DC Shorts / NY Latino Film Festival - These Colors Don't Run
A tattoo'd woman who hides behind eyeliner and an attitude tells the story of her first ink. Will she drop the act and reveal something real?
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Via Bia
Watch These Colors Don't Run on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made my film because I think stories have the power to humanize. I've noticed that portrayals of Latinos in media are hard to come by (5.8% of 11,000 surveyed speaking roles on TV and films, according to the Comprehensive Annenberg Report On Diversity, even though we represent about 18% of the US population), and the roles that we do see are often one-dimensional ideas of who Latinos are (narcos, maids, "illegals," and sex objects). I like to write stories that look at us as whole individuals, so that when Latinos view them or read them, they will feel seen and valued. Ultimately, if as the media we're consuming portrays Latinos "bad," de-valued, expendable, or where they're invisible, we're not using the potential of storytelling, which is to highlight interconnectedness and weave lives together.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think most people have felt confined by rules that don't mesh with their instincts, especially as children, and this film explores that issue. In an accessible way, it looks at how gender, religion, and ethnicity/race affect one girl's place in society, and how the memories of that event are something she continues to untangle, even years later.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I tend to draw my stories from emotions and broad events I've faced. With this film in particular, it explores my experiences growing up in a religiously strict family with a multi-generational Latina slant, but I feel it will resonate with many 1st and 2nd generation Americans, people of color, women, and those who had very rules-oriented or religious families.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The main character in this story, Yola, is based on a secondary character from a feature-length script of mine called, THE RADISH BABY. When I was first writing THE RADISH BABY, I was trying to get to the core of this character (a tattoo'd woman named Yoana), and "invited" her to write a story about her life (which I realize sounds a little silly!).
Yoana quickly came out with a story about living in a strict family who tried to tame her with visits with nuns... but no dice. One day she got her hands on a pack of Sharpies, and really got to explore her curiosity about tattoos, art, and self-expression. And boy did she pay for it.
Fast forward to the Fall of 2015. The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) put out a call for a short film incubator, so I decided to change this short narrative into a film script and set the story around the day of the little girl's first holy communion. The project made it to the final 12 screenplays, but ultimately did not receive funding. That's when I decided to quit waiting for the perfect scenario, and try to make this story myself.
I contacted one of my Sundance lab advisors, Michael Tully, who is a super rad director and all-round good human being and asked him what he thought about producing the short and shooting it in Austin, TX, where he lives.
Luckily, he agreed! He introduced me to great collaborators like Wilson Smith (our other producer) and Yuta Yamaguchi (our DP). They kept the introductions flowing and about two weeks after I arrived in Austin in Spring 2016, we shot our movie (mostly on film!).
The actors were all amazing, hard-working collaborators and some really beautiful and unexpected moments came during our shoot.
The story developed further during post-production when I decided to add some animations, which were not in the original script, and with the addition of some great color grading (also by Yuta Yamaguchi), and dope music compositions by Eric Friend.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has only screened at one special event tied to a local grant I received from the Arlington (Virginia) Commission for the Arts. It was great to be in a room with all those viewers and hear their reactions in real time because it's a good indicator if your project is landing or not. Luckily, it seemed that a lot of people enjoyed it and were on board with what I'm trying to do.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The main feedback I've received so far was during the film's editing stage, and I chose to take the feedback seriously. Since DC Shorts is our project's first festival, I'm excited to now hear directly from audiences. Being part of the conversation about the world, and our place in it, is what I want most.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I want to increase visibility for stories about people who have been under-represented and increase visibility for women, Latinx, and POC who work in film. I also want more people who don't get to see faces and stories like theirs on-screen, to have the chance to see themselves and feel more connected. I hope to continue expanding my network of potential collaborators and keep making films.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Everyone who can help increase the film's visibility, and those interested in collaborating on future projects, are most welcome. Extra funding support to submit to and attend more festivals will increase viewership and the potential to be part of more conversations about the film's story.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope this movie allows viewers to feel connected, seen, and understood. I hope more girls, women, and people generally not included in media making see this film and know they can be media makers too! I also hope there are multiple take-aways from the film, and people continue to think about the story and its visuals well after the screening.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I write a lot about how memories continue to effect our lives; gender; religion; ethnicity; and race, so conversations revolving around those themes would be great. I also wonder how viewers think the main character feels at the end of the story, and why.
Would you like to add anything else?
The movie was shot (mostly) on an ARRI Super 16 with real Kodak film! For more information on this project, you can go to www.thesecolorsdontrunmovie.com and www.facebook.com/thesecolorsdontrunmovie/
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently trying to get a documentary and another short off the ground, while still developing a TV dramedy about the potential impact of Trump/DeVos's policies on public and charter schools.
Wilson Smith's film, IT COMES AT NIGHT, starring Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo, and Riley Keogh released wide this year to critical acclaim; and Michael Tully's film, DON'T LEAVE HOME, which he wrote and directed, and was shot in Ireland, is currently in post-production.
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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THESE COLORS DON'T RUN
A tattoo'd woman who hides behind eyeliner and an attitude tells the story of her first ink. Will she drop the act and reveal something real?
Length: 10 min
Director: Via Bia
Producer: Wilson Smith, Michael Tully, Via Bia
Writer: Via Bia
About the writer, director and producer:
Via Bia is a Sundance lab alumna and winner of the Virginia Screenwriting Competition. She's a script consultant, indie film collaborator, and presents workshops on conflict transformation for filmmakers and creatives.
Wilson Smith is an Austin-based producer who has collaborated on films such as Trey Edwards Shults's KRISHA (which played at Cannes, and SXSW, and received the John Cassavetes Award), and IT COMES AT NIGHT (2017).
Named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 Faces of Independent Film, Michael Tully's films have screened at Sundance, Rotterdam, and SXSW. His latest project, DON'T LEAVE HOME will be released in 2018.
Key cast:
Maggie Celeste (Young Yola); Neyla Cantu (Adult Yola); Yesenia Garcia (Mamá); Lisa Suarez (Abuela); Kelly Cameron (Interviewer)
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Everyone who can help increase the film's visibility, and those interested in collaborating on future projects, are most welcome.
Social media handles:
Facebook: Via Bia
Twitter: @viadear
Instagram: via_dear
Funders:
Arlington Commission for the Arts; Love Your Shorts Film Festival; Robin's Nest Productions; film stock support from Kodak
Made in association with: Vianda Media LLC
Where can I see it in the next month?
It will screen at the DC Shorts Film Festival in Washington DC on September 8th and 10th at the E Street Cinema, the New York Latino Film Festival in NYC from Oct 11-15, and at the Cucalorus Festival in Wilmington, NC from November 8-12.