A daughter struggles with role reversals as she drives her aging parents to their assisted living home.

Interview with Writer/Director Corinne Kassor

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I made “The Drive” soon after the death of my father. He lived in nursing homes/assisted living centers for the last ten years or so of his life. At 22 I found myself taking on the feeling of being my father’s mother. It was a very hard transition to be depended upon as the provider for someone who was supposed to be able to provide for you. I wanted to explore this role reversal in my short film.

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

As an audience member, I feel my film will speak to the viewer’s common struggle. You may not have found yourself in this exact role reversal yet, but surely someone close to you has had to step up in this often uncomfortable and confusing way. This role reversal can make the child feel isolated. I wanted to help the audience feel that they are not alone in this particular struggle.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Aging and duty are universal themes. Everyone faces them at some point in their lifetime, they are inescapable. The situations where we find ourselves dutifully “trapped” especially interest me. It’s these instances that make us the most vulnerable, the most human, the most complex, and for me, the most compelling.

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

The story came about rather quickly. It was as if a seed had been planted in my sleep, it had already grown, flowered and was just waiting to be plucked by morning. I wrote the script in one sitting and only made small tweaks as my producers and I started talking about shooting it. The piece really came alive during rehearsals with the actors. The characters were truly fleshed out when I heard the dialogue spoken out loud. We played with the psychology behind the words while we shot, which added more honest layers to the story.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback we receive is the best part of this process. I’m constantly surprised how personal the feedback becomes so quickly. Audience members often tell me of their own struggle with the aging of a loved one and how this story spoke to their own experience. I hear a lot “It reminded me of…” I think it’s a story that’s not easily talked about but deserves to be addressed.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback is only surprising because of how personal it is. People really open up when they are reminded tell a story of their own. It’s the most lovely part of this whole experience.

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

I am looking to expand my audience with the inclusion of my film on wearemovingstories.com

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

I am hoping to amplify this film’s message by being screened at other film festivals. I want festival directors to see that my producers and I have the ability to make tough subjects approachable.

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

As collaborators we truly believe that small stories can have large impact on our audience. We hope that our audience can look to instances of joy that may be buried in our viewer’s personal struggle. We want to encourage conversation about role reversal and the array of emotions it makes us feel.

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

A key question to spark debate in this film is simply, “When have you found yourself in a role reversal with a loved one? And how did or didn’t you manage to stay grounded?”

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Without getting into too many specifics, my collaborators and I plan to continue to develop stories that explore the complexity of human nature.

Interview: November 2017

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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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The Drive

A daughter struggles with role reversals as she drives her aging parents to their assisted living home.

Length: 7 minutes

Director: Corinne Kassor

Producers: Ashley Hudson & Blaise Miller

Writer: Corinne Kassor

Writer/Director: Corinne Kassor studied playwriting at Ohio University and has worked as a professional in film and tv since 2007. “The Drive” is her directorial debut.

Producers: Ashley Hudson & Blaise Miller, both professionals in the industry, shared a desire to create unique and inspiring films, which led to the founding of Rabbit Island Films.

Cast: KK Glick plays the daughter Eve. Willi Burke plays the mother Ruth. Jack O’Connell plays the father Charles.

Social media handles:

Instagram: TheDriveShortFilm

Webpage: Thedriveshortfilm.com the film will be made public after it has exhausted the festival circuit.

The film will screen next at the “15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival” in Palm Bay, Florida on November 17th and 18th

Email: TheDriveShortFilm@gmail.com