SXSW Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary - Little Potato
Struggling to survive in the USSR during the turbulent years of Perestroika, Elena and her young gay son escape into the world of pirated American movies. But soon the movies are not enough and Elena decides to become a mail-order-bride and discover America for herself.
Interview with Producer Mischa Jakupcak and Mel Eslyn
Watch Little Potato on YouTube
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Mischa Jakupcak: I met Wes (the director) and instantly liked him. Then I was sent a feature script he wrote called Little Potato: Dreams of America and I fell in love with it! Wes applied for a small grant last year through 4Culture and was awarded it. So we decided to make a short VR piece, Potato Dreams and the short doc, Little Potato, as companion pieces to the feature. Our plan was to gain attention with the shorter films to help raise funds and support for the feature. It's such an amazing story and Wes is a great talent.
Mel Eslyn: We'd been developing a feature length narrative for awhile based on Wes' life, and this short doc came out of our impatience and drive to get his story out there now.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Mischa Jakupcak: Little Potato really is a crowd pleaser. It's got everything: humor, politics, love and deals with so much in a very compact, and beautiful 13 minute period. And if nothing else, you should watch the film for Wes' mom! She is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. You watch the film and you'll fall in love with her. Everyone does. But if you still need more reasons, there's the music. It was composed by Robyn Miller and is really wonderful. Nate Miller is the Co-director and he also edited and was the cinematographer. The visuals and his use of projections is really stunning and we've gotten a lot of compliments on his editing as well. My nephew, Ben Jakupcak is featured as Young Potato, so as a proud Aunt, I'd say that reason enough.;)
Mel Eslyn: You should watch Little Potato because I can assure you, you've never heard a true story quite like this.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Mischa Jakupcak: Little Potato is Wes' autobiographical story of him and his mom coming to America after living in Russia. They find hope in American movies and they eventually overcome pretty great obstacles to find happiness and are able to move to America when his mother becomes a mail order bride. The film's personal themes of self discovery, coming of age and seeking freedom appeal to what is universal with in all of us.
Mel Eslyn: Little Potato deals with family, perseverance, finding power in who you are, and masturbation. ALL universal themes if you ask me!
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Mischa Jakupcak: The original script was a feature and so Wes wrote a very truncated version for the doc. Then after the editing process, I think we all saw the beats of the story differently. So the feature script has been informed by the way the short doc was structured.
Mel Eslyn: Films always evolve over the course of development, and then again during production, and then finally in post. I always look at it as the 3 stages of writing and re-writing a film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mischa Jakupcak: We were surprised and honored to have been able to premiere the film at SXSW this year. Then when we won the grand jury prize for short doc there - it was so exciting! We were not expecting that at all. Because SXSW is an Oscar qualifying festival, that meant that we can be nominated for an Academy Award in the short documentary section. Since then the film has screened at numerous festivals and we've been humbled and amazed by the warm reception and impact it seems to have had on audiences.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Mischa Jakupcak: It's been encouraging. I think because there are issues of equality, freedom, LGBQT topics, and because of the culture and landscape of America right now - the feedback has been heartening and refreshing. A bright spot in a pretty difficult year.
Mel Eslyn: The response to LITTLE POTATO has not surprised me in the least, I always knew people would respond to Wes' story, and fall in love with him and his mother.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Mischa Jakupcak: We are just excited to share our film with audiences all over and are so grateful for how warmly it's been recieved.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Mischa Jakupcak: We are just enjoying the festivals right now and are excited to share the film with others. Our main goal at this point is to develop and produce the feature version, which is a narrative (not a doc).
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Mischa Jakupcak: With Trump threatening to cut the Dreamers and limit / threaten immigration, I think it's important to share stories that personalize the perils and sacrifices that some people face in order to seek freedom. I'd like this film to be a reminder of who and what America really can be. I'm not necessarily patriotic, but learning about what Wes and his mom went through to come to the US has made me reassess how jaded I was about being in America. I'd love the film to prompt people to discuss and empathize with immigrants and allow themselves to be emotionally connected to the story of Potato and his mom.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Mischa Jakupcak: There's so many. The topics organically weave together issues of Communism, Capitalism, American films, sexuality, gender identity, coming out, immigration, alcoholism, spousal abuse, parenting, acceptance, unconditional love and Whoopi Goldberg. What more could you hope for?
Would you like to add anything else?
Mischa Jakupcak: I'd just like to thank you for featuring our film and for the work you do in your website. It's a lot of work to make independent films, and it's wonderful to have sites like yours that help spread the word so that others can find films and filmmakers that interest them.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Mischa Jakupcak: We are all working on various different films, but we are most focused on producing the feature version of Little Potato, which is called Little Potato Dreams of America. Hoping to begin shooting in the next six months or so.
Interview: September 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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Little Potato
Struggling to survive in the USSR during the turbulent years of Perestroika, Elena and her young gay son escape into the world of pirated American movies. But soon the movies are not enough and Elena decides to become a mail-order-bride and discover America for herself.
Length: 14 minutes
Director: Wes Hurley and Nate Miller
Producer: Mel Eslyn, Mischa Jakupcak and Lacey Leavitt
Writer: Wes Hurley
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):