Marfa Film Festival 2018 - Lola: Girl Got a Gun
A young girl captures her father’s loaded pistol, paints it bubble gum pink, names it Lola and keeps it as her own.
Interview with Writer/Director Emily Elizabeth Thomas
Watch Lola: Girl Got a Gun here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks very much! I made this film because it was a story that lived in me for quite a long time – this strange little world about a girl, her bubble gum pink gun, and her quest to gain power and authority over her own life. I believed in the potential the story had, and how powerful it could be both in imagery and in concept. There was no other choice but to make it, really! I have this thing that happens where a story starts to live in me, and it becomes really hard for me to keep it in. I think that’s partially the natural born writer in me, but it’s also something a little bit more than just craft, or a need to create and be prolific.
I’m a strong woman who has experienced a lot of life, and my creative perspective is shaped by what I’ve been through, the experiences that got me here, and how I’ve chosen to move in the world. That’s important. My perspective is important. So is every other woman’s, whether she’s making a movie or writing a book or performing a show. I made this movie because it’s important that I’m the one telling the stories that live in me! Nobody else.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Oh, you should watch this film because this little world strikes a beautiful balance between light and dark, cruelty and innocence, that I think it’s quite moving. I think it will make you happy and sad at the same time. It’s an experience, and you should have it!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of eyes on this piece in different creative spaces, and it’s been interesting to watch people interact with this film. How it makes them feel. What it makes them do. How they choose to interact with me afterwards. I started this process believing that this film was about gun violence, domestic violence, the prevalence of both of those evils, and the nearly magical ability of a young girl to hold onto her humanity and sparkle through the dark. That is still what I see in LOLA… but it’s also expanded quite a bit. I think there is a universal theme at play here about power. Who has it, who doesn’t, and what it means to grab it back from those who took it from you.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me about LOLA and feminism, and how the two entities exist together. And that is not a question I thought I would get. I am a feminist and that is very clear. But LOLA’s connection to equality and gender is quite broad, I think. The struggle we see these characters go through is more so about the struggle of anybody whose ability to live happily has been taken by force. I’ve seen this realization dawn and break open within a couple of audience members. It’s been beautiful.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Something that I’m really proud of about this film is that the essence of what I put to page is what you see on screen. In the script there was this sticky heaviness mixed with this gleeful, sparkly, innocence. And I believe that translates in the final product. The film of course ebbed and flowed and changed as we moved into production, into post-production and release. But it held onto its essence, which makes me proud, and grateful to my collaborators who believed in and honored the story from the very beginning. Tells me that maybe I did something right! Even though there’s no right or wrong in this line of work.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I think LOLA really evokes emotional responses. What more could I ask for, really? I’ve had people come up to me and hug me in tears, and I’ve had people come at me with anger. The anger has been most interesting. LOLA is not an angry film. There is some violence, yes. But the essence of this film is with the character of the little girl – unstoppable light within the dark. I’ve found that when an angry person gets the chance to speak to me about the story, they usually start to see that there is no harm meant here. I’ve enjoyed those moments. It tells me that I’ve created a world within this little film that is full of complexity and emotion and good and bad. I look forward to more feedback!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I have been really humbled by the feedback I’ve received. The challenge for me has been to just receive all of it. I am not somebody who does this work for the sake of putting it out into the world and receiving the accolades. That is part of the industry, of course. But learning how to receive praise, and taking criticism in stride has been a big learning for me. I’ve talked a lot about this film over the course of the festival circuit and in the media, and I’ve had a few surprising reactions, for sure.
But mainly it’s been about taking it all in, and deciding how much criticism and feedback I want to let into my process. At the end of the day when the Q&As stop and I’ve sufficiently gone through or gotten rid of the DM’s on Instagram (ha!) it’s still just me and LOLA. Just me and this thing that I authored that now is mine forever. That comforts me.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I love this platform’s commitment to pulling female filmmakers up, and giving the divine feminine a platform to shine! I am always excited by the opportunity to engage further in creative community with women, and like-minded men. We all know the statistics about women on set and women behind the camera, and the details of what kinds of one dimensional roles often get shoved in the face of actresses. Misogyny will not be tolerated in the industry any longer. Plain and simple. I’m excited that there are so many diverse platforms for women to showcase their art! Go us!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I am open to collaborating and having conversations with any creative professional who will not expect me to make myself, my work, or my perspective smaller. Me standing as large as this film’s message is and aligning myself with those who believe in the power and value in that is what will serve this work best. If you’re a sales agent and you feel me on all of this – give me a call!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I just hope LOLA makes women feel understood, and less alone in their experiences. It’s a tough watch. And, well, it’s a tough life sometimes. The cards have been stacked against us for as long as any of us have been alive. And that’s really hard to weather year after year, time after time. LOLA is a story about triumph, and I hope that’s impactful.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Are you always responsible for what you’ve have to do to survive?
Would you like to add anything else?
Yes, sure! I know there is a lot of female readership here on this platform. I just want to tell all the young women out there who want to makes movies – go make your story! Nobody is going to green light you, nobody is going to hold your hand through the process and make sure it all runs smoothly. The only person that will say YES to you every single time is YOU. Go make something beautiful, screw the rest.
What other projects are you working on now?
I am so lucky to be working on many things at once. It’s a hectic, exciting time for me full of change and movement. But primarily I am working on wrapping up an anthology of short films about strong Texas women called THE TEXAS TRILOGY, for which LOLA was only PART I. I am shooting PART II: UNTITLED MARFA PROJECT in August out in Marfa, TX, and I will shoot PART III: SWEET GEORGIA in early fall. I’ve got one more short in the works that is a huge stylistic departure for me, which I’m excited about. And then, that’ll about do it for me and shorts (at least for now)! I just started writing a feature that came totally out of left field and shocked the hell out of me. It’s forming slowly, but that’ll be my feature debut… I can feel it in my bones.
Interview: July 2018
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Lola: Girl Got a Gun
A young girl captures her father’s loaded pistol, paints it bubble gum pink, names it Lola and keeps it as her own.
Synopsis:
Lola: Girl Got a Gun bares witness to a young and angelic girl who experiences the emotional weight of her mother’s abuse by her conservative NRA member father. The heaviness of the abuse permeates her home, and she searches for an outlet for her anger and fear. She feels that all is lost, until one day she wanders into her parents' room the morning after a particularly violent night. What she finds changes her worldview permanently: her father’s loaded pistol. She decides to keep it as her own, names it Lola, and paints it bubble gum pink. The girl’s got a gun now – her very own defense – and nobody can take it away from her.
Length: 14:45
Director: Emily Elizabeth Thomas
Producer: Anna Bjerke and Devin Tusa
Writer: Emily Elizabeth Thomas
About the writer, director and producer:
Emily Elizabeth Thomas is a writer/director and producer born and bred in Austin, Texas. She works between New York and Texas on narrative films and commercial content. She is a self-identified cowgirl who loves disco music.
Key Cast: Edie Yvonne, Heather Kafka, Justin Arnold and Liam Booth
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distribution, Sales Agent
Social media handles: IG: @emilyelizabeth_thomas @lola_film @untitled_marfa
Hashtags: #womeninfilm #lola #untitledmarfaproject #texastrilogy #texas
Where was this filmed? La Grange, Texas.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Marfa Film Festival – Friday, July 13th @ 12PM at The Crowley Theatre.