St Kilda Film Festival - Nice Girls
Nice Girls follows 3 young women who are questioned by police about a vicious crime that has taken place in their town.
Interview with Writer/Director Maddelin McKenna
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film for a number of reasons. It was a direct result of how I was feeling at the time and the issues that I was concerned about and focused on. The story is really personal to me. I was 19 when I wrote it so I felt like it might be my last chance to write a film about young women on the cusp of adulthood. It deals with this idea of the harrowing and unwanted male gaze and I liked to write a story where the women take action on that and fight against it for some form of justice.
It is also set in a small country town so the landscape plays a big part in influencing the girl’s behaviors and actions.The bleakness of the area and the unpleasant circumstances they find themselves in is what drives them to do some of the things they do. It’s their way of trying to escape that. This theme is always something that is present in my films. I come from a smallish suburb where there’s lots of landscape to look at and not many buildings. It’s interesting how much the place you grow up can influence you.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Female stories are so underrepresented in cinema. It’s so important that we seek out female voices in the arts. This film is about something that needs to be talked about, that needs to be dealt with. Not just for women to see but for men, especially young men to learn about young women and the issues they face.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This film is probably the most personal and darkest one I’ve ever made. When making a film, I think any filmmaker turns their own feelings and circumstances into something universal so audiences can relate. In Nice Girls there is the theme of peer pressure, which most certainly is a universal one. However, there is also the theme of sexual assault, which is quite a sensitive and personal topic to some. Overall it’s a universal problem and issue that must be talked about and expressed through mediums like film in order to let those suffering know that they are not alone and they have a voice.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Writing the script for Nice Girls was such a huge learning experience for me. It evolved so much, right down to the very end of post-production when we decided to add in some extra voice over from the character Tess, which really helped bring the story along. We even cut out an entire scene because it didn’t fit; I guess it’s all part of the process.
The film started off almost completely different to how it is in the final edit. It originally followed 4 girls and I think they were in high school or something. Then towards the end of pre-production I added in the character of Tess’s boss and the symbolism of a rabbit, which brought a whole new dynamic to the story and felt very right for what I was trying to say.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We were lucky enough to win 4 awards including Best Film at the end of year screening for our year at Swinburne University. We were all so surprised and overwhelmed. The film deals with some sensitive topics that can be quite difficult to watch for some and it has been really wonderful seeing people embrace the film and what it is trying to say.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
When we were in post-production we were getting feedback 24/7, which can be very overwhelming. Our teachers pushed us and I thank them for that but gosh it was hard to hear sometimes. Often, when you get to the edit the way you thought a scene would play out doesn’t translate. So our first few rough cuts were met with a lot of confusion, which challenged us to think of ways to make it work and get the message across.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I think this is a great platform for small films with big hearts to reach a wider audience. The audience of We Are Moving Stories is definitely a similar audience for Nice Girls, so I hope that in having our film on here we are able to share our message and our film to those who are willing to receive it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I think the ultimate goal would be film festival directors. We would like to share this story all around Australia and even overseas.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Ultimately I hope this film offers sexual assault survivors a voice and a platform for their stories to be told. My only wish is that this film does them justice and shows them as strong human beings.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The idea behind the title Nice Girls came from my absolute hatred in being called a nice girl and others telling me I should aspire to be that kind of woman, which I wasn’t. I shouldn’t be so opinionated, aggressive or loud, all that kind of stuff. So the title Nice Girls is kind of trying to tell those people to be quiet. I would like audiences to talk about that, this idea of the nice girl and how it’s such an outdated term or maybe that the term could mean something else these days. Maybe a nice girl is someone who is a bit more complex than the old way.
Would you like to add anything else?
I made this film in my second year at University with only 2 other women for about $500 and now it’s playing at St Kilda Film Festival. At times it was really difficult to make and you always go through those moments of can I actually do this, can I pull this off. So to have received this kind of reception and festival entry has been an overwhelming and wonderful experience. It has made me believe in myself as a filmmaker and work harder towards my next project.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Mischa Wang (Cinematographer) and myself are completing our third year at Swinburne University studying the Bachelor of Film and Television. She is shooting 2 films this year and I am writing and directing another one set in a roller-skating rink on New Years Eve 1979, a very different tone and approach to Nice Girls.
Interview: May 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
_______________________________________________________________________________
Nice Girls
Nice Girls follows 3 young women who are questioned by police about a vicious crime that has taken place in their town.
Length: 6.50 minutes
Director: Maddelin McKenna
Producer: Sarah Pellegrino
Writer: Maddelin McKenna
About the writer, director and producer:
Maddelin McKenna (Director): Nice Girls is Maddelin’s 3rd short film. She previously made a short narrative and documentary about female AFL players. She is in her final year at Swinburne University and is writing and directing her graduate film.
Sarah Pellegrino (Producer & Editor): Sarah has worked for companies such as Road to Refuge and Media Creatures focusing as an editor. In 2016 she made her directional debut with a short documentary about Organ donation. She won Best Editor for her work on Nice Girls at Swinburne University.
Mishca Wang (Cinematographer): In 2016 Mischa shot 3 films. A music video, a short film titled Buas-Damlag about a Fillipino man immigrating to Australia and Nice Girls, which she won Best Cinematography.
Key cast: Jess Kennedy, Georgie Jennings and Georgia Hunter
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Film Festival Directors and Journalists
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nice-Girls-The-Short-Film-283353195356747/?ref=bookmarks
Where can I see it in the next month? St Kilda Film Festival Top 100 – Session 5 Saturday 20th May @ 5.45pm & Wednesday 24th for the Under the Radar Competition @ 5pm