2018 NYC Web Fest - Homesick
Cancer comedy webseries about an American idiot living in London with a woman battling cancer and her 9 year old daughter who loves to bully him. Based on real events with the actors playing themselves.
Interview with writers/directors Benjamin Dujardin and Pat Giguere
Watch Homesick here:
Why did you make your webseries?
It’s story we had to tell. It’s based on real experiences and we found it both entertaining and life-affirming. We were simply compelled to put it on screen for others to enjoy. We saw an opportunity to make a funny and heartwarming show that could raise money for cancer research and we couldn’t pass it up.
Why should I watch this webseries?
Mostly to see a 9 year old English girl bully an American man, but also for the heartwarming parts of this short (6 episodes about 5 minutes each) series that’s based on a true story with the actors playing themselves. You can watch the whole series on your lunch break and feel good that it’s raising money for cancer research.
How do personal and universal themes work in your webseries?
Cancer is unfortunately something that most people come in touch with. We wanted to depict an unconventional family unit dealing with cancer without having it be the defining element. Throughout her experience with cancer, which included the entire duration of filming the series, Kiren never lost her sense of humor (namely the constant teasing of Pat) and we wanted to show that authentic and empowering side that you don’t always get to see. Being a true story, it was an incredibly personal project but we also believe the themes are ones many people can relate to.
How have the script and webseries evolved over the course of their development?
Homesick is based on real events with the characters playing themselves. So having lived through it and then adapting real life onto the screen has inherent challenges. Luckily Elise had a wealth of material and suggestions for ways to tease Pat in the show. Ben and Pat tried to take the true nature of Kiren, Elise and Pat’s relationship and fictionalize the events in the show to make it as funny and heartwarming as possible.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People have been really kind and positive. It seems we strike something vulnerable in our audience. The truth of having to find the moments of joy and humor in the middle of serious situations seems to resonate with people. We’ve had a successful film festival run in 2018, including winning “Best Screenplay” at the Valencia International Film Festival, and were looking forward to our final festival in November at the NYC Webfest.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We’ve been surprised over just how much people have embraced the show. We knew we were working on something special when we had so many talented people (filmmakers from 18 different countries worked on Homesick) volunteering to work on it but several people have told us just how special and meaningful the project was to them. That’s not something we expected.
What are you looking to achieve by having your webseries more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We Are Moving Stories is a fantastic site and we are truly honored to have the chance to share our series on this platform. Our show has always been about finding the light-hearted moments during serious times and we’re excited to bring this story to a wider audience. Kiren’s real life battle with cancer is never what defined her and we hope by telling her story we are able to lend hope and joy to people going through similar experiences.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this webseries’s message?
Distributors to reach a larger audience and journalists to help bring more attention to the series which will encourage more people to donate directly to cancer research. We would love to work with a producer if we were to make a second season of the series, or to help produce other projects we are developing.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this webseries to have?
Honestly, cancer really sucks and we just want to raise as much money as we can to help the amazing people at Cancer Research Institute find a cure.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this webseries?
Is it ethically acceptable to use comedy and humor to depict a real cancer patient?
Would you like to add anything else?
We’re thrilled to tell people that Kiren’s cancer is currently in remission and she is doing great. Kiren and Elise were even able to visit Pat in the US after the series finished.
The show is dedicated to Penny Edwards, one of Kiren’s best friends, who passed away from cancer and was living in the house during the filming of the series. We considered abandoning the show during that time but Kiren was determined to finish the show for her friend.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Pat and Benjamin are currently developing an animated sitcom pilot together with an animator from Nickelodeon. They’re both also working on individual projects: Benjamin is in postproduction on a short film sci-fi about gentrification in Copenhagen. Pat is filming a documentary about a man with Parkinson’s disease who continues to mow a 200 foot heart into a field where he and his wife used to kiss 50 years ago.
Interview: October 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Homesick
Cancer comedy webseries about an American idiot living in London with a woman battling cancer and her 9 year old daughter who loves to bully him. Based on real events with the actors playing themselves.
Length: 6 x 5 minutes (roughly)
Who is being interviewed for this article?
Writer/s: Benjamin Dujardin, Pat Giguere
Director/s: Benjamin Dujardin, Pat Giguere
About the writer/directors:
Creators of Homesick, Benjamin and Pat, met at The London Film School in 2015.
BENJAMIN DUJARDIN is a Danish screenwriter and director. Born and raised in Copenhagen with abroad-studies in Honolulu and London. He’s been doing dramatic arts for twenty years, starting as a youth theatre actor, moving into playwriting and screenwriting.
PAT GIGUERE is an American filmmaker whose career began in sports television working for ESPN. After attending The London Film School he has worked on various writing projects, the most random being writing jokes for Snoop Dogg’s cooking show, and now runs Tandem Bike Productions.
Key cast: Pat Giguere, Elise Lall Rothera, Kiren Lall
Facebook: Homesick web series
Twitter: @homesicktheshow
Instagram: @homesickcancercomedy
Funders: Self Funded.
Made in association with: We produced the series ourself but all proceeds and donations go directly to the Cancer Research Institute.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Youtube, now and always: bit.ly/HomesickWatch