Boulder International Film Festival - Edges
At the ripe age of 90, former Ice-Capades star Yvonne Dowlen was still on the ice five days a week.
Interview with filmmakers Katie Stjernholm and Jonathan Hiller
Watch Edges here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
We've been passionate about capturing the stories of our elders for quite some time. When we stumbled upon Yvonne's story in an article we knew this could be the first opportunity to translate her lifelong passion to a short film that we could share with audiences. Recent generations also seem to document so many moments of their lives -- but our elders tend to be removed from this kind of technology. It's a privilege to be able to use the filmmaking medium to capture and preserve the wisdom and stories of those who have witnessed so much in their lifetimes.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
At the age of 90, Yvonne Dowlen was still competing in figure skating competitions and on the ice at least five days a week. In fact, she believed it was easier to skate than walk. When we met Yvonne, her personality was infectious. Unashamedly herself, she is a perfect example that doing what you love, every day, is the key to a long life lived well.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Through the intimate portrayal of an astonishing character like Yvonne, we feel the film has prompted audiences to reflect on their own passions, mortality, and relationships to their elders. The way modern culture treats and integrates our elderly leaves much to be desired. The irony is that most everyone knows someone in the twilight of their life and could likely be in that same position someday. Hopefully, we are able to bring attention to this issue by celebrating such a vibrant, resilient woman.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
We started the project with the goal of celebrating the resilience and brilliance of Yvonne, the oldest living competing ice skater. She passed away on May 2, 2016 -- two days after we completed the film for its premiere at Mountainfilm in Telluride. We were faced with the extremely difficult challenge of respecting our initial vision, but also honoring the life Yvonne lived. Many painstaking hours were spent deliberating how to hold space for both, and I think we did right by her in the end. While Yvonne has never able to see the film, we shared the film at her memorial service before the festival premiere.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We premiered the film at Mountainfilm in Telluride and have been in accepted into more than fifteen film festivals. We have received the Audience Award for Best Short Documentary at the Sedona International Film Festival, Best Short Documentary at DocLA, and Audience Choice at the No Man's Land Film Festival. We released the film online in January 2017 and have been grateful for how well it's been received on Facebook, Vimeo, Reddit and blogs. The most surprising reaction is that many people have shared how emotional it made them. We knew the piece had heart, but we are so honored that people have told us it made them think about their mother, grandmother, and their own passion in their life that they've either cultivated or neglected. It seemed to be so much more personal for viewers than we originally thought. It's also a gift to us that people are still getting to know Yvonne even after her passing.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We've been humbled by how well the film has been received both on the film festival circuit and online. It's hard to know how people will receive a piece of art, but it more deeply solidified the understanding that, if you're crying with tears of joy in the editing room, someone somewhere is probably going to be affected by it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We're hoping to share Yvonne's story and legacy with audiences far and wide. As a short documentary, we feel that her story has a universal message and appeal. This film was a passion project in every sense-- created essentially by a crew of two and without much time or budget. We're hoping to continue to tell meaningful stories -- potentially with the collaboration and backing of interested organizations or brands that may want to commission human stories that matter.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We'd particularly love to find content publishers and brands who are inspired and interested in sharing the film, the film trailer, the film website (www.EdgesFilm.com) -- helping us reach audiences that would enjoy and resonate with this story.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We hope that when people watch Edges, they are inspired to commit to their own passions and celebrate elders. On our website (www.EdgesFilm.com), we have created an Interview Guide for people to be able to interview special elders in their life: preserving their stories and insights.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What qualities about Yvonne do you think enabled her to still be ice-skating at 90 years old? Is longevity, physical rehabilitation, and quality of life more determined by attitude and passion --- or rather, consistent activity level and physical movement? What makes up a life well lived?
Would you like to add anything else?
We changed the ending of the film for the online release from our original festival cut. We weren't sure how much we wanted to share about her passing --- to keep the original integrity of the project. However, we wanted to share with readers that Yvonne died, as she lived, on the ice. She was training every day for a competition to celebrate her 91st birthday in Minneapolis. On May 2nd, she drove herself to the rink, laced up her skates and passed away on the ice from an instant aortic aneurysm. She had once told us, "I want to go out in my sleep or in my skates." We can't help but sense that this was orchestrated and her children say that their mom 'had the best last day'.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We own and operate a production company called Balcony Nine Media in Boulder, Colorado. While commercial and promotional content pay most of the bills, we're actively seeking companies and organizations that are interested in commissioning filmic brand content that feels less like advertising -- focusing on storytelling that has potential to garner and inspire a large audience. We're always juggling and developing documentary ideas (both short-form and feature length) that would have an impact campaign attached -- particularly for environmental and social causes. Releasing Edges has also attracted many pitches for additional stories celebrating longevity and resilience, which we are always open to considering.
Interview: March 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
_______________________________________________________________________________
Edges
At the ripe age of 90, former Ice-Capades star Yvonne Dowlen was still on the ice five days a week.
Length: 8min 53sec
Director: Katie Stjernholm
Producer: Katie Stjernholm
Writer: Katie Stjernholm
Director of Photography: Jonathan Hiller
Editor: Jonathan Hiller
Color / Sound Mixing / Graphics: Jonathan Hiller
Key cast: Yvonne Dowlen
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distributors, Film Festival Directors, Journalists
Made in association with: Balcony Nine Media / www.balconynine.co
Where can I see it in the next month? The film will be playing at the Boulder International Film Festival and several screening locations through Mountainfilm on Tour (schedule here). You can now watch the film at www.EdgesFilm.com or https://vimeo.com/balconynine/edges. Please help us spread the word by sharing our Facebook trailer (link here).
Film Website: www.EdgesFilm.com
About the writer, director and producer: Katie is a native Coloradan that has lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Australia and Italy. Before co-founding Balcony Nine Media in Boulder, she worked as a strategist and producer for the global travel brand Lonely Planet and is passionate about using media to make a positive dent in the world. She received her M.A. from the University of Melbourne and B.A. from Pepperdine University. She hopes to still be hiking, traveling – or at least telling stories – at the age of 90. [Contact: katie@balconynine.com]
About the DP / Editor: Jonathan's a wandering soul attempting to make sense of the joy and tragedy he experiences through capturing stories. He tries, and fails, a lot, and has a pretty great attitude most of the time. [Contact: http://hillervisual.com]