Horse
A struggle between inner chaos and reality explodes to create a world of cowboys, horses, and western landscapes.
Interview with Director/Producer/Editor/Writer/Animator/Actor Diana Gong
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to make a film where my process was very freeing, fun, and experimental. I also wanted to communicate the experience of dealing with and overcoming physical/emotional/mental struggles. In my experience, I was going through a lot of struggles with identity, gender, place, etc. I spent my whole life dedicating myself to my passions: sports, weightlifting, fishing and art. My parents are from China, but I grew up in California. I guess I wasn't very normal. It was pretty weird for a girl to be THAT into that stuff, much less a queer Asian one. My dad was my biggest role model, and my friends were all guys, and it felt like they wouldn't accept me unless I proved I was better than them. So I developed a lot of discipline and learned to push myself mentally, physically and emotionally. I pushed myself to the limits, to the point where everything I did was at maximum intensity. It felt like I could never be satisfied with myself. It took a pretty heavy mental toll on me, to the point where I felt like I was always angry, in my own head, struggling to break free from all the pressure I'd put on myself to be better. Coming to terms with my own limits, feelings of appreciation, satisfaction and self-worth as a person who doesn't need to try so hard to fit in anymore saved me from destroying myself.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think it'll be a very emotionally freeing and fulfilling experience.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Ultimately, Horse is how I’ve reimagined and interpreted ideas of masculinity and iconographic white American imagery to create an expansive reality. Creating this film was a powerful emotional experience for me that helped me imagine a realm of hope and possibility, beyond the limits of gender and identity.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It was a very spontaneous, unplanned process that involved a lot of time and effort. I didn't have any plans from the beginning and just wanted to have fun, trust my instincts and experiment. My inspiration started with an image of an animated horse running against a live-action background. Then I went for a drive. I drove through the Providence suburbs, recording some footage while I was listening to music that my weightlifting coach introduced me to- Sturgill Simpson's Sound and Fury album, which created this really intense headspace whenever I was maxing out in the gym.
Thus, Horse became a mixed-media project using clay on glass, live-action, stop-motion, pixilation and sound. Using clay on a 2D surface, I was able to create wildly imaginative movements that contrasted the physical limitations of stop-motion. I filmed the live-action footage in the suburban neighborhoods of Providence and the coastal regions off Highway 1 in California. Every day, I animated and filmed new fragments. The sound became a way for me to structure the film and create the raw emotional intensity that I felt while making it. I recorded narration using my own voice and Eli's voice (my white bro friend), overlapping and alternating between the two. I also recorded a band playing live drums, instrumental sounds I created with a digital synthesizer, and free music samples.
The film really became a documentation of my own emotional journey. I felt consumed by anger, chaos, and inner tension when I was trying to fit in, and through struggle, my world transformed into something more expansive and free.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I've been told by my peers that it's a very emotionally raw and powerful film. Also that it feels very queer, and reminds them of drag and transness. A lot of people think it's very fun and crazy and bizarre, but I think it really resonated emotionally with queer audiences.
One of my professors: "'Horse' is really terrific. I had never really thought of horses as queer icons until the film, but the way the film played with gender made me ruminate on that idea... equestrian attire is exclusively gender-neutral, and the cowboy has a sort of recuperated icon of individual freedom of expression.. and a quintessential expression of masculinity that can truly be worn by anyone.. almost like drag. There's a raw energetic intensity in that film. I really loved it. Congrats!"
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has made me very, very joyful and surprised and relieved. When I made it, I didn't have much clarity in terms of what I was actually thinking about. Hearing what other people have said helped me understand and appreciate it retrospectively. I didn't realize how queer it was before, and now it makes a lot of sense and I love the film even more. I'm so glad that aspect of it came across, and that it was emotionally powerful for other people to experience. Someone I knew came up to me after it showed at the junior show last to personally thank and congratulate me, and since then a lot of others including my peers, audience members, and festival directors and panellists have felt it very deeply and personally, and that makes me really, really happy and grateful. Seeing Horse emotionally resonate with queer viewers on such an individual level and also be enjoyed and understood by a wider audience makes me so happy. I'm glad it isn't just explicitly labelled as or limited to only being a "gay film."
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope more people can connect with Horse and hear about why the process of making the film was personally significant for me :)
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors and journalists who can help me spread Horse to more audiences!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope people can relate to it personally and experience some kind of emotional catharsis/fulfilment :)
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How does the idea of a journey or a transformation relate to your experiences of place, identity, culture, and time?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm working on an experimental, mixed-media stop-motion film about a birthday party, that will be part of the installation for my degree project which includes wax and glass sculptures
Interview: January 2023
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
Horse
A struggle between inner chaos and reality explodes to create a world of cowboys, horses, and western landscapes.
Length: 4:02
Director: Diana Gong
Producer: Diana Gong
Writer: Diana Gong
About the writer, director and producer:
DIANA GONG is a senior at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she studies Film, Animation, and Video. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Her overall practice is grounded in experimentation with analog materials. Currently, She works in stop-motion and 2D animation, sculpture, painting, installation, drawing, and 16mm film. When She is not working in the studio, she competes in Olympic weightlifting. She eats a lot of eggs.
Key cast: Diana Gong (Horse/Narrator); Eli Turner (Horse/Narrator)
Looking for: film festival directors and journalists
Instagram: @dgongart
Hashtags used: #SLAMDANCE #LIAF #SDUFF #SQFF #flickersfilmfestival #HORSE #ANIMATION #STOPMOTION #EXPERIMENTAL
Website: www.dianagong.com
Other: Vimeo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Slamdance/online-Jan 23-29 and in Park City, UT-1/25 at 3:45 pm at Treasure Mountain Inn