Hollyshorts - Emergency
Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.
Interview with Writer KD Dávila and Director Carey Williams
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
KD : We felt we had to make this film, because we live in a world where too many people of color are afraid to call the police when they need to, for fear of being treated like criminals. Think about it: a significant portion of the population is afraid of the thing that's supposed to save their life. It's so absurd, that we had to call it out. And we felt it had to be funny, because everyone needs catharsis in times like these. But we still really want to make you feel that fear.
CW: I wanted to make this film because its a very relevant and I wanted to make a film that had something to say. I read KD’s script and thought it was excellent and an intriguing concept in the way it addressed the issue. My goal was to respect the tone of the film but also bring my own sensibilities to the film in a seamless way.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
KD: You should watch it because it'll make you laugh while you're also totally fucking worried for the main characters. It's part thriller and part comedy. Basically, this film takes place in a person of color's worst nightmare...but somehow it's also funny. If you liked Get Out, you'll probably like this.
CW: I think you should watch this film because hopefully it will make you look at yourself. If you think the situation is ridiculous then what does that say about how you are able to live your life? You haven’t had to worry about something like this, but look at these people that do. See them. Empathize with them.
If the viewer doesn’t empathize and thinks its ridiculous then that may spark another viewer to ask why do you think that? I think one of the best things we have going here is dissension amongst the friends in the story. Friends disagreeing is healthy, it promotes growth.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
KD: In this film, one of the things we explore is the idea of the bystander. Ideally, if someone's in need of medical attention, an innocent bystander should do the right thing and call for help, right? But what happens when that bystander lives in a culture where he has a reasonable fear that he might be seen as a suspect? The film is anchored around that question: is this fear justified? I'm Latina, but I can pass for white, while many of my friends and relatives can't. It's interesting to me that two people can come from the same race or even the same household and yet have completely different experiences because one presents as whiter than the other. That's something we explore here as well.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
KD: This was kind of a unicorn situation for me. It was such a smooth and fun collaboration. When I had the idea, it came to me pretty fully formed, which is rare. I was very set on the concept and the dark comedy tone from the very beginning. Carey read the script and he just totally got it, and he had a bunch of ideas about how to elevate it and give it its weight and atmosphere. It's such a particular tone--comedy mixed with thriller elements and drama--and it's such a sensitive subject, so we really felt we had to nail the tone. It was awesome, as a writer, to see how Carey and Jomo (our cinematographer) created a visual language for the film, bringing it to life in a way that's somehow both exactly what I imagined it as I was writing, and yet so much cooler.
CW: I thought KD’s script was excellent but I wanted to dig in beyond the comedy. The thing that I strongly latched on to was the relationship between the two main characters. In a time of crisis or emergency, a person’s true nature is revealed. What happens when two people with a mutual respect for each other discover some truths about each other that greatly oppose their moral cores? I worked to infuse that into the film as much as possible.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
KD: The reception has been amazing. So many people have come up to me, with this expression of relief, just saying, "Yes, yes, this is exactly what it's like!" And it's been great to hear the laughs in the theater, because as the writer I'm always sitting there biting my nails during the screenings, worried that nobody will get my jokes. A lot of people have expressed surprise that something could be tense and funny at the same time.
CW: Our first screening I was like “Damn, how is this gonna go”? It’s a tense situation and the tone is a balancing act. I feel that people caught the wave of the tone. I have had people come up to me afterwards and expressly say which side of the issue they were on and thank us for showing that point of view.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
KD: The thing that surprised me was how many people shared our point of view. So it was a nice surprise.
CW: The feedback hasn't challenged my point of view yet. I'm waiting for that time when someone wants to really break it down why they don't think there’s any dilemma for these guys and then we can have a discussion.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com ?
KD: I’m hoping we can reach a wider audience!
CW: More folks watching the film. This is an incredibly tumultuous time for us and this one piece of art can be a small window or mirror to some discussion that can enact some positive change.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
KD: Carey’s got this one.
CW: In addition to more film festivals, I would like to see our film screened in some schools. I think we could do some good with getting our film and its message to young kids. We are keeping it real but also showing a positive side to the issue.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
KD: I want this film to give people some much-needed catharsis.
CW: in addition to that catharsis, I want the film to spark conversation and make people think.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
KD: Do you think a person of color be afraid to call the police in an emergency situation? Why or why not?
CW: If you think the situation is ridiculous then what does that say about how you are able to live your life?
Would you like to add anything else?
KD: I think we've got it covered.
CW: Thank you for giving us an opportunity to talk about our film. I also wanna shout out Film Independent Project Involve for giving us the platform to make our film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
KD: I’m finishing up a new half-hour pilot (in a similar tone to this film), gearing up to make another short, and co-writing a sci-fi novel.
CW: I'm hoping KD will let me direct her half hour pilot! I’ll be doing the Ryan Murphy Half Program and developing the feature version of my short film Cherry Waves.
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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Emergency
Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.
Length: 11 min.
Director: Carey Williams
Producer: Joenique C. Rose
Writer: KD Dávila
About the writer, director and producer:
Carey Williams is an LA based award-winning director, known for the film Cherry Waves, and a recent directing fellow with Film Independent Project Involve.
Originally from Central Florida, Joenique C. Rose an AFI alum, Film Independent’s Project involve alum and currently is a writer and freelance producer.
Key cast: Darrell Lake, Jason Woods, Peter Pasco, Michael Segovia, Shaw Jones.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Film festival directors / programmers, journalists.
Instagram: @you_askd, @joeniquer, @kd_davila
Made in association with: Film Independent Project Involve