Lady Filmmakers Festival - Dear Sister
After learning her estranged, violent father has married into another family, a woman attempts to save his new stepdaughter from the same fate she suffered by any means necessary.
Interview with Director Jess Harbeck
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you, I am very happy with the way it all came together considering the tiny budget and two day shoot. The idea for this film came about while brainstorming with my co-creator and writer Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim. We were discussing our frustration with the way women in film are depicted as objects who exist within a male driven storyline rather than subjects with their own agency. We decided to collaborate and make a difference by creating a film which revolves around female characters who are strong and capable.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film in order to see a story centered around two female leads and for the incredible performances by our two actors Blythe Auffarth and Clementine Ford. Their depiction of sisters grappling with how to confront and deal with trauma is powerful.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The story revolves around sexual abuse experienced in childhood and the lasting effects it has on a person. We decided to explore this topic as respectfully as possible while doing our best to send an uplifting message. The strong, valuable bonds between women motivate our characters to take care of each other and it is these bonds which are ultimately responsible for the themes of sisterhood and love to triumph in the end.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The entire concept began with an idea for the opening scene I had about a body being buried on a hill under a tree. After talking with Ariel we decided not to tell the story of how the dead body ended up there but about the person doing the burying. We created an outline and Ariel wrote the script in a week while I got to work with my amazing producers and put together a team to shoot the film. Two days before we were to begin shooting my wife/one of our producers, Nic Harbeck, suggested changing the burial scene from a random hill under a tree to the Caroline's vegetable garden. Ariel and I were thrilled because it not only solved a time and location issue, it wrapped up the story in the most wonderful way.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback we have received thus far has been positive. We are being admitted to many of the film festivals we have applied for and have even received a few awards.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The positive feedback we have received has motivated me to make more films centered around women. I am driven to give voice to the voiceless and tell the stories which have not been prioritized yet have existed for lifetimes.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are looking to gain more exposure for our film and the incredible work of our cast and crew.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We hope the film is received as a metaphor for confronting and moving through trauma while also empowering women to help each other.
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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Dear Sister
After learning her estranged, violent father has married into another family, a woman attempts to save his new stepdaughter from the same fate she suffered by any means necessary.
Length: 11:49
Director: Jess Harbeck
Producer: Misti Schwartz, Courtney Schwartz, Nic Harbeck, Cindy Martin
Writer: Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim
About the writer, director and producer:
Director:
Jess Harbeck - Jess graduated from The University of Colorado where she studied English Literature and competed as a multi-sport athlete. Her passion for great storytelling combined with a versatile athletic background made a move to LA and a career in the stunt business a natural fit. After years of stunt performing she transitioned to stunt coordinating and became captivated by the creative aspect of filmmaking. As a director, Jess brings with her the unique perspective of a member of the stunt department who has helped create action on over 100 + Film and TV shows. She looks forward to the next natural step in her career, using this knowledge to direct action oriented stories centered on strong female characters.
Writer:
Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim - Ariel is a writer and director from Los Angeles. In addition to penning scripts for Netflix’s Llama Llama, Disney’s Vampirina, American Girl: WellieWishers at Amazon, and Hanazuki: Full of Treasures, she is currently working in the Hasbro Writer’s Lab. Her latest short film, Fuck You From LA, won an Award of Merit at the Cinema Festival of Hollywood. Ariel’s plays have been staged at the Manhattan Repertory Theater, the Bootleg Theater, and the Last Frontier Theater Conference. Her most recent play, Wealth, was staged at the Lyric Hyperion Theater in Los Angeles in July 2016. She graduated from Yale in 2010 with a concentration in playwriting.
Director of Photography:
Josh Hill - Josh is currently working as a freelance Director of Photography in the LA area, he got his start in film making through doing stunts, which eventually led to filming tons of action based content. Josh then transitioned into commercial and narrative work as his passion for crafting emotion through the lens grew. Josh has had several industry veterans as mentors for learning cinematography along the way and is constantly growing his network of creatives. His goal is to constantly collaborate with other talented and driven professionals to create pieces that tell an impactful story and help others to see the world in a new light.
Key cast:
Blythe Auffarth - Blythe began her career on the stage, performing at Off-Broadway theatres like Lincoln Center Theater and regional theatres such as Paper Mill Playhouse, where she was privileged to work with directors like Harold Prince, Jerry Zaks and Leonard Foglia. In addition to stage roles, Blythe has guest starred on television shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, N.C.I.S., The King of Queens, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, The Suite Life and Veronica Mars. She’s played Young Anna in Edward Norton’s feature film directorial debut of Keeping The Faith and the title role in the independent horror film Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door. Blythe has sung and danced in the movie musical The American Mall (from the executive producer of High School Musical) and voiced Liya, the female lead, in the international animated feature Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn. Blythe has done countless national commercials and can be heard voicing Nancy Drew and Lily in The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft video game, as well as narrating the audiobook Velocity on Audible. Blythe attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She is currently writing her first novel.
Social media handles-
Twitter: @jessharbeck
Instagram: @jessharbeck
Funders: Self funded
Where can I see it in the next month?
It will be released online after it finishes the festival circuit. We are looking forward to releasing it publicly in 2018.