Mammoth Film Festival - Mother, Child
Having suffered a recent Stroke, a mother and her adult son are reacquainted and forced to live together. As they face the physical and psychological challenges head on, they’re placed on an emotional collision course, leading them to question whether their close proximity is such a good idea.
Interview with Writer/Director Tin Pang
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! We made the film for two reasons. The first was to raise stroke survivor and carer awareness in the community. These are two groups that are rarely represented in screen arts. There’s been a few feature films that have dealt with the aftermath of stroke, Amour probably being the most prominent, but I hadn’t seen any short films that explored these themes. Had I watched one, perhaps it would have helped prepare me for what mum and I would go through following the stroke.
The second was probably a little more self serving. I often view writing as a form of therapy for me, so writing a short film about my personal experiences ended up being a cathartic debrief for me, helping me process everything that’s happened the past few years.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It’s my hope that the film gives the audience insight into how people adjust to life after stroke. My mother survived a significant stroke in 2015, a mere few months after she had retired. It set her back considerably, as she had to learn to walk, talk and eat all over again and regain her independence. Prior to this all happening, I myself had been in the dark as to how people are affected by stroke, both physically and mentally, as well as the variables like age, lifestyle or medical conditions.
My mum was probably the most unexpected of candidates. She wasn’t overweight, didn’t smoke or drink, although she'd recently been diagnosed with a heart condition that had been with her since childhood. Then again, it's not just older people suffering strokes, but babies and young adults as well. But the flow on effect following a stroke is just as intense and emotionally taxing for both the survivor and their family and friends, many of which become full-time carers depending on the prognosis and rehab.
I dropped everything in Sydney and moved back to the Gold Coast to care for her, as she was a single mother and I’m an only child. Some people thought (and still think) it was a difficult decision for me, but it’s just what you’ve got to do. Your parents give you eighteen years, so what’s eighteen months of care in return, not that I was expecting it to be that short a time. Frankly, I thought I’d be a full-time carer for the rest of my mother’s life at first. It’s just the two of us in Australia, and although we’d always been close, the most difficult period ended up being the first few weeks back at home after her time in hospital rehab.
When you’re left on your own to readjust to a new normal, where one person is stuck in a physical prison and the other in a psychological one, you’re bound to lash out at each other. This is where the core dramatic conflict in the film develops from, and I hope that the audience connects with this.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This comes back to the connection between parents and children, and how that develops and changes later in life. The film’s core theme for me is, as we get older, our parents get younger, not in a physical sense, but a psychological one. For many, the eventual role reversal is a graceful, gradual evolution. For me personally, my role as a carer and, in many ways, becoming the parent, happened just as suddenly as my mum’s stroke. You’re immediately faced with making decisions about someone that, up until a moment ago, was a fully functioning, independent adult.
On the flip side, caring for your parents is absolutely a universal theme, and one that resonates with all different walks of life and cultures. I think other core themes the film explores is self preservation and recovery, and maintaining one's humanity and dignity after a significant medical trauma. Rehab can be a difficult road and, unless you maintain a positive attitude, can be utterly reality shaking and devastating when coming to terms with what's changed with you physically after a stroke. Stroke survivors are some of the bravest people I know.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I wrote the film over the course of a year, and my direct experience with my mum and her stroke recovery, along with my development and growth as a carer, directly influenced the themes and tone of the script. Very early on, I wanted to focus the film on one particular period; the return to home following stroke rehab. Specifically, the structure of the film was built around one scene and one conversation between two people, a mother and a son.
The script naturally developed what I like to think of as a ‘three tone structure’, as opposed to acts, due to the compact nature of the short film format. Those three tones really relate to the mood and energies of the characters and how they relate and react to each other. Later, during the rehearsal process, actors Gabrielle Chan and Lawrence Leung and I honed the relationship further through workshopping the characters.
Also very early on was the intention to shoot the film in one take, a fusion of cinema and live theatre. I honestly believe that life can be more dramatic than the movies (although, it’s generally viewed as the opposite!), so the film serves as an experiment in depicting an unedited, bare and raw conflict between two characters that can engage an audience. I hope that it does!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The best feedback is when an audience member comes up to you to mention that they relate to the relationship between Lee and Alex in the film, because they’re either a carer or recovering from an illness or trauma. Stroke in particular occurs more than we realise and everyone knows someone who is affected by it. In Australia alone, a stroke happens every nine minutes and it kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.
The other feedback is when audiences realise that there’s so much more to learn about stroke, and that’s really important, knowing that the film does help to raise awareness. Sometimes it’s a little simpler, like when people come up to me afterwards, just to mention that the film has made them think of their mum, and they’re going to call to check in right away!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I mentioned that stroke occurs more than we realise, and that’s what continuously surprised me the most. Friends have had relatives survive or pass away from a stroke, but it’s just something that I never was aware of until mum’s stroke occurred. It’s also a reflection of me, as I knew nothing at all about stroke. I honestly thought it affected older people only, so goes to show how blind I was!
I also knew that Alex, the adult son character loosely based on me, might not necessarily put me in a good light, especially with moments in the film where he’s quite nasty to Lee, the mother character. Over time though, audience feedback and my own growth has helped me realise that this was all part of the healing and therapy process. So many people have been in the same position as me, and negative thoughts and reactions one has after a life-changing event are simply part of being human.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
What we love about www.wearemovingstories,com is the focus on films that explore human themes and the current issues that affect society. The audience that reads about the inspiring and thought provoking projects featured on the site is exactly the people we’d like to connect to, and we’re so excited to be a part of this!
We’re in the midst of our festival run and it’s always a thrill to connect with audiences across the world. However, with www.wearemovingstories.com, our story isn’t just confined to an audience in a theatre, and that’s an incredible gift for us, so thank you to the team and all the readers.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We’d love to engage with film festival directors and journalists as we continue our festival campaign both in Australia and internationally. As we move on to the next phase of life for the film, we’d be looking to engage with sales agents, buyers and distributors, as our dream is to see Mother, Child become a resource to help raise stroke survivor and carer awareness across the world.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Making the film and the positive audience response has made me realise that stroke awareness really needs a real national platform from the Australian Government, to the likes of the anti-smoking campaign, or cancer, or alzheimers. In particular, support for survivors and carers needs to grow as well. State-based advocacy bodies do an amazing job, but there needs to be more funding.
Conversely, ways to prevent stroke via adjustments in lifestyle and diet should be more openly discussed and yes, the Stroke Foundation does lead the way here, but there’s always room for improvement, particularly with raising awareness with younger people. Engaging the public can be a tough job, which is why I love film - you can reach so many in subtle, subconscious ways and make a lasting impression.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I reckon the key question is: would you be prepared to drop everything to care for your parent or loved one? That’s always a great place to start. Secondly, would you stay the course if that meant becoming a full-time carer? Carers don’t often get enough thanks or respect, yet day in and day out, their roles are built upon compassion and patience.
Would you like to add anything else?
Stroke awareness is definitely key, but really, I sincerely hope that the film still entertains, sparks thought and moves the audience. That’s the real thrill of being a filmmaker, at least to me; sitting with an audience, studying their reactions and enjoying the ride with them!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Writer/Director Tin Pang is currently developing a feature, which will be a romantic comedy. He's had many audience members come up to him, asking whether a feature version of Mother, Child is in the works. However, he feels that the short film is the completion of a journey for him. The romantic comedy serves instead as a ‘spiritual sequel’ in a sense, taking some of the themes and situation that Mother, Child deals with and working them into the fabric of the story and characters in the rom com.
Producer Sean O’Reilly is currently developing a multiple-part documentary series focussed ethical travel, his next project being a 5-part series exploring the impact global warming on the landscape and fauna in Argentina.
Cinematographer Garry Phillips shot Foxtel’s new series of Picnic At Hanging Rock in 2017 and recently wrapped on the latest season of Jack Irish. He’s currently got series and feature projects in the pipeline for 2018.
Actor Lawrence Leung continues to tour his award-winning comedy show Very Strange Things after a successful national run in 2017. He also starred in the final season of Network Ten’s Offspring in 2017 and featured in the ABC series Newton’s Law and Jane Campion’s Top Of The Lake: China Girl.
Actor Gabrielle Chan featured in two incredible shows at Sydney Theatre Company in 2017, the critically acclaimed Chimerica and Australian Graffiti. She’ll also appear in the new series Deadly Women and short film The Whip.
Interview: February 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, 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
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Mother, Child
Having suffered a recent Stroke, a mother and her adult son are reacquainted and forced to live together. As they face the physical and psychological challenges head on, they’re placed on an emotional collision course, leading them to question whether their close proximity is such a good idea.
Length: 14mins 55secs
Director: Tin Pang
Producers: Tin Pang, Sean O’Reilly
Writer: Tin Pang
About writer, director and producer Tin Pang:
For the past 8 years, Pang has split his time between writing, directing and composing. A QCA graduate, his neo-noir short film The Pale Moonlight premiered at the 2014 Fantasia Film Festival Montreal. In 2008, Pang completed a USC Universal Directing Workshop in Los Angeles.
About producer Sean O’Reilly:
Sean O’Reilly was born and raised in Sydney, with a passion for creating entertainment for wide audiences. He has a Graduate Diploma in Producing from AFTRS, and is developing a slate of feature works to take to market. Alongside developing film projects, Sean is also a digital native, producing content for a multitude of global brands over the years.
Key cast: Lawrence Leung (Alex), Gabrielle Chan (Lee)
Looking for: Sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists.
Social media handles:
Facebook: @motherchildmovie
Twitter: @motherchildfilm
Instagram: @motherchildmovie
Other: Official website is http://www.motherchildmovie.com
Funders: Crowdfunding via ACF, Agency of Clinical Innovation NSW, Stroke Recovery Association of NSW, self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?: Mammoth Film Festival, Mammoth Lakes CA, USA - Screens Friday Feb 9