Grove Film Festival / Lady Filmmakers Film Festival 2018 - Chronicles of a BLEEP Year Old Woman
She looked delusion in the face and thought, “Yeah, we’re gonna get along just fine.”
Interview with Writer/Producer Tamra Paselk
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In 2014, on the heels of quitting my day job, I visited a ballet class for the first time since I was 7 years old. I opted for the BASIC ballet class (which comes before beginner). The experience turned out to be traumatic in a way that only comedy can support and this idea was born. At the time, I’d never written anything and thought, “Too bad I’m not a writer.” The idea just wouldn’t go away and eventually I realized it was necessary. It is part of my journey as a human and artist to have made this film but I truly believe it will play an inspirationally comedic role in our world’s current climate.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Society has a way of telling us what we can and cannot do and what age. Well, I don’t believe it’s society’s place to speak into who we are and how that evidences itself.. If we feel led to pursue something new, we CAN. If there’s something you’re afraid to do, watch this. Take inspiration from it then go and DO it.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Personally, this film is about finding my place in this world. The story explores that through the eyes of a delightfully delusional woman who’s not at all ashamed of her age and blurts it out at every opportunity but every time she says the number, it gets censored (BLEEP). Therein lies both the comedy and the angst. When I began this journey, I was marriage-less, childless and living entirely outside the societal norms box. My going into a new career at a less-than-conventional age really threw the world around me for a loop. They didn’t know what to do with me and that made it incredibly difficult to make professional headway.
Age is particularly interesting for women and even more delicate for women who are in front of cameras all the time. Most men I know aren’t sitting around wondering if they should get botox or obsessing about whether or not they’ll look older than their peers if they don’t dye their hair. They just get sexier as they age. But, we women have been conditioned to fear the physical signs of aging. We are hell bent on looking younger than we are.
Originally, I felt this story inspired by how age-ism was affecting me. Somewhere along the way, however, I had the revelation that the motive is far more universal. It’s about forging new roads, being whole-hearted, not letting the others tell us what we cannot do, not telling ourselves what we cannot do. If there is something in your heart to do, who’s to say NOW isn’t the perfect time to start? I will be the woman who not only says but shows the world that she can start a new career at BLEEP years old. I will forge a path for the women behind me as well as for those beside me.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Originally, it was just a load of crap in a word document! Haha! As an actor, I would have run for the hills after reading that script. It was also set 100% in the ballet class. Since then I’ve learned that my first drafts are always crap and that’s ok. I’ve also learned how to use Final Draft! It was the week I spent in an artist workshop with Alaine Alldaffer of Playwrights Horizons and an inspirational group of colleagues that motivated me complete the script and put it out there.
Eventually, it evolved into an interface with the world through a sort of “fakebook live” featuring memory sequences and some behind the scene shots of the character. Much of what I love most about the current episode and the upcoming (even better) ones, is the graphic / sound effect dynamic that exists in the imaginary interface. (Thank you to my editor, Austin Bening, Sound Designer, James Hansen and Graphic Designer, Christina Roman!!). Many thanks, also, to Lauretta Prevost (DP) and Angela Atwood (Director) for taking a chance on a first-time writer/film maker. I would have been lost without their guidance. The collaborative world is real.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve just begun and are doing well on the festival circuit with four selections and many submissions in the queue. I’ve recently brought in a kick ass producer, Sarah Donnelly, to help me shape and strategize the next few episodes. Audiences seem to love it, laughing out loud at all the right moments and the critical feedback is mostly positive with some very insightful helpful notes for future implementation.
This was my first baby so I am simultaneously proud of how well it’s doing and ready to take all I’ve learned and make the future episodes even stronger. With knowledge comes the great power to truly do a story justice. That’s where we’re heading. It’s not publicly released yet so TBD on the feedback from the public at large.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not yet but I look forward to those inevitable conversations.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Three-fold goal: 1. Inspire others to chase dreams 2. Shed light on this uniquely female point of view 3. Find partners to support the further development of the bigger picture.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Looking for a distributor! In the meantime, looking for financial partners to help pitch the mini-series into production. For me, partnership is collaborative and, thus, I’m not desperate. I want the right “owners” to come on board. These partners should have a passion for and dedication to being part of a world that champions equal opportunity for females. I want us to be aligned in our commitment to inspire and bring about change while daring to tell the truth all with a wink and a laugh. Comedy is a powerful tool in a world that hurts such as it currently does.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Laughter. I hope to give you that and the release it brings. It should also inspire you to tap that small voice inside of you, the one you’re so afraid of, let it speak and once you do, and things get hard, DON’T GIVE UP. And, let’s not shy away from the actual topic.
Watching this should be like putting on a pair of 3D glasses. You’ll put them on and suddenly see the BLEEP year old life more clearly. In upcoming episodes, you’ll see her take on botox, what is it NOT to be a mom at her age, what it’s like to be BLEEP at an audition in a cut-throat, look obsessed world and other depressingly hilarious topics. We might even suggest that it is possible to be Single, Childless, Bleep, Starting a brand new career in a non-accepting world and … HAPPY. You can keep the glasses.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why is it a compliment for a woman to look younger than she is? What is wrong with being proud of our number?
Why is it assumed a woman a.) who doesn’t have children, wants them b.) cannot be happy because she has no man and c.) should walk around looking dejected if either a. or b. are true.
Would you like to add anything else?
More words? To a writer? Dangerous offer.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
DP: Lauretta Prevost is always working on an interesting film or documentary. www.laurettaprevost.com Currently, she and Director Angela Atwood are having great success on their own collaboration, Lady Hunters: Once upon a time, three mothers killed a wolf. (https://www.ladyhuntersmovie.com/)
Interview: September 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
Chronicles of a BLEEP Year Old Woman
She looked delusion in the face and thought, “Yeah, we’re gonna get along just fine.”
Length: 9 min, 32 seconds
Director: Angela Atwood
Producer: Tamra Paselk
Writer: Tamra Paselk
About the writer, director and producer:
ANGELA ATWOOD (director), member of NYWIFT, graduate of The William Esper Studio. Directing credits: Freebie, Winner:Best Romantic Drama, MFF 2016 and Lady Hunters, Winner: Best Adventure, MFF 2018.
TAMRA PASELK (writer-producer) is an NYC-Devoted, Texas-Native with a love for humor and a tremendously quirky manner. As long as you’re laughing, whether it be at or with her, she’s happy.
Looking for: Distributors, Financial Partners, Film Festival Directors
Facebook: bleepyearold
Instagram: @bleepyearold
Other: www.bleepyearold.com
Funders: All the children, cats and dogs I babysat, cat sat and dog sat to self fund.
Made in association with: Shiyr Productions @shiyrproductions www.shiyr.org
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? September 26th in Teaneck, NJ at the Grove Film Festival, 7pm Block 2B, September 29th in Beverly Hills at the 10th Annual Lady Filmmaker’s Festival, Program #10