Marfa Film Festival 18 / Woods Hole Film Festival 18 - Bodies of Water
It's 1982, Marsh is 24 years old, and struggles with a tormenting secret. One random night, he crosses paths with Rivers, a stranger so striking that Marsh is instantly smitten. Marsh pursues Rivers until an opportunity presents itself for him to take the boldest risk of his life.
Interview with Writer/Director/Executive Producer David Lykes Keenan
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The story is half of the first act of a longer story. It is a very personal story and when my friend and lead actor Ellar Coltrane wanted to play the lead, the universe aligned to make it happen.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It features Ellar Coltrane post "Boyhood" by about four years, and has him performing in a very different role. There is strong bond between actor and writer/director which supported the emotional foundation of the film. Unlike many short films, it does have a beginning, middle, and end, and tells a complete story.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
There is a personal theme of loneliness, isolation, and deep-seated fear and the longing for a connection. Marsh, the main character, is gay and living in the 1980's, but Marsh's personal struggles are beyond sexuality and can be understood by everyone.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The 15-page script went through over 30 revisions over a period of year or so. Some changes were made based on the availability of locations. But, in the end, the film was shot being very true to the final script with only portions of a few scenes being cut out tighten the final run time down to 14 minutes.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been universally positive. It has been accepted into nine film festivals since it began its festival run in April 2018. Ellar's performance is particularly strong. Of course, in "Boyhood" he pretty much played himself, but in "Bodies of Water" he plays an anguished young 20-something and conveys much of his character's emotional state with his face and physical performance.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Finding other festival opportunities where the film could be seen would be great. In the bigger picture, it would be great if "Bodies of Water" caught the eye(s) of people in the film business who might be interested in a feature length version of "Bodies of Water" or may be interested in other screenplays I have written.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this point, festival directors and journalists who are interested in the 14 minutes story of the film and possibly the longer story might be very helpful. As s short film, I don't have any expectation of any buyers or distributors being interested.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The positive reception so far has been great. Getting into more festivals to build awareness of myself as a filmmaker and to expose Ellar's performance to "important" people who can see a different side of his acting talent would be very beneficial.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Probably the key question would be what is River's deal at the end. What is his interest in Marsh? Will Marsh final get what he longs for or not?
Would you like to add anything else?
Just that I hired a professional crew in every department and their works shows on the screen. I am so grateful to everyone who made the film possible.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The writer/director has since two completed feature-length screenplays. One of them has been very highly received and it presently a Finalist in the WeScreenPlay Diverse Voices screenplay competition.
Interview: July 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
Bodies of Water
It's 1982, Marsh is 24 years old, and struggles with a tormenting secret. One random night, he crosses paths with Rivers, a stranger so striking that Marsh is instantly smitten. Marsh pursues Rivers until an opportunity presents itself for him to take the boldest risk of his life.
Length: 14 minutes
Director: David Lykes Keenan
Producer: Tom Suhler
Writer: David Lykes Keenan
About the writer, director and producer:
DAVID LYKES KEENAN (Writer/Director/Executive Producer) is beginning his third career as a screenwriter and filmmaker. He rode Austin's tech boom as a software entrepreneur, branched out to become a highly regarded fine art photographer, and then wrote and directed his first short film in 2016. His organizational skills created an Austin based software company, a Kickstarter campaign to fund the publication of his book of photography entitled FAIR WITNESS, and the Austin Center for Photography. Dave has lived in Austin since 1978.
TOM SUHLER (First Assistant Director/Producer) has worked in various capacities in film, including first assistant director, producer, writer, and director. His work produced a number of award winning narrative and documentary film projects seen in such festivals as Austin, Sedona, Sunset (LA), and Breckenridge. He most recently co-produced The Golden Rut which premiered at AFF in 2016. Tom is an internationally acclaimed visual artist, native Texan and Austin resident for 37 years.
Key cast:
ELLAR COLTRANE became known as the boy in Richard Linklater's landmark film Boyhood. He has since appeared in other films including Barry and The Circle with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. Ellar has followed the development of this story since its inception and has never wavered in his enthusiasm to play Marsh. He and Dave have been close friends for over eight years which brings an uniquely intimate actor/director relationship to the project. Ellar is a native Texan and a lifelong resident of the Austin area.
Looking for: film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=bodies%20of%20water
Official Website: www.bow-film.com
Funders: Serengeti Systems Incorporated
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Woods Hole Film Festival, Woods Hole, MA (7/28-8/4) and Sidewalk Film Festival, Birmingham, AL (8/20-8/26)