They Won’t Last
After attending a friend's perfect wedding, commitment-averse Christine is forced to make a life-changing decision when her boyfriend Alex proposes to her.
Interview with Director Portlynn Tagavi
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film as a result of an obsession I had with the couple who lived next door to me a few years back. I was living on my own for the first time and had gone through my first break up. It was one of the loneliest times of my life. I would go home every night from work and as I was trying to go to sleep all I could hear were my neighbors having sex. They would have loud, earth shattering sex for hours and then, just when you thought they were done, they would begin to argue for twice as long. I realized over the six months I lived next to them that they would rather be in a toxic and unhappy relationship, than be like me… alone. So I made a film about it.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because it’s honest and funny and full of relatable characters who go through things we all understand, especially if you’re having a quarter life crisis. It’s a fun ride and made by an incredibly passionate and committed crew. The actors are amazing, hysterical, and the cinematography is lush and fun!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I’m not the best with themes, but I feel that the theme of this film “People will knowingly stay in a flawed relationships if it means not being alone.” It works at the core of this film. Everything stems from that. The character’s motivations are all steeped in this idea of flawed situations that you choose to continue within. Christine and Alex don’t truly understand each other but they want to delude themselves into thinking they do. When they are faced with the option of being apart due to their incompatibility they choose to stay together. The flip side is that the married couple depicted in the film seem like the picture of happiness and the symbol of a successful relationship, but are even worse than the main couple. It’s about the deluded continuance of something harmful, because you are afraid of the uncertainty being without that harmful thing entails.
have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It was originally based on a conversation I overheard my neighbors having after a dinner party. They were talking about how a couple they just had dinner with were not good together. All I could think was that they were just describing themselves. I had just watched Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf that month, and had loved it and wanted to do something contained and character-driven like that. When developing this film at AFI, I thought that setting it at an apartment after a party wasn’t very cinematic and didn’t hit home on the themes I wanted. I decided to make it a wedding and I, over time, worked in Alex’s desire to propose that night. I was so happy to discover that dramatic pin. It added more stakes and drove home the characters wants, as opposed to just it being a conversation in a room. It was a slow-burn over time, inspired by many life events and constant feedback from my co-writer Brandon and the rest of the team.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It’s been overwhelmingly positive. I think a lot of people relate to this film and since I’m around Christine and Alex’s age I can see a lot of my peers feeling similar pressures to participate in the mating game. We have been fortunate to have won the College Television Award for “Best Comedy Short” and we have been included in over fifty festivals.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not at all. Other than the positive (albeit limited) feedback from audiences and festival teams, we’ve unfortunately not had much access to broad feedback due to the pandemic. I wish I could go to these festivals and hear what people think in person, but I just haven’t had the option to at this time.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We worked incredibly hard on this film, and would be so happy to be able to share it with a much wider audience. I am very excited by the platform’s variety of filmmakers and professionals who I hope to meet and build a collaborative network with. I hope to grow and help others grow through this exposure.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love for more film festival directors and journalists to see this film! It would be great to make those relationships happen and to start a dialogue. Since covid, it’s been hard to have that social element to screening your film. I would love more conversations happening about it.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
While my films do carry strong themes that I hope will resonate with people, my main driving force is to give people a great entertaining experience with interesting characters.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think it’s funny. A lot of people see this film and think that this couple, Alex and Christine, are perfect for each other and that in the end they stay together because that’s what’s supposed to happen. I never felt that way. They are, on the surface, fine, but if you really pay attention to how Alex talks to Christine and how he talks about her and how she looks at him… they don’t really love or get each other. So I find myself, the filmmaker, having had arguments with people about whether or not they love each other.
Would you like to add anything else?
The team put so much passion into making They Won’t Last, and I am so proud to have worked with such an outstanding cast and crew. It’s been an amazing experience, and we have been blown away by the positive response we have received. My hope is to get as many people to see it and feel the love we poured into making this film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m currently writing a feature-length, coming of age dramady based on my own personal experience growing up in a difficult, albeit funny situation. While that simmers on the stove, I’ve also been in pre-production on a short about two codependent best friends who are forced to assess the nature of their friendship when one is asked to move in with her boyfriend and the other’s just been dumped. So keep your eyes peeled for my next project soon!
Interview: January 2022
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
They Won’t Last
Length:
15:42
Writer
BRANDON GALE is a screenwriter who writes comedy across history.
He recently graduated from AFI with a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting, and has had experience working with Skybound Entertainment (THE WALKING DEAD), Esmail Corp. (MR. ROBOT), and was the assistant for Jason Cahill (THE SOPRANOS, LORD OF THE RINGS).
Director
PORTLYNN TAGAVI is a Persian Creole writer/director. Originally working as a story artist in animation for Paramount, Psyop, the Jim Henson Company, and DreamWorks, PORTLYNN then went on to develop herself as a live-action director at AFI (2019) where she received her MFA. Her award-winning short film THEY WON’T LAST has been recognized by festivals such as Bentonville Film Festival, Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, Prague International Indie Film Festival, the BAFTA Shortlist, and College Television Awards - (Best Comedy Short Winner). Currently, PORTLYNN is working on her feature as well as numerous shorts.
Producer
RICHARD BAILEY is a graduate of the American Film Institute (AFI) with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Producing. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Communication Studies, Screen Arts & Culture from the University of Michigan. Bailey produced three cycle projects (Ghosts, That Far, and Baked), and one MOS (My Man) at the American Film Institute (AFI). BAILEY interned in feature development at Blumhouse Productions, and 42 Management and Productions (2018-2019). He also interned in post-production at Intersport, a sports media company in Chicago. BAILEY also worked at the University of Michigan's WOLV-TV as a producer & director for the sports comedy show ULTIMATE SPORTS SHOW, which won best show of the year (2017). He also produced & performed in a documentary parody, 17 For 38: The Dorm Basketball Duel.
Key cast:
BRITTANY RENEE FINAMORE (Christine), JACK DE SENA (Alex), Gary Curtis (Jonathan), Ryan Lee (Thalia)
Looking for:
journalists, film festival directors
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/theywontlast/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theywontlast/?hl=en
Hashtags used:
#theywontlast
More info:
https://www.theywontlast.com/
Made in association with:
AFI Conservatory