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
REUBEN: I would like our audience to walk away thinking about and discussing the themes of mental health, honesty, courage, and truth. Hopefully, we can inspire other people to go out and make films.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
REUBEN: Was there ever a time that you had difficulty being honest? Why?
Would you like to add anything else?
REUBEN: Thank you to our wonderful and talented cast and crew. This film would not have been possible without their hard work and dedication.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
REUBEN is developing a feature-length documentary film and writing a short film entitled, Maria and Raquel, about two estranged sisters that reunite at their mother's funeral.
BRADY has numerous short films in the works — all delayed by COVID-19 — including a female-led comedy call Shitfucker, a darkly comedic thriller about warring Instagram influencers called Farrah Fishchedicke Forever and a feature about an accidental cult leader.
Interview: July 2020
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
Her Favorite Patient
After years of treatment, Fairfax decides to come clean to her therapist and reveal a sad but not-so-dark truth.
Length: 6:40
Director: Reuben Hernandez
Producer: Reuben Hernandez and Brady Evan Walker
Writer: Brady Evan Walker
About the writer, director and producer:
REUBEN HERNANDEZ was named one of the "20 Emerging Artists to Watch in Film and Video" by PDN and Rangefinder Magazine. Reuben's film, Antarctica, premiered at the Brooklyn Short Film Festival and he wrote, directed and produced Maddie, a narrative film that won the Best Williamsburg Short Award at the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival. Reuben's work has been featured in BBC Travel, The New York Times, and on the Discovery Channel.
BRADY EVAN WALKER is a Brooklyn-based screenwriter. Short films he’s penned include Bygones directed by William Wedig (Best Comedy Short, Coney Island Film Festival; jellyFEST; Lighthouse Film Festival; Key West Film Festival), Zugzwang directed by Lars Fuchs (Sedona Film Festival, Taos Short Film Festival, Queens World Film Festival, Blackbird Film Festival), Settling Up directed by Reuben Hernandez (Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, Lighthouse Film Festival) and Her Favorite Patient directed by Reuben Hernandez (Lighthouse Film Festival).
Key cast: Barbara Miluski (Dr. Fish), Isabelle Pierre (Fairfax)
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, sales agents, buyers, journalists
Twitter: @reubenhernandez
Instagram: @reubenhernandez
Hashtags used: #herfavoritepatient #filmshop #reubenhernandez #bradyevanwalker #barbaramiluski
Website: reubenhernandez.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Filmshop
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Lighthouse International Film Festival - screening virtually 6/15 - 6/20: