Women Texas Film Festival 2018 - Eudaemonia
A talkative Australian traveler and a reclusive artist form an unlikely bond after an accidental 'break and enter' in Brooklyn.
Interview with Writer/Director Julia Ngeow
Watch Eudaemonia on Vimeo
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The story for EUDAEMONIA began as a few notes on a napkin in an airplane. This was during my emigration from Australia to USA 5 years ago. It was a 24 hour plane ride, so, a lot of time to contemplate what (the hell) I was doing whilst being unable to communicate with any friends/family during those hours. My experiences with travel, identity and displacement all fed directly into this narrative. I am mixed race, as they say, and have lived in a few countries as I grew up. My parents have a mixed spiritual background (which all merges together in a "just do whatever works for you" kinda way). So, again, this all feeds into this idea of culture, geographical movement, and seeking a sense of self.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film definitely won't resonate with everyone - and that's ok. But, there seem to be a certain type of person who does connect with the story, and that has a really fun process of finding 'my tribe'. You may like the film if you have experience with travel, isolation, NYC grind, times of personal struggle and change, and if you've ever had one of those conversations with a stranger that somehow reawakens you and makes you feel alive in a way you had long forgotten.
Or it depends, maybe you may like to see the film because it was written specifically to pass the Bechdel test, and you'd like to see what that may look like.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I seem to be drawn to the ideas of serendipity, universal forces, and random encounters, as well as the idea of actively cultivating our identity. The title itself (EUDAEMONIA) is a Greek word meaning "human flourishing", which is something the characters in the film are seeking - the idea of living a better life (whatever that may mean) - they are unsettled, and they are both striving.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I initially envisioned the 'conversation scene' of the film between the two characters - then built the beginning and end story out from that moment. The process of making the film (like always) was a combination of things magically falling into place, and also being a constant uphill struggle. After the script was written, I happened to attend a Q&A screening of FELT, which stars Amy Everson (who later played Amy in EUDAEMONIA). I asked the director of FELT to put me in contact with Amy (who is based in San Fran) and it went from there... I made some revisions of the script based on Amy and my conversations over Skype, but also, knowing Amy didn't go to "official acting school", and FELT was made in a semi-documentary style, I understood that the dialogue would probably evolve on set in an organic manner. Amy being an artist herself, worked with us to decorate and personalize the set, which informed her character.
Alexandra Nell is a wonderfully skilled actor (with a number of awards and professional accolades) who I know from my hometown Perth, Western Australia. We pushed the filming dates to coincide with Alex's visit to the US. Prior to filming, we had a week of rehearsals in Brooklyn (in which we all met for the first time) and this allowed us to further refine the characters and story. It was so wonderful to have that opportunity to spend time together with the actors, and really nourish the story. Rehearsal time is always something I will prioritize, because even if the film ends up being complete nonsense, we've still had a wonderful time in creative play with others.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We held a test screening session in Brooklyn, along with anonymous feedback questionnaires. From recollection, the feedback at that time was primarily regarding questions about the Australian 'Cara' character. However, there was a mixed response. Some wish for greater clarification on her backstory and outcome, others don't mind, as they like to let their minds fill in the gaps. Others noticed a connection between Cara being a reimagined version of the butterfly returning to Amy's life (to again bestow the gift of serendipitous, awakened connection); others did not find that connection. Some liked the movement of the camera being handheld; others did not like the movement of the camera being handheld. Either way, this film seemed to stem some rich discussion as to the takeaways and meaning, which is generally my preferred outcome. And ultimately, whether the audience were given enough clues for them to all align on the plot, they seemed to be left with a certain beautiful, bittersweet feeling.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not so much. It makes sense that different people bring different perspectives to the film. That's pretty standard and expected. It's more I am constantly working to improve my own perspective towards my own work, and basically, just continue to get improve that 'translation' process of FEELING-TO-FILM-TO-AUDIENCE FEELING (like, the skill is in how accurately can I clone a dream....). The closer I get to doing that, the better. I suppose if anything has surprised me has been when a total stranger who has zero invested interest in communicating with me, or bolstering my self esteem comes up to me after a screening with a genuine desire to express how they loved the film and it spoke to them in some way - if and when that happens, it is truly special.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
This whole process of making movies has been about 'finding my clan'. Initially that has been about finding collaborators/crew that are willing to live and die by your side, kinda thing; who have the same desire to communicate beauty or what have you, to the world. That form of community building comes first. Second, comes the audience community, which goes hand in hand with marketing and promotion - reaching people who would be interested with watching something I make. Building community is continual and dynamic, and takes either time, or effort, or both. Being visible on www.wearemovingstories.com will be a great opportunity to continue to build this tribe.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Awesome question. My focus now is to continue to have the film seen by others. We have screened in a few different countries and I would love to continue this trend. Buyers, distributors, and film festival directors who have an emotional connection to the film and/or who have an emotional connection to my personal creative quest, would all be valuable at this stage of EUDAEMONIA's life.
What's my personal creative quest? - it is to write films with female leads that have depth to their character's soul. It is to showcase Asian actors on screen in leading roles. It is to make films that celebrate life, humanity, and intersectional diversity. It is to find a nugget of truth, or a feeling, and help others to feel a little less alone. It is to contemplate the beauty within life's struggles. All that kinda stuff. If I could do something like that, that'd be just groovy.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like there to be a non-zero number of people who go 'yeah, I felt that' after watching EUDAEMONIA. And I would like potential collaborators to go 'wow, Julia is making a feature? I want to be a part of that, because we're weird in the same way' after watching the film.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Have you ever met someone who changed your life, and then never saw, or spoke to them again?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently finishing a narrative feature script based on the themes of EUDAEMONIA - the idea of people being brought together by forces greater than themselves. It's an ensemble piece and I'm really excited to get wonderful, new, diverse actor talent on the screen. That's all I can say for now....
Myself and a small team are working on a short documentary series for TOPIC.COM based on several of the Mars One final 100 candidates in US and Australia. Woo hoo!
A short doc called UNSPOKEN which I co-directed with Emma Zurcher-Long (a 14 year old autistic girl, who is also the star of the film) has traveled the festival circuit and is premiering at Maysles Documentary Cinema in Sept, 2018!
UNSPOKEN screening details: https://www.maysles.org/calendar/unspoken
UNSPOKEN website: www.unspokendoc.com
Since the Women's March in DC I've had a specific desire to highlight the voices of younger girls, so I self-started a short doc series which showcases the achievements and ambitions of young girls and young women across the globe. So far we have filmed episodes in Mexico, Australia and US. We're yet to premiere the series online.
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
EUDAEMONIA
A talkative Australian traveler and a reclusive artist form an unlikely bond after an accidental 'break and enter' in Brooklyn.
Length: 14min 28 seconds
Who is being interviewed for this article? Julia Ngeow (writer/director/editor)
Director: Julia Ngeow (WEBSITE: www.juliangeow.com)
Producer: Ashley George, Lauren McCune, Amanda Lamarr
Writer: Julia Ngeow
About the writer, director and producer:
JULIA NGEOW (writer/director/editor)
Julia Ngeow is a filmmaker from Australia whose work explores the idea of transience, and the beauty of our fragmented human nature.
ASHLEY GEORGE (producer)
Ashley is an award-winning director and producer based in New York. She's a firecracker in a sugar bowl, sucker for all things 90s and her work can be found at www.filmsbyashley.com.
Key cast: Amy Everson, Alexandra Nell
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Social media handles: @eudaemoniamovie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eudaemoniamovie/?hl=en
Hashtags you use: #indiefilm #womeninfilm
Where was this filmed? Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY
Funders: Seed&Spark crowdfunding, self
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Sydney Underground Film Festival, Australia (EVENT DETAILS: "Ozploit short film block" http://www.suff.com.au/films/ozploit)