DocuWest - JessZilla
Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva is serious about boxing, and at 10 years old trains seriously with dreams of becoming a professional fighter.
Interview with Director Emily Sheskin
Watch JessZilla here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
When I initially read about Jesselyn Silva, known as “JessZilla,” the ambitious young boxer featured in this film, I loved the idea of profiling a young girl’s journey in a male-dominated combat sport.
It’s no secret that women’s boxing has nowhere near the participants — or the money, or the audience — that men’s boxing has. Broadcasters of the sport generally feature men; the Amateur International Boxing Association has gone so far as to encourage women to box in skirts. The middleweight Olympic champion boxer, Claressa Shields of Flint, Mich., reached the sport’s apogee and still struggles to make herself “marketable” to sponsors that help translate athletic success to financial reward. There simply is less demand, it seems, to watch girls who like to fight.
But Jesselyn boxes because she genuinely loves the sport. She’s only 10, and even though she says she’s dealt with unsupportive schoolmates, she has her eyes on the Olympics. Her odds are decent — it’s rare for girls to start boxing so young. Though more sign up with age, for now, she mostly spars with boys.
But beyond considering the challenges that Jesselyn will face navigating her way through a sport where her presence will generally be an anomaly, I was captivated by the dynamic between her and her father, Pedro. As a filmmaker, I often see profiles of high achieving kids in sports that leave me wondering where their parents fit in all this. When I met them, I immediately understood that Pedro is not the kind of dad who is pushing his daughter to do something she isn’t interested in and, instead, is following his daughter’s lead, supporting her as best he can. Given that this is a film about boxing, I felt it was essential to create a nuanced portrait of their family and to ward off superficial criticisms like, “How could a man let his cute little girl do such a violent sport?”
I thought it was fascinating, for example, that when Pedro says in the film that he wants his daughter’s boxing to end at a certain age, she begins arguing with him about the success she’s looking to have. All families navigate choices like these to some extent. It was clear to me that Jesselyn’s drive was fueled by the love and support of her father. It was also obvious that Pedro is a huge part of Jesselyn’s story, but in no way resembles those hovering “helicopter parents” we hear so much about today.
Furthermore I'd like to add that when we filmed Jesselyn on the day her coach Hez was present, she showed up with a bit of a headache. I felt it was important to include this in the film as it was clear in her training footage that she was not 100%. If Jesselyn is to compete on an Olympic level, she will have good days and bad ones. That is all part of the journey and I wanted to acknowledge that at 10 years old, she understands this and still gives it her best.
I hope the end result is a work that is as much about girls breaking athletic barriers as parents fostering drive in their children — encouraging them to do what they love, and to do their best.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think Jesselyn’s positive energy is infectious and it’s hard to watch her without feeling inspired.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think on the surface, this is a story about a very special father-daughter relationship. To me, it’s also about what it is to be a woman in a male dominated sport, and the challenges that arise because of gender. Finally, Jesselyn is a Latina athlete who hopes to represent her country, the United States of America. At a time when our President is preaching building walls and the “alt right” is attempting to define who is a “real” American, I hope that people see the America I see - a diverse nation filled with many people from many backgrounds who hope to achieve great things.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Obviously a documentary is not scripted, but as our edit evolved we chose not to pretend that Jesselyn was 100% healthy during the training session with Hez. We wanted to show that Jesselyn has good days and bad ones, and that is the make of a champion.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
When it premiered as an OpDoc, the comments were filled with both positive and negative statements. I knew that there would be concern with a young person boxing but I was dismayed to see that people thought Jesselyn’s headache was from sparring or training. In the film, there is no reason to believe that the headache is boxing related, and in real life it was the result of her being slightly under the weather. She pushed through, wanting to train, and it bothers me to this day that instead of seeing her grit and determination people point to that moment as a way to validate their feelings about the sport.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
To be honest, not really. We figured that would happen which is why I make a point to have Pedro address his own worries about having her participate in a combat sport. I think it’s disappointing that many people were unable to look past their own feelings and see the nuance.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope more people look out for the director’s cut at local festivals and I hope that if they haven’t seen the OpDoc version that they’ll check it out.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this point we’re planning to follow Jesselyn for the next 7 years and make a feature on her life with the hope she goes to the 2024 Olympics. If anyone is interested in investing, they can absolutely reach out!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Honestly, the reception up to this point has been amazing and I really can’t ask for anything more. I hope that it reaches more people, and that more people are inspired by Jesselyn’s story.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think for those who have been concerned about the risks that boxing presents, I’d be curious to ask what level of risk they find acceptable? Many sports – cycling, football, skiing, surfing, etc. all involve a fair amount of danger and risk. At what point do they consider something too risk to stop doing it, even if he/she loves it?
Would you like to add anything else?
Nope ;)
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m developing a narrative web-series at the moment in addition to writing a feature film.
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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JessZilla
Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva is serious about boxing, and at 10 years old trains seriously with dreams of becoming a professional fighter.
Length: 7:00
Director: Emily Sheskin
Producer: Ben Kainz
About the writer, director and producer:
Emily Sheskin is a director who was recently featured in Vimeo’s “10 Groundbreaking Women in Film to Watch in 2017.” Her short films have been featured at festivals across the United States and abroad, such as but not limited to HotDocs, Big Sky, and the Tacoma Film Festival.
She holds a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of New York Women in Film & Television, The Film Shop, and IFP. You can learn more about her at emilysheskin.com
Ben Kainz is a Producer with years of experience in commercial production. He’s worked on a multi-faceted set of projects ranging from broadcast television programs to virtual reality commercials to independent documentaries. His most recent feature, Ovum, was nominated and won at the Boston International Film Festival, Manhattan Film Festival, and Big Apple Film Festival.
He holds a BA from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Key cast: Jesselyn Silva, Pedro Silva
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Long term investors
Social media handles:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Jesselyn_Silva
https://twitter.com/elusiveemily
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jesselyn_silva/
Where can I see it in the next month?
It will be at DocuWest and the NYT OpDoc version is available online: https://vimeo.com/214521274