A boy and his sister seek closure after Ebola ravages their West African village.

Interview with Director/Producer Jonathan Stein

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I made this film to bring greater awareness to the cultural complexities that were faced during the Ebola epidemic and to humanize an event that was largely reported by the news media using maps and statistics. I was also looking for a good reason to go back to Ghana where I did research in college and reunite with the friends I made there.

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

You should watch this film first and foremost to be entertained by an emotional story and riveted by astonishing performances. And if you are interested in learning more about what it may have been like for someone living in a village that was affected by Ebola, you will get that too.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The personal and universal are inseparable themes in this film because it is a story about love, fear, survival and honor; things that are experienced by the characters in the film and all of us at some point in our lives.

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

Originally, I was envisioning something very different in the vein of magical realism. Over the course of developing the script I came to the conclusion that the story would be much more effective and achievable at the level of quality I desired if it was grounded in realism. So I did my research and based the story from real life events that occurred during the height of the epidemic. In terms of production, you go in with one vision and then when you are on the ground, walking the locations, seeing how much money you (don’t) have, the vision changes from what you originally envisioned because on a shoestring budget like mine you are limited by what you see before you.

So the challenge is figuring out the best and most effective way to use what you’ve got while staying true to the story you want to tell. Compromises had to be made, but in the end, when you are shooting in a place like the Volta Region of Ghana, its hard not to come away with something beautiful.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

All of the feed back has been overwhelmingly positive. I think that speaks largely to the subject matter and the performances. I think people like stories that matter and when you have convincing performances to bring it to life and an amazing crew, many of whom donated their time and resources, you have a recipe for a touching short film that audiences adore.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback has reassured me that I made the right decision to venture off to make the film and move in this direction as a filmmaker.

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

Awareness through word of mouth by passionate fans.

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

The film is still in the middle of its festival run and does not yet have distribution. Obviously it would be huge if the film were to make it to the short list for the Academy Awards for which it is eligible. So in the run up to that, it would be great to have as much press as possible. But mainly, and this is why I made it in the first place, I just want people to watch it because it's an important story.

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

I want it to win the Oscar for best live action short film and be a springboard for my first feature. Duh.

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

How much of the film was based on real events and how much was made up? Why was it so important for the children to bury their parents?

Would you like to add anything else?

While the story of Ebola has faded off into the distant past of our collective consciousness, even though thousands of children were orphaned by the disease and many are now homeless and fending for themselves, the story has become very relevant again with the rise of Zika. Hopefully this can serve as a reminder of what happens when we fail to take action despite all of the evidence lying right in front of us.

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I am working on raising my baby daughter with whom my wife was pregnant when I went off to shoot this and developing a few stories I would like to adapt into features, Abraham is shooting Spider-Man in Atlanta and Jonathon Narducci, my DP, is directing his second feature documentary.

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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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Out of the Village

A boy and his sister seek closure after Ebola ravages their West African village.

Length: 16 mins

Director: Jonathan Stein

Producer: Jonathan Stein

Writer: Luke A. Renner and Jonathan Stein

About the writer, director and producer:

Jonathan Stein studied film and anthropology at the University of Southern California. His producing credits include Jack the Giant Slayer and The Taking of Deborah Logan. Out of the Village is his directorial debut. He lives in Long Beach with his wife and daughter.
Key cast: Abraham Attah, Hannah Attah, Kobina Amissah-Sam

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

Funders: Kickstarter

Made in association with:

Release date: November 2015

Where can I watch it in the next month? Visit outofthevillagefilm.com and click on screenings to get a regularly updated list of festival screenings.