Hollyshorts - Arlo Alone
Arlo Alone is a futuristic drama that follows Arlo, a young woman, as she comes to terms with her own loneliness in a world where in-person contact has become a rarity.
Interview with Director Nicole Dorsey
Watch Arlo Alone here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’d been wanting to collaborate with writer (and friend) Katrina Saville for a while. We had bounced some ideas back and forth, but nothing fully stuck till she mentioned Arlo. I instantly fell in love with the story. At the time I was doing some online dating and hating it. It made me feel so alone and disconnected from the world. It felt odd and uncomfortable searching for chemistry via text messages and emails. I yearned for that human connection. And the more research I did, the more I learned how vital in-person contact is for the health of your psyche.
Arlo became a sort of cautionary tale of where we could be headed in a world dictated more and more by technology. But in the end she finds what she’s been missing- human face-to-face interaction.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think we can all see ourselves in Arlo. Yes the film is set in 2060, but what she experiences is very real for a lot of people. It almost sounds silly, but loneliness is a current epidemic experienced by millions. So I think an audience can watch and feel a sort of comfort in Arlo’s story, knowing they are not alone in their feelings of isolation- that we all want some kind of connection to others.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I tend to lean towards character-driven material, so in that I draw a lot on my own experiences. Arlo Alone kind of works as a balancing act between that and broader universal experiences. Katrina also flushed the story out with details about what our world may look like down the road; effects of climate change, incarceration, corporate control, etc.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Like any project, things start to shift as your team grows and thoughts come together. Once we had the script from Katrina I did a light pass to align the written to my vision for the film. From there a lot of the world came together while collaborating with Jeremy, the production designer, as we started to design Arlo’s environment. Of course budget and timeline inevitably play a factor as well in how things develop. Grace, the lead actor had a lot to bring to the character and we worked through story arc and building nuanced moments during the rehearsal process. Making a film big or small is such a community-based process. Lots of collaboration all around.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mainly how relatable Arlo’s story is. That despite it being a futuristic world, it didn’t feel that way watching it. A couple people said it terrified them to imagine what our future could look like.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I love hearing people’s perspectives on my films. There’s never a right way to view and interpret work- each person gets something unique out of a story. I haven’t quite felt surprised or challenged by feedback yet, but I’m open to the possibility!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The films featured on We Are Moving Stories sound super intriguing. Always a blessing to be featured amongst good work and share info about the lead up and aftermath of a film - things people don’t normally hear about.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Myself and the producers are keen on continuing the film circuit, but beyond that I’d love to get it online. Feels like a fitting home for the message.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d like this film to hit a chord on two levels: 1. A relatable heartfelt story in which you can see yourself and 2. A cautionary tale of where we could be heading in this rapidly advancing world of technological dependency.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do you think Arlo’s story is a future possibility? If so, do you think in-person contact has already begun to diminish?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Karen, one of our producers, is always on a trillion other films. She’s amazing and a true worker. She’s got a couple features currently in development and post. A good chunk of the other keys work a lot in the commercial world, which is where I met them (I direct commercials as well). Our composer Tim did the score for Adventure Time and he’s currently moving on to new material as the show comes to a close. Katrina, the writer, works a lot on Canadian TV shows. She’s currently a staff writer in Toronto. Everyone is generally super busy. I was very lucky they could all be a part of it.
Interview: August 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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Arlo Alone
Arlo Alone is a futuristic drama that follows Arlo, a young woman, as she comes to terms with her own loneliness in a world where in-person contact has become a rarity.
Length: 16:34
Director: Nicole Dorsey
Producer: Karen Harnisch, Cia Mellegers
Writer: Katrina Saville
About the writer, director and producer:
Nicole Dorsey is a narrative and commercial film director. She currently splits her time between LA & Toronto.
Key cast: Grace Glowicki, Rosemary Dunsmore, Sarah Allen, Cathy Imrie, James Cade, Kristina Nicoll
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Film Festival Directors
Social media handles: www.nicoledorsey.com
Instagram: @nicoleraedorsey
Funders: BravoFact (Bell Media)
Made in association with: Bell Media
Where can I see it in the next month?
Playing Hollyshorts Aug 17th! From there it will be available via Bravofact.