Bentonville Film Festival - Au Pair - pilot
A Chinese au pair comes to America to be the feminist she can't be in China, but her newly divorced host mother intends to use her as dating bait.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Enid Zentelis
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made the Au Pair pilot because I wanted to show that a series about young foreign women childcare workers in American homes is a world full of potential. And I wanted to show that focusing on the hopes and aspirations of the au pairs would make for a fascinating and fresh show. This is not like any of nanny or babysitter narratives that you are used to seeing that just reinforce stereotypes about young women.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Watch because Au Pair is funny, culturally complex and a little uncomfortable.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Some themes in Au Pair are: how do we see ourselves as Americans and how are we perceived by others? What are our values in terms of parenting, in particular, our little girls, and lastly- what's with the notion that women can have it all, or want to have it all?
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
I shot Au Pair as an indy pilot in order to explore ideas I have for a series with fantastic actors inhabiting and contributing in their roles . I have learned how I want to shape certain characters going forward. I have learned that I want the series to be a combination of incredibly intimate spaces and domestic scenes, and the wide open, public spaces of Au Pair recruitment practices around the world.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People have found Au Pair to be unique and intimate. They especially have responded to the heart in the kids performances ( full disclosure - they are also my kids:)
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Since it's a series in development - people have surprised me by sharing all kinds of childcare experiences from their own lives, as kids, as Au pairs, and as parents.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Big time offers!!!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Producers, buyers, journalists and festival directors-
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I feel like young female childcare workers are some of the most overlooked, underestimated people among us. I'd like people to see them as human beings with desires and ambitions that may well have nothing to do with watching kids or rearing them.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can we better share the responsibility of childcare? And ensure that economic disparity and gender do not permanently relegate any one group alone to the job of raising children.
Would you like to add anything else?
I would like to add that a series about the thwarted and misunderstood desires of women and girls is needed now more than ever! #ImStillWithHer
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Enid Zentelis is an award winning director, screenwriter and author. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival, and awards at New York Film Festival, Tribeca, Seattle, Sao Paolo, Torino, Stockholm and winner of Best Director prize at Sonoma FF.
Features include: EVERGREEN starring Cara Seymour (“Adaptation”), Mary Kay Place(“Big Love”), Gary Farmer (“Dead Man”), which received critical acclaim when a first-of-its-kind deal was made with AMC Theaters. BOTTLED UP, produced by Olympus Pictures (“Rabbit Hole”, “Beginners”), nominated for The Nora Ephron Prize at Tribeca Film Festival, stars Oscar winner, Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”, “The Big Short”), Marin Ireland and Josh Hamilton. SPARROW for New York Film and Stage Powerhouse Theater with Mark Linn-Baker and Ari Graynor. Her first film, an experimental documentary, “Granny was an Outlaw” chronicles her family’s rescue by Raoul Wallenberg during the Holocaust.
Her commercial work as a director includes films for: THE CLINTON FOUNDATION/Radical Media, for which she interviewed former PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, Warner Records and Universal Records, including films on legends ERIC CLAPTON and THE IMPRESSIONS and acclaimed band WILCO.
She is a member a global female directors’ collective, Film Fatales, a fellow of the Sundance Institute, a graduate of Hampshire College, The Graduate Film Program at NYU and is a NBC-Universal Directing Fellow on forthcoming TINA FEY/TRACEY WIGFIELD produced new series, “GREAT NEWS”.
Zentelis is currently developing her next feature RUN HIDE FIGHT and two scripted series, “AU PAIR” starring Ann Carr (RED OAKS) and Wei-Yi Linn, and “GETTING EVEN" co-created with TV Host, comedian, David Rees.
Her films can be found on Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon.
Interview: April 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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AU PAIR
A Chinese au pair comes to America to be the feminist she can't be in China, but her newly divorced host mother intends to use her as dating bait.
Length:
19mins
Director:
Enid Zentelis
Producer:
Enid Zentelis
Writer:
Enid Zentelis
Twitter:
@EnidZentelis
Instagram:
@EnidZent
Other:
Key cast:
Wei Yi Lin , Ann Carr, Maeve Fogarty, Naomi Fogarty, Jamie Harold, Scott Vicari and Mary Kay Place.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): buyer/ producer
Funders:
NYU/Tisch Dean's Grant