Solitary
Solitary - Anna Skellern as Lisa and Katharine McEwan as Nora
Party-girl Nora drinks too much, can't hold down a job and pushes away everyone she loves. After her long-suffering boyfriend throws her out, Nora is forced to move back home with her aging father. Once inside her childhood home, the ghosts of her past begin to haunt her until the secret she has buried for so long is finally revealed.
Interview with Writer/Producer/Lead actress Katharine Lee McEwan
Watch Solitary on Prime Video and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to explore family dynamics and what happens when the truth is sacrificed for an illusion of functionality. I grew up in a community in the north of England that valued a code of silence over everything else. It felt like everyone knew what was happening inside some homes, but no one wanted to talk about it. I wanted to try to show how damaging this culture of open secrets can be – not just for the individual victims, but for society as a whole.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We hope that audiences will feel inspired to never give up on themselves, no matter how ugly life gets. That there is value in not only confronting your past, but in not letting it define who you are today. That personal redemption is available to all of us.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think human beings all share two fundamental needs: to belong, and to have our stories heard. There is a crushing isolation that comes with abuse, a sense of being 'other' and 'damaged' and no longer having a place in the family, or at society's proverbial campfire. When we add silence and secrecy to that isolation, and when we deny the victim the opportunity to have their struggles witnessed, we are eroding these two needs that are so intrinsic to our human experience. Nora's family are all confined in their own personal prisons, because of their refusal to speak about the truth of what happened to them.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Our director Sasha Krane had been involved in the creative process since script development, which made the shoot a lot easier in terms of him having such an intimate understanding of the material. The script evolved enormously once we cast the actors, as they not only brought the characters to life, but also all their ideas and inspiration to what had just been words on a page. We had extensive budgetary and time constraints that brought a lot of challenges during production, but ultimately that forced us to find more creative solutions.
Solitary - Sarina Taylor as Shannon.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We had a really successful festival run in 2015 in terms of audience support, but it wasn’t until the 2016 Oscars that things started turning around for us in regards to the industry. Vice President Biden speaking out about sexual assault on college campuses, Lady Gaga’s performance of ‘Til it Happens To You, ' Spotlight winning best picture... all these things helped create a new conversation around a sadly all too common issue.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We've been very humbled by the responses of people who could relate to Nora's struggles and our editor and co-producer Mari made a great observation: the desire for female-driven stories is strong and they are still woefully underdeveloped and underfunded in Hollywood.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We Are Moving Stories is a powerful platform, which is supportive of female filmmakers and films of social relevance. Our team is incredibly proud that eight of our ten producers are women! We hope our visibility on www.wearemovingstories.com will inspire more people to tell their stories and have their voices heard.
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, journalists who are willing to feature our film and share our story would be most welcome.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
As Sasha has said, the choice to make Solitary was deeply person for all of us. Looking at statistics of rape and sexual assault makes it clear that almost everyone has been affected by this issue. Sometimes a story needs to be told, regardless of commercial success or failure.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Does our past define who we are today?
Solitary - Michael Wildman as David.
Would you like to add anything else?
Solitary would not have been possible without all of the hard work of the entire Solitary team - from top to bottom, we were blessed with an incredible cast and crew - and we were fortunate to find support from film festivals, industry professionals and an open, enlightened audience who was deeply invested in talking about the difficult themes Solitary explores.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I've since produced two shorts – one with Solitary's amazing editor and co-producer Mari Walker called Swim which I’m really excited for. Shoshanna's Skateboard, the other short I produced, recently won Best Family Film at the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, and the Hearts, Minds and Souls Award at Rhode Island International Film Festival. I've just been cast in a feature film that shoots in Europe early next year.
Sasha has several feature films in development and is also working on a graphic novel, in addition to continuing his work at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute where he is the Creative Director of Film and Theatre Production.
Sarina is currently in pre-production for a music video she is producing and has been cast in three feature films set to shoot in 2017.
Anna Skellern is in the new David O' Hare play at the National Theatre in London alongside Mark Strong, and Michael Widman will be in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One.
Interview: November 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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Solitary
Party-girl Nora drinks too much, can't hold down a job and pushes away everyone she loves. After her long-suffering boyfriend throws her out, Nora is forced to move back home with her aging father. Once inside her childhood home, the ghosts of her past begin to haunt her until the secret she has buried for so long is finally revealed.
Length: 89 minutes
Director: Sasha Krane
Producer: Katharine Lee McEwan and Sarina Taylor
Writer: Katharine Lee McEwan
About the writer, director and producer:
Katharine is an award-winning British actress, writer and producer based in Los Angeles.
Alongside his writing and directing career, Sasha Krane is the Creative Director of Film and Theatre Production at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
Key cast: Katharine Lee McEwan, Sarina Taylor, Kevin McGowan, Michael Wildman, Anna Skellern
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Journalists
Funders: Private Equity
Made in association with: Solitary Films Ltd
Release date: November 1st, 2016