Women In Film Shorts Night LA - Nodal
A maverick young scientist driven by her passion for science defies her peers by undergoing the first trial in human teleportation.
Interview with Director Linda Dahlem
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Nodal is a passion project made in collaboration with my writing/producing partner Marcello Pautasso. Finding a connection with a script and a screenwriter is always a challenge for me. With its European attributes and its creative approach (mostly inspired by Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno), the connection with Nodal was striking. This same connection was emphasized by this inspirational story of a powerful women in a world of isolation and inner conflicts; I wanted to make this film to share this connection with the world.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I believe this film will appeal to an audience with a thorough passion for arts, as well as an appreciation for experimental storytelling with a European core. If you enjoyed movies like Under The Skin, Ex Machina or the Lobster, you should definitely take a look at Nodal.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Growing up in a small town, opportunities to make an impact in the world were very small, yet the goal of many. Sierra, our main character, has this same goal of making an impact in the world; leaving a mark. Part selfless and part selfish, her journey through discovery is a conflict relatable for many of us. Sierra will always put science before her own life. She is fearless against this universal fear of the unknown - her selfless part. The idea of engraving herself in history as the first woman breaking through this technological advancement enslaves her to her personal agenda, empowering the selfish part.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Short films with small budgets are always prone to changes in development and production, but our team was admirably adaptable, therefore any changes went smoothly. Nodal was first pictured in the Swiss snowy landscapes, but with our small budget we had to adjust and decided to film in San Francisco. The script was divided into two types of scenery; the city and nature. We had this desire to depict this representation of the absent father figure as the city and the absent mother figure as nature - both representations inspired by Mythology. This is why San Francisco was ideal as it offered both scenarios and helped us avoid changing our vision.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We received different feedback; A few festivals saw in Nodal a reminder of Jonathan Glazer’s style which is an immense honor for both the writer/producer and myself as we admire the director. We also had feedback on the movie’s experimental storytelling and the long cuts in the edit.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback received didn’t surprise me as strongly as expected because I knew that some of our choices would go against other people's approach towards storytelling. Our goal was to engage the viewer by breaking some rules.
Some pointed at the lack of conflict, which amused me as Nodal is full of conflicts, just not as obvious as one would expect. As a filmmaker with so many inner conflicts hidden from the outside world, it was important for me to portray that element of invisibility. For example, as previously stated, when we filmed the forest and the city as a representation of the absent mother/father figure in Sierra’s life, the conflict is explained with locations rather than being on the nose with words or actions.
Others pointed at the ratio of experimental and how the edit had a few scenes that were too long. We wanted to show that you can create an experimental experience and still have the storytelling element; those editing choices were made on purpose and in the end I was happy that they were noticed.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love for Nodal to get more exposure and perhaps work as a feature film concept. As a director starting out, I also hope this will shed some light on myself as well as on my writing/producing partner and possibly allow us to join forces again in the near future.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Buyers and distributors would help us in turning this project into a feature which would then amplify its message. Journalists would also be ideal to promote our project and bring more people on board as well as promoting us as filmmakers.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
To be received/perceived as an empowerment of women in the film industry as well as an embrace of the choices and paths we as women make in our lives.
Would you like to add anything else?
www.facebook.com/NodalShortFilm
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Linda Dahlem is currently working on a short film project titled Pearl Rising; a project combining poetry with music and choreography, set in a post apocalyptic world destroyed by the personification of mother earth.
Marcello Pautasso is currently writing his third hour-long pilot and preparing for various Drama scripts competitions. He is also looking for representation as a screenwriter.
Interview: January 2017
_______________________________________________________________________________
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
_______________________________________________________________________________
Nodal
A maverick young scientist driven by her passion for science defies her peers by undergoing the first trial in human teleportation.
Length:00:10:09
Director: Linda Dahlem
Linda was born in one of the smallest countries in the world, Luxembourg. From an early age on she was fascinated with the world of animation and film, growing up as a rather shy child she found both comfort and refuge in the visual arts which still build her home today. Having studied cinema for more than 10 years gave her the privilege of finding herself in the visual world and building up her path to become a storyteller through writing, directing and design.
Producer/Writer: Marcello Pautasso
Swiss-born, Marcello is passionate and committed to the art of writing and producing with a thorough dedication to the soft science fiction genre. Dreaming of one day running his own TV show, Marcello continues his writing with various pilots in the works while working in the UK for a British television network.
Key cast: Camille Grenier
Looking for buyers, sales agents distributors:
Funders: Personal funding
Where can I see it in the next month? WIF Shorts Night Jan 31