Final Girls 'Women in Horror' Film Festival Berlin - Ink
An emotionally damaged woman seeks penance and personal transformation through tattooing after surviving a devastating pregnancy. One night, drenched in booze and ink, her deepest fears threaten to consume her.
Interview with Writer/Director Ashlea Wessel
Watch Ink here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
INK started as a series of visual images that I had intended on using to create a motion project or a music video but, as I brainstormed, a backstory began to form and it began to take on a life of it’s own so to speak. I just kind of nurtured it and then it was a film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Well, I believe that whatever else INK is, it’s intriguing. You won’t have plot points just handed to you, and you’re going to want to know what’s going to happen next. On top of that, INK’s aesthetic is unique and creates a creepy but engaging atmosphere in conjunction with the music and sound design. Who doesn’t like to be a little creeped-out?
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Because INK is about one woman’s personal struggle with her own mind and body, there’s a link between the universal fear that body-horror elicits and the very personal and female-centric themes of fear of motherhood, pregnancy and everything that goes along with that.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Though the base imagery is still very similar to what I had imagined, the story is much more complex then it was at its inception.
From the start of production to its release, we had to overcome so many hurdles: from shots that we had to cut for time on set to fixing mistakes and re-edits. Things change quite a bit throughout the process but that’s what happens. Some things I wish I could change but some things turned out better than I imagined they would.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We haven’t had the chance to get too much feedback in terms of reviews but the few we’ve got have been positive and, of course that’s great. The thing that really struck me the most is that many people had very interesting comments and theories about what they saw and I think that’s awesome. It’s exactly what I hoped to hear when we released INK and I can’t wait to hear more.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Somewhat. In terms of criticism, I think that everyone was very constructive and sometimes it regarded an aspect that I, too would have changed. When it was positive, sometimes someone particularly liked something that I wasn’t crazy about.
In terms of people’s interpretations, though I went in with my own point of view about what INK is about and what I wanted to convey to the audience, ultimately, it’s not for me to say what it should mean to other people. I think I was expecting to get a lot of different takes on it and that’s what I got. I love that people are applying their own understanding and experiences to the story. It’s the discussion that really gives meaning to any art form.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Well, INK is still making its way around festivals at the moment, so I hope that readers will have their interest piqued and make their way to see it in theatres. Once our run is done we will definitely be releasing online so we hope to gain interested followers so we can keep everyone posted on the continuing journey of our film!
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! The more interest we garner, screenings that we do, distribution that we have, the more chance that INK has to really get out there and reach different audiences.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that INK can speak to many different people in different ways. I’d love to see more conversation happening around it. On top of that, It’s messy and creepy and there’s a monster! I want audiences to have fun watching it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
It’s a two-parter: Where did the monster come from? Is the woman just a victim of circumstance or did she have hand in her own undoing?
Would you like to add anything else?
Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more info and updates on INK and future projects!
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’ve got a few short scripts that are in development at the moment, and one that I’m very excited about called “Swipe Right”. It’s a creepy, atmospheric, date-movie that we’re working on getting funding for.
Interview: February 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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INK
An emotionally damaged woman seeks penance and personal transformation through tattooing after surviving a devastating pregnancy. One night, drenched in booze and ink, her deepest fears threaten to consume her.
Length:9:58
Director: Ashlea Wessel
Producer: Alex Lawrence
Writer: Ashlea Wessel
About the writer, director and producer:
Ashlea is a Canadian photographer and filmmaker. Her first film INK sees her unique, cinematic still aesthetic translate seamlessly into motion.
As a lighting technician, Alex has worked on everything from commercials to big-budget features. He’s happily stepped outside his usual role to produce INK.
Key cast: Mishka Balilty
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): All of the above. Check us out guys!
Funders: Self , Indiegogo contributors.
Where can I see it in the next month? INK will be screening at the following events:
February 24 - Final Girls Berlin Film Festival (Berlin, Germany)
February 24+25 - Nevermore Film Festival (Durham, NC, USA)
March 5 - Monsters of Film - Women in Horror Stockholm 2017 (Stockholm, Sweden)
March 22 – Boston Underground Film Festival (Boston, USA)