UNSPEAKABLE is an episodic drama/thriller that follows a young woman in a desperate situation whose only option to avert authorities is to claim to be a girl who disappeared years ago as a child. But when the missing girl’s family welcomes the impostor home, she’s forced to keep the deception alive or face the consequences. UNSPEAKABLE is a proof of concept for a 1 hour TV drama.

Interview with Director Milena Govich

Watch Unspeakable here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I want to see more complicated leading women on screen who are driving the story, not just supporting it. My husband David Cornue, who is the writer/creator of UNSPEAKABLE, happens to be one of the best at writing strong female characters. We made this short as a proof-of-concept for a 1 hour TV pilot to show the tone and style of the full series.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

UNSPEAKABLE follows a young woman in a desperate situation whose only option to avert authorities is to claim to be a girl who disappeared years ago as a child. But when the missing girl’s family welcomes the impostor home, she’s forced to keep the deception alive or face the consequences. There’s a big mystery at the center of this story and the audience is drawn into the deception by being complicit in the wrongdoing.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

UNSPEAKABLE explores the theme, “Is truth the enemy of happiness?”

All of us have been faced with life decisions where all you have are two bad options – call it lose, lose. That’s where we find our leading lady at the beginning. So she makes this radical choice to impersonate a missing girl. If she can pull off the deception, she will be safe and the family will have their daughter back. If no one ever finds out, maybe they could all live happily ever after.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

UNSPEAKABLE is adapted from a 1 hour pilot script. So there was considerable effort to encapsulate the story, tone, pace, and style into a 15 minute piece.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The world premiere was at SXSW 2018 and we got an amazing audience response. Lots of people approached us afterward saying that they can’t wait to see the rest of the series.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The over all feedback is that people are hooked by the short and excited to see more of the story.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Anytime you make a film, the hope is for as many people to see it as possible. So thank you for helping spread the word!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We are currently meeting with producers and networks to get the full TV series into production.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I would like people to really contemplate what they would do in a situation like this. Stories with a true moral dilemma at the center are the most compelling to me. And of course, I would like to ultimately share the full series with a wide audience.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Given that this is a proof-of-concept for a series, there are a ton of questions yet to be answered. I’m excited to hear people’s theories about how our leading lady came to be in this position.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m currently attached to direct two feature films with the first going into production later this year. Please follow me @milenagovich for updates!

Interview: April 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, 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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UNSPEAKABLE

Length: 15 min

Director: Milena Govich

Producer: David Cornue, Stephen Moffatt, Kate Chamuris

Writer: David Cornue

About the writer, director and producer:

Milena Govich: milenagovich.com, imdb.com/name/nm1950996

David Cornue: davidcornue.com, imdb.com/name/nm1452761

Stephen Moffatt: imdb.com/name/nm1465009/

Kate Chamuris: imdb.com/name/nm3527631

Key cast: Laura Vandervoort, Jeff Kober, Colby French, CalebRuminer, Daniel Rubiano, Carl Gillard