HollyShorts 2018 - Protectress
During battle, a healer duels with her mortal enemy in an unsettling form, facing an impossible choose that will forever forge her destiny as a warrior.
Interview with Writer/Producer Joanna Ke and Director America Young
Watch Protectress here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
JOANNA: Thank you so much! There are a few reasons why I created "Protectress". As a professional script reader and actress, I consistently see underdeveloped and vapid female characters. I strongly believe that the world needs more stories with female heroes and more portrayals of feminine leadership. I created a character and a world that addressed those things, and I also wrote the role I always wanted to play, a warrior woman. When I was growing up, I never got to see someone like me, a half-Asian woman, as the lead heroine, so I wanted to change that.
AMERICA: I really enjoyed the script. It was a powerful story told in a short form which is very difficult to do. Plus I felt that having two strong female characters exploring complications with the new dynamic in their relationship was really powerful.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
JOANNA: It’s got an awesome sword fight between women warriors! That alone is reason to watch it. It’s so rare you get to see that. Who doesn’t love a lady with a sword? Actress Charlotte Bjornbak and I performed our own stunts. I trained for four months prior to filming to learn stunts and sword fighting, something I’d never done before. I haven’t stopped training since. "Protectress" is written, produced, directed by, and starring women. I think the fact that it’s a fantasy action with women in those key roles is a big reason to watch.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
JOANNA: One of the themes that I intentionally wrote into the script is about choice – that we choose who we are. We are the sum of all of our decisions. Junaaya, the character I play in the film, doesn’t become a warrior until she makes the choice to become one. Sometimes those choices we have to make are incredibly heartbreaking, but we know that we have to go down that path since it’s what’s best for us. I reflected on my own life when writing the script and times when I’ve had to make decisions that broke my heart in relationships with people I loved. While that’s personal to me, it’s a universal experience we all go through.
AMERICA: It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you are not. Sometimes it’s the hardest choices we have to make that illuminate this fact.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
JOANNA: The idea for "Protectress" started in a very different place than where it ended up. Xena is one of my favorite shows of all time. When the idea to shoot a woman warrior film came to me, I initially thought about doing a Xena fan film, but that was quickly replaced by creating my own heroine. There were more VFX shots in the beginning drafts of the script, and due to budgetary reasons I cut out some of those. In the end, I love that we only have a couple VFX shots since it makes the film feel more gritty and "real".
AMERICA: Starting with the solid foundation of a strong script is a gift. So many films of all budgets start with a weak script and hope to find it as they go. We knew where we going and how to get there. From there we were able to play with different takes on each lines and push the boundaries even more.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
JOANNA: The response we’ve received has been amazing. I honestly had no expectations for the film, just that I wanted to make something that I would want to see. One of the most profound responses we got was from a counselor from an organization that helps young women that have been through sexual abuse. Before doing a festival run, we released the film for a limited time online. Within a week, I heard from this counselor, and she told me she’d shown the film to a group of her girls who were incredibly touched by it.
She said they could relate to it, how much they loved that the women in the film weren’t sexualized, and how the film empowered them to deal with their own issues. They were even inspired to make their own short film to help spread awareness about sexual abuse. That kind of reception is what so many artists dream of, to help someone else with what you do. I’m so moved by these courageous girls and that what we created helped them.
AMERICA: The most fun feedback is people coming up to us after screenings with their own theories on characters and how this plays out into a bigger world. It is an intense glimpse into a much bigger world that Joanna has put so much thought and care into building. We are thrilled people are so intrigued because our plan is to make a feature of it.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
JOANNA: One of the best pieces of feedback we’ve received is a viewer hailing "Protectress" as "Wonder Woman meets Game of Thrones". I love that! We were in post-production when "Wonder Woman" was released, and I definitely saw some similarities between the films. "Game of Thrones" is one of my favorite shows, and there are familial complications in both "Protectress" and GoT. It is such a great comparison! It’s a happy, unexpected blessing that we’ve received so much great feedback. You want to positively impact those around you with your work, and to see it in action is profound, exhilarating, humbling, and drives me to do more. So far, we’ve been selected for 22 festivals and won 7 awards, and we’re not even done with the festival run yet.
AMERICA: It’s always so gratifying when people respond to something you’ve created. As an artist I think we always have doubts that what we are making will affect anyone, so to have the amazing feedback we’ve had has been wonderful.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
JOANNA: I would love to spread awareness about what women realistically portrayed on screen really looks like and what a female filmmaking team can do with those that find our film through We Are Moving Stories. I feel like we excelled in that and can set an example for other screenwriters and filmmakers. I also would love to find industry professionals that resonate with the story and themes of Protectress that are interested in helping make the feature. There is way more to the story.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
JOANNA: We’re developing the feature right now. This film was always meant to be more than just a short. I’m looking for team members that can help us amplify the film’s message by joining us in the creation of the feature. We’re looking for a female DP, funding, sales agents, distributors, and I’d love to find another producer to come on board with me. I’ve also been exploring the idea of showing the film in schools or women’s organizations because of its empowerment message and would love to see if there’s any interest in that area.
AMERICA: I love the idea of showing it in schools or women’s organizations and facilitating a discussion afterwards. The feature is the ultimate goal but I’d love the short to continue having a life because sometimes the strongest message is in the shortest format.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
JOANNA: I hope it reaches those that need to hear and feel its empowerment message. At this point, we’ve had a reception that’s above and beyond what I ever dreamed of. I’m so grateful for that. If I wanted any other sort of impact, it would be that we create fans out of what we’ve done so that we can bring more of the "Protectress" world to the audience.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
JOANNA: What does female leadership look like? What does it really mean to be strong? I think we have a hard time answering the first questions, because we see so little of it in the world today. Strength is often not synonymous with femininity in today’s world.
AMERICA: There is a feminine strength/energy and a masculine strength/energy. A yin and yang. We need both to keep civilization from imploding or exploding. So often in media, it is felt that conflict is need for entertainment, which means the masculine form of strength is shown. But feminine strength – healing, rebuilding and working towards peace – is just as hard and important as fighting and destruction, but a lot harder to make exciting and entertaining. How do we show this side, and the value and strength in this?
Would you like to add anything else?
JOANNA: Thank you for helping us spread the word about our female empowerment film and supporting women filmmakers!
AMERICA: Yes! Thank you so much for providing a platform and amplifying these stories!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
JOANNA: I have a few features in development that I’m writing and producing, and one of those is the "Protectress" feature, with America attached to direct, of course! I’m also about to release an online course about writing female characters for the screen (femalecharacters.com). I have a weekly Facebook Live called Tea with Ke that I host at my Facebook page for those interested in gaining more insight into the industry from my perspective as a professional script reader, writer, actor, and producer. I’m also excited to be working with America with her non-profit The Chimaera Project to help empower female filmmakers.
AMERICA: Yes! The Chimaera Project (www.chimearaproject.org) provides advocacy, mentorship and action for filmmakers identifying as female. We have a number of amazing programs to get involved with. I am also directing an animated digital series for Mattel and just released my feature, a heartfelt slacker comedy, The Concessionaires Must Die! on Video on Demand platforms (www.cmdthemovie.com)
Interview: August 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
Protectress
During battle, a healer duels with her mortal enemy in an unsettling form, facing an impossible choose that will forever forge her destiny as a warrior.
Director: America Young
Producer: Joanna Ke
Writer: Joanna Ke
About the writer, director and producer:
JOANNA KE is an award-winning filmmaker that thrives in the industry as an actor, writer, script reader, and producer. She champions stories led by women.
Key cast: Joanna Ke & Charlotte Bjornbak
Looking for: Female DP, producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, funding for the feature
Facebook: The Protectress AND Joanna Ke
Twitter: @america_young, @joanna_ke AND @protectressfilm
Instagram: @america_young, @joanna_ke AND @theprotectress
Other: www.americayoung.com, www.joannake.com AND www.protectressfilm.com
Funders: self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? HollyShorts screening on 8/14 at 10p in Hollywood at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, attended by Director America Young, Writer/Producer/Star Joanna Ke, and Star Charlotte Bjornbak. Full list of upcoming screenings available on our website, www.protectressfilm.com.