HollyShorts 2018 - Skates
Set against the backdrop of a bleak suburban town on New Year's Eve 1979, a young boy working at the local roller-skating rink forms a bond with a girl skating there.
Interview with Director Maddelin McKenna
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to make a film that would reignite my love of filmmaking. I wanted to challenge myself to make something that was uplifting, something that would appeal to a wider audience. I wanted to make a film that captures people in motion, the subtleties of youth, and the universal feeling of isolation - a narrative I feel very close to. In all honesty I just wanted to have fun making a film, to be able to look back on that time with fondness. So I wanted to try and do that, to make a film that made me happy and hopefully audiences too.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film is an unapologetic display of abandoned youths stripped back to a simplistic form. Contemplative and raw, Skates is an arresting film about a universal feeling set amidst the bright lights of a 1979 roller rink. It is a film that can resonate with those that remember the rinks of the 1970s, as well as young people today who can relate to the protagonists. There is something in it for everyone.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
They work in cohesion. Skates is ultimately about the feeling of loneliness and isolation amidst a world of chaos and confusion as the two protagonists come into being at a roller skating rink on New Year's Eve 1979. The central themes are universal, however I wanted to explore them in a personal way. By placing the characters on the cusp of a New Year, a night reserved for expectation and promise, we explore the brutal, yet beautiful, banality of New Year’s Eve. A feeling I am no stranger to.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Like with most things I make, everything begins much grander than the final product. Eventually overtime I strip things back, realise the story a bit better and clearer and end up with something that is half the extravaganza I started with. In the beginning everything was bigger with more characters, set over a longer period of time and all imagined in this giant roller skating rink. Once I shaved everything down, that’s when I knew the film was at the right place.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has been lovely to receive feedback. So far it’s been positive, we have been accepted into four film festivals three of which are international festivals!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
A small amount has challenged my point of view and provided me with a different way the film can be interpreted. It has been a while since the film was completed and I have my own feedback and criticisms, things I wish I had done/done differently. I would say I am the harshest. I know all the mistakes.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To be able to spark more interest in the film as well as bringing audiences to Hollyshorts in Los Angeles to see it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Festivals and distributors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
My aim is for audiences to be immersed in this world of the roller rink. Skates is a film that explores a feeling/mood, it is very gestural and follows the mantra “show rather than tell”. I hope that through this audiences can project their own experiences and understandings on to the film.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
With my films I don’t usually like to press an opinion onto the audiences but rather leave them to form their own judgment. I like the ambiguity of it and I am often drawn to films similar to that.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The Cinematographer Bonita Carzino and myself recently shot a video for a Melbourne fashion label for the Summer 19 collection. It should be out in October!
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
Skates
Set against the backdrop of a bleak suburban town on New Year's Eve 1979, a young boy working at the local roller-skating rink forms a bond with a girl skating there.
Length: 10.18
Who is being interviewed for this article?
Director: Maddelin McKenna
About the writer, director and producer:
Key cast: Renee Kypriotis, William McKenna, Corey Robert Hunt, Georgie Jennings & Millie Lalor
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distributors & Film Festivals
Social media handles:
Facebook: facebook.com/skatesshortfilm
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month: Hollyshorts Film Festival in Los Angeles