Hutchison
The myths in a young child’s mind come alive when four outsiders unexpectedly cross paths in her, seemingly, unobtrusive Montreal neighbourhood. It’s a story of a strange encounter between a playful 8-year-old girl, an old enchantress and four misguided strangers.
Director: Aki Pagratis
Watch Hutchison here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
One Sunday afternoon, as I walked past an old church that my family and I used to visit when I was much younger, a strange and somewhat fascinating event unfolded that completely gripped me. The event involved rich characters, surprising twists, and it shattered a few impressions that I didn’t think existed in my mind. As a filmmaker who works mostly on documentaries, I loved the idea of taking on this complex multilayered story that is based on a real event.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
With this film, one of my main goals was to tell a story that was engaging and entertaining. I have been told by many people that we accomplished it and I think viewers will enjoy the suspense and the surprises in the story. I also hope they enjoy dissecting some of the universal themes that the film addresses.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We focus on the duality of good vs evil, but we try to not force our opinion. We definitely embrace some stereotypes that are usually quite prevalent in western society, and then we try to tear them apart. Whether they are actively aware of it, or not, I believe the audience’s impressions and prejudices will be challenged as our characters’ positions shift.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The film diverged from the script somewhat, when the editing began. We used the script as a map, filmed everything we needed, and then filmed extra shots for more flexibility in the editing suite. After the first and second draft were done, we identified a few weaknesses, and shot extra scenes to enhance the story. I never felt confined to the script. I knew that the actors and environment would compel us to make changes. Luckily, we shot everything using our own equipment and the script didn’t have expensive production requirements, so with willingness of our amazing actors and many extras we were able to take our time.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far, we have received great reaction. Being my first film, it’s much better than I imagined. Our first festival was the BareBones Film Festival, in Oklahoma, and I was surprised to see that we won second place, for dramatic micro short. Soon after that, we got a Canadian Premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival, where I was finally able to watch the film with an audience. It was amazing!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback we are getting is a super sweet surprise and I’m glad it’s doing as well as it is. Engagement is the best thing I could have asked for and that’s what I feel has been happening. After the festival, I got contacted by a few talented filmmakers who mentioned they heard about the film and wanted to see it, which is really cool. It is a strange story and viewers can interpret it in various ways, so I worried that some people wouldn’t get it, but I’m not seeing that.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We worked really hard on this film and we like what it says and hope as many people see it, as possible. This is why we are really grateful for the existence ofsites such as wearemovingstories.com. You guys give independent filmmakers invaluable opportunity to connect with other independently minded professionals in the film industry. This is my first fiction film and I loved making it and I hope to get more support to either make a series out of it, or a feature film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Everyone. We would like producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors and film festival directors to see the film and to want to work with us. We also hope journalists watch the film and are inspired to write about it.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Ideally, I would like this film to engage and entertain people and, hopefully, to have them address some of the issues it brings up. I would also like the opportunity to work with some of the great talent I have seen in festivals. This was my first film and if it opens more doors for my team and I, I would consider it a big success.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
This is a good question and something I have been thinking about for a while, but never had to write about. A key question that has sparked some debate between people who have seen the film is, does the duality of good vs evil oversimplifying the argument? What is the difference between evil, misguided paths and psychopathic acts?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently writing two stories that have been fermenting in my mind, for a while. One is a suspense/drama; and the other is a psychological/sci-fi/action film. They’re very different genres with complex story structures and and I’m looking forward to bringing them to life.
Interview: October 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. 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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Hutchison
The myths in a young child’s mind come alive when four outsiders unexpectedly cross paths in her, seemingly, unobtrusive Montreal neighbourhood. It’s a story of a strange encounter between a playful 8-year-old girl, an old enchantress and four misguided strangers.
Length: 8 mins
Director: Aki Pagratis
Producer: Catalina Rivera, Aki Pagratis, Rafael Arriaga
Writer: Aki Pagratis
About the writer, director and producer:
Aki Pagratis is a Canadian-born film writer and director, who works on documentary and fiction films. He made his directorial debut with a the short film Hutchison that has opened in Fantasiaand Barebones Film Festivals and is now working on his first feature.
Key cast:
Dany Boudreault
Emma Lima Manoukian
Ingunn Omholt
Johanne Ductan-Petit
Aaricia Umbert
Shalesha Labelle
Marvin
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Funders: Independent
Made in association with: CocoFilms Studio http://www.cocofilms.ca/
Release date: July 30, 2016