Waiting
A 3 minute single scene vignette about Kathryn, Joe, Brooke, Lily and Sara, their lives intersecting and overlapping in the ladies room at a Manhattan wedding reception.
Interview with Writer/Director Isabella Wing-Davey
Main photo: Kathryn (Nadia Dajani) in WAITING
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In sharp contrast to my previous short film, "The Rain Collector" about women in science in Victorian England, I wanted to do something contemporary, something small and subtle; a slice of life about the way women talk to each other, judge themselves and those around them, in a bathroom. It's a public space at a private event and the private/public spheres gently butt heads.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I wanted to show a small, intimate set of moments between people in a bathroom - something unusual. I’ve always been fascinated about the way women communicate with each other. Standing in line they talk about the most intimate things as if no one can hear them, or while they’re peeing in a cubicle. There’s kind of this uneasy tension between the groups, if someone tells a joke in a restroom, it’s only meant to be for their friends to laugh at, when a stranger laughs at your joke there’s an odd moment of intimacy, created by the space, which we don’t think about when we first tell the joke, unless you’re doing it to get attention, and want the audience.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
It’s a place where private and public spheres gently butt heads. I’m always interested in how the personal choices we make can have a larger effect on the world around us. Expectations if what is appropriate, to talk about, to ask of another person etc.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
This project began its life as a short film about a lavatory attendant at a fish restaurant, inspired by a Virginia Woolf diary entry, which I developed while I was getting my MFA at Grad Film at NYU a while ago, which then developed into a triptych of scripts all taking place in unconnected bathrooms, with unconnected characters. But then, as I was developing my current feature project, which takes place in New York, and deals with female relationships, weddings and gender stereotypes, it felt like a good time to make this small slice-of-life film.
Kathryn (NADIA DAJANI) Jen (LOUISA KRAUSE) and Sara (LILY BALATINCZ) in WAITING
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has been great sharing this film with people, and I’ve been pleased with how people, not just women, have responded to it, I think everyone can relate to the cringeworthy ending, that awkwardness between strangers when you overstep the unspoken bounds of the stranger/friend divide and unintentionally offend someone.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Some people have seen it as a refreshing slice-of-life moment, but I was surprised when someone said it felt like a great teaser for a longer project, which I thought was really interesting. I think it’s always great when a short film makes people want to see more of the world you’ve created.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’m a big fan of the site, and I’m thrilled to have my work featured here, as with any short film, it’s about building an audience, but also I wanted to embrace the digital possibilities. This film came together really quickly, although it was slow to finish since it got lost in a sea of other projects, but I’m excited to be part of a conversation about destigmatizing women’s bodies and women’s experience and I hope that this vignette can be part of that.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love to distribute the film more widely, so distributors or journalists would be great!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d love people to share more stories from this space, which is often so shrouded in mystery, and I’m pleased that more creatives are beginning to make more work that embraces the everyday nature of what goes on in a bathroom. For me it’s about de-stigmatizing the space, and women’s bodies, but also to explode the idea that all women talk about is their bodies, or make up in a bathroom.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What is the best thing you’ve heard in a bathroom that wasn’t about bodies or make up?
Kathryn (Nadia Dajani) and Brooke (Kathleen Wise) in WAITING
Would you like to add anything else?
One of the things we touch on in the film is this idea of appropriate inhabiting of the space, with the little boy, and while this film is not directly addressing the issue of access to bathrooms which has been debated and restricted recently in the US, rolling back Obama’s protection of trans kids rights to use school bathrooms that align with their gender identity, I think it’s incredibly important that we keep redefining what we view as protected space, and make sure that it is protecting the most vulnerable people rather than adhering to gender stereotypes that only serve to alienate and persecute those most at risk.
Exploding gender stereotypes, no matter what gender, in large and small ways, wherever possible, is something that will always be helping to move a conversation forward to help build a society more accepting and more tolerant and more generous.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Isabella Wing-Davey - writer/director
I’m based in New York primarily, and I’m developing a feature film about two sisters coming of age at 30 in Brooklyn via neuroscience and wedding planning as well as developing some more UK projects. IsabellaWingDavey.com
The Producers:
Theodora Dunlap (http://www.parkpictures.com/page/features) is developing some amazing feature film and TV projects as a producer, and Claire MacDonald and Anchor Light are busier than ever (http://www.anchorlight.com/)
The creative team:
Rob Leitzell (DP) is NY/LA based and shot “Women who Kill” that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2016 and has been shooting things all over the place! http://www.rleitzell.com/
Olga Miasnikova (Production Design) was the Production Designer for TBS’ “Search Party” which is currently filming season 2 in New York, as well as features, music videos and commercials. https://www.olgamiasnikova.com/
Brenda Abbandandolo (Costume Design). As always very busy with features and commercials, and also doing Costume Design for theater. http://www.bnadesigner.com/home/costume-design/
Interview: May 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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Waiting
A 3 minute single scene vignette about Kathryn, Joe, Brooke, Lily and Sara, their lives intersecting and overlapping in the ladies room at a Manhattan wedding reception.
Length: 3 minutes
Director: Isabella Wing-Davey
Producer: Theodora Dunlap, Claire MacDonald, Isabella Wing-Davey
Writer: Isabella Wing-Davey
About the writer, director and producer:
About the writer, director and producer:
ISABELLA WING-DAVEY (WRITER/DIRECTOR) is an award-winning British filmmaker, a Film Independent Fellow and a NYFF Artist Academy Fellow. THE RAIN COLLECTOR (2015) (Alfred P Sloan Foundation, HFPA) starring Celine Buckens and Hermione Norris played at festivals around the world including Leeds International Film Festival, London Short Film Festival (nominated: Best Woman Director), Dallas International Film Festival, IFFBoston, Fusion Film Festival (Audience Choice Award) and FLICKERS Rhode Island International Film Festival, and most recently WAITING (2017) a 3 minute digital short starring Nadia Dajani and Louisa Krause premiering online May 2017.
She holds an MFA from NYU’s Graduate Film Program and has also produced many award-winning short films (Frances Bodomo’s AFRONAUTS, Sundance, Berlinale, Rotterdam) and worked in development and production on projects for Showtime and Lionsgate with Cooper’s Town Productions. She splits her time between New York and London and has two feature films in development.
PRODUCERS:
THEODORA DUNLAP (PRODUCER) is a New York based film and television producer. Her film credits include ROBOT & FRANK (Sundance 2012), INFINITELY POLAR BEAR (Sundance 2014, Golden Globe nominated 2015), GOD’S POCKET (Sundance 2014), COP CAR (Sundance 2015), and OTHER PEOPLE (Sundance 2016), THE HERO (Sundance 2017). In 2016 she produced a Super Deluxe web series, BKPI. Dunlap has several properties in development for the screen and web including, THE BETTER HALF series, MIND YOUR BUSINESS, I LOVE MY SISTER, by Isabella Wing-Davey, the literary property THE REAL ALL AMERICANS.
CLAIRE MACDONALD (PRODUCER) is a New York based producer. She has produced content for some of the most exciting brands including Prada, Nike, Gap, VICE, Vogue, Dazed among many others.
Key cast:
Nadia Dajani, Louisa Krause, Lily Balatincz, Kathleen Wise, Cosmo Bayes
Social media handles:
Facebook: @bellawingdavey
Twitter: @bellawingdavey
Instagram: @bellawingdavey
Other:
Funders: Powder Room Films
Made in association with: Anchor Light
Where can I see it in the next month?
It’s online on Vimeo here: http://vimeo.com/209571443