The origin story of Kickboxing Mama: New mom releases hormone-fueled superstrength on baby-waking neighbor.

Interview with Writer/Producer Alexandra Bromstad Lubenova

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! Kickboxing Mama fuses my crazy love of action movies with my very real experiences as a new mother. The inspiration for the script came from a moment when I came dangerously close to unleashing some major Jason Bourne, Batman level shit on my neighbor for waking up my baby.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

There is one thing that always happens when we screen “Kickboxing Mama Ep: Newborn Vengeance” - people can’t WAIT to share their own stories with us.

People always laugh, but there's a certain pained hysterical timbre we’ve often noticed in the voices of our audiences members… it’s a kind of laugh-cry-release. We’re very proud of this.

Kickboxing Mama - "What the matter with me?"

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Our protagonist’s heightened strength and abilities are a metaphor for the emotional and physical upheaval many women undergo post-partum.

Isolation of new mothers is a theme which resonates powerfully in the only industrialized country that doesn’t have a system of affordable childcare and paid family leave. The United States. In that way, we were passionate about making a film that was both a call to arms and a comedic release valve.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

The fighting has become much more grounded. When I first wrote the script in that fury of inspiration, there were a lot of spinning back punches and high roundhouse kicks. But when Nathan came on board to direct, we discussed how important it was for the fighting to feel very real and visceral. Like we might actually see this transpire between two neighbors.

That being said, it was Nathan who had the amazing idea to change what was a simple run down some stairs into a giant leap off a three-story balcony (my favorite part of the filming, by the way).

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We’ve received some truly flattering feedback from our audiences. In particular, what we love are the suggestions of where the character of Kickboxing Mama could go next… Playground… Mommy and Me Session… Airplane… Etc.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

During pre-production and production, we made the conscious decision to take the film completely seriously. Playing for laughs was the last thing we wanted to do.

So it’s been great to hear how funny audiences find the short. It was like… ‘Oh yeah, this is a comedy!’

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We believe Kickboxing Mama, Ep: Newborn Vengeance has the potential to reach a very wide audience. We’re so excited to share our work on amazing blogs like We Are Moving Stories to help rally disgruntled parents and their neighbors all around the U.S.!

Kickboxing Mama - "Never wake a sleeping baby!"

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

All of the above! We are currently developing a series based on Kickboxing Mama and would especially love to join forces with a passionate producer who gets the character and the project.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

We really hope that this film both gets people to laugh and makes them feel more comfortable having frank conversations about what it is to be a new parent.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

This January, an influential government panel advocated screenings for what they call “Maternal Mental Illness.” The kicker: According to them, there is a full-on mental health crisis among pregnant women and new moms in the US!

Why is this the case? What can we do about it? Also (on a tangential but not unrelated note), how do you deal with a crying baby on an airplane?

Would you like to add anything else?

We’d like to thank our awesome cast and crew - many of whom generously donated their time and talents. We can’t wait to work with all of you again soon.

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Both of us have been in development for a series based on this short. We’ve even made it to the final round of the Sundance Institute/YouTube New Voices Lab. Wish us luck!

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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

Kickboxing Mama Ep: Newborn Vengeance

The origin story of Kickboxing Mama: New mom releases hormone-fueled superstrength on baby-waking neighbor.

Length:

7 min 32 sec

Director:

Nathan Hertz

Producer:

Alexandra Bromstad Lubenova

Writer:

Alexandra Bromstad Lubenova

About the writer, director and producer: (25 words each)

Producer, Writer, Actor:

Alexandra Bromstad Lubenova studied Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley. She went on to study acting at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she also began creating original material. Alexandra has written numerous features, shows, and short films.

Director:

Nathan Hertz studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After receiving the Sir John Gielgud Trust Award, he was mentored by Sir Simon Russell Beale as an emerging director. Nathan’s had films in festivals all around the world.

Key cast:

Alexandra Bromstad, Michael Rahhal, Christopher Soren Kelly

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):

All of the above.

Funders:

This project was produced on a micro-budget thanks to the generosity of family, friends, and favors from industry professionals.

Made in association with:

GHZ FILMS and Tesselate Productions

Release date:

TBD

Where can I watch it in the next month?

As part of a webisode program at Hollyshorts