Cannes Short Film Corner - Deliver Hannah
The Forgotten Remember
Interview with Director/ Producer/Writer Gabrielle Alexander and Director of Photography: Lily Lopez
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The concept behind the film was one I had always wanted to experiment with: I wanted to create my own monster. I have always been fascinated with hidden messages and puzzles, so the idea of including backwards speech in the script came naturally to me. We made this film to explore how much we could do in a very short amount of time with little resources.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
“Deliver Hannah” grips you within the first thirty seconds and gives the viewer a desire to piece things together before time runs out. Hannah represents what is left after innocence is stolen - a child shrouded in mystery and tortured restlessness.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Universally, mankind experiences fear. It is pervasive in every aspect of life: fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of heights, and even more ridiculous fears, like clowns and butterflies. The theme of fear works in our film to make the viewer fear the past and contemplate consequence.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
For having such a dark premise, the concept for “Deliver Hannah” actually came to me from a pretty arbitrary happenstance; a school assignment. We were film students at Miami Dade College and our Professor Ece Karayalcin challenged us with the following: We were given 4 hours to shoot the short in its entirety. We were assigned to do a piece of the mystery/thriller genre, and had to include a specific action; eating a sandwich. My job was to find a place for this in Hannah’s world that would make sense and to the dutiful viewer, it’s an interesting little Easter egg.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
"Deliver Hannah" has been screened before various test audiences and has been generally well received. Audience members enjoyed how the plot unraveled slowly, revealing a dark twist. The viewers have also remarked that the performance of the actors was engaging and grounded, supporting the intensity of the plot. All feedback is essential for improving our craft and creating more immersive experiences in the future.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
One thing that has really made an impact on our growth as filmmakers is listening to feedback about how an audience member "wished" the film went. It reveals just how versatile a plot could be and allows for us to travel down a different avenue freely. Being able to envision other alternatives gives us the ability to write more concrete scripts in the future.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We want female filmmakers to be regarded as a force to be reckoned with. We are creative, we are bold and we won't quit. We believe that you're never too young to start or too old to jump in. We want to be an example to all women wanting to get into the arts. It's not just a boys club out here and the possibilities are endless; you just need to be courageous.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
It truly takes a village to make a film successful, and one can never have too much help, but this village needs a proper producer that follows up all throughout the marketing and distribution stages. Having great producers on board is essential when trying to tell a well-crafted story. We are waiting for the opportunity to work with a like-minded professional who is as passionate about creating films as we are. We hope to meet some great minds throughout the week at Cannes Film Festival.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
As female filmmakers, we carry on promoting our film in the hopes that we can bring more awareness to others starting out, who may not think this line of work is cut out for them. Ideally, with "Deliver Hannah," we would like to showcase some of our talent as well as invite other strong players to work together to create greater things. This film was made in four hours as a college assignment, and we have improved our craft significantly since then. So, when viewed, I would want our audience to feel intrigue because of the nature of the short, but also excited at the fact that more women are being represented film.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is South Florida getting enough attention for its strides in the film world? There are a lot of talented artists who may not be able to achieve their full potential as filmmakers without relocating to other states in the US. This very year, the first black, LGBT film won the Oscar, and that film was made in Miami. If two girls from Miami made a short film in 4 hours and it got accepted into the Cannes SFC, what can’t Miami talent do? There is a lot of people with many stories that need to be told, let's give ourselves a fair chance to do that.
Would you like to add anything else?
“Deliver Hannah” is only a fraction of what we are capable of. We want to tell stories that capture and create magical moments, but it takes an army. We want to leave Cannes knowing we’ve met passionate people that work hard and collaborate harder.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Currently, we have several narrative short film concepts in the early stages of pre-production, but we are mainly focusing on making our first feature film. It is based on the true story of a young Cuban doctor who faces the challenge of smuggling himself and his family out of Cuba. It showcases the trials and tribulations they endured on their journey to the US in the 60s amidst the peak of Fidel Castro’s reign of tyranny. We are currently looking for partners to help tell this story of drama and adventure.
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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Deliver Hannah
The Forgotten Remember
Length: >7
Director/ Producer/Writer: Gabrielle Alexander
Director of Photography: Lily Lopez
About the writer, director and producer: Gabrielle Alexander is a first generation American director and actor. In addition to embracing thought-provoking roles on screen, she has directed eight short films.
Director of Photography: Lily Lopez is a female cinematographer based in Miami. As a multi-talented artist, she also has strengths in graphic design and is an impressive illustrator. All of these skills contribute to her unique eye for shots when it comes to their composition on the big screen.
Key cast: Mario Nalini, Charlotte Curbow Healey, Sergio Cruz
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Yes
Social media handles:
Facebook: Gabrielle Alexander and Lily Lopez
Instagram: badthoughtfilms
Made in association with: Miami Dade College
Where can I see it in the next month? On our website www.badthoughts.studio