Sarasota Film Festival 2020 – 101 Years
Two women live alone on the same property- 101 years apart in time.
Interview with Writer/Director Brett Dameron and Producer Kathleen Burke
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
KATHLEEN: Though it seems almost eerily prescient right now because of COVID-19 and social distancing, Brett and I felt called during the fall of 2018 to make a film about isolation, specifically the type of isolation that has become so prevalent amongst women. Social pressures, expectations, gender norms - all these things serve to isolate women from their purpose, their identity, their happiness and their freedom to explore. We "should" do so many things in life if we listened to our parents, spouses or peers but 101 Years asks: what happens when we resist the urge to let life happen to us, and spend our days living something innately individual and intentional?
We wanted to shine a spotlight on this phenomena and tell a story about two women in wildly different time periods feeling the weight of the same burdens, who ultimately assist each other, almost magically, in transcending that isolation and expectations to find themselves honestly and fully.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
BRETT: The project was designed to be a very ethereal, impressionistic film. It's a film I hope audiences want to watch multiple times to uncover the themes and garner new insights. For me, I believe that a first viewing is about going through the experience- being with these women, feeling their pain and their triumphs, letting the score really move the viewer and finding a deep sense of catharsis. We are all these women at one time or another. It's a film I think you feel with your gut more than your head. It's bittersweet but it's also healing and supportive.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
KATHLEEN: Universality really rests at the core of this project. These women are living 101 years apart and are both struggling with isolation but also connecting to one another through that isolation. They suffer the same depression, and it becomes a bridge for them. Something deep in their beings, in the land and the home that they share across time, and in their hearts creates this miracle of empathy and shared experience.
I think on a personal note what I've loved about this collaboration and this project is that Brett went to great lengths to empathize with and express a story that is innately female. As a male director, he isn't experiencing these pressures in this way, but that's why art is universal. Empathetic filmmaking is putting yourself in the mindset and the pain of another person. It's not just about our personal stories - it's the story of others that we have a duty to tell. And it is through empathy and the bridges of shared experience that we can tell those stories together.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
BRETT: Because the film is structured without any dialogue, we had a great deal of flexibility in how we shot, what we shot and then certainly what happened in the editing room. We always knew the story we wanted to tell and most importantly, the theme we wanted to communicate. But we really let the specifics of how we told that story evolve across every stage of the process. The first cut led to all kinds of great changes in the VO, a certain performance choice became critical in future scenes. It was really amazing to shoot and edit both in a fluid, organic way.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
KATHLEEN: I've gotten some version of this remark many times, and I love it: "I'm not sure if I understand it all, but I felt it all". On first viewing, some audiences haven't fully digested all the action- but they've had a visceral reaction to the film and they've certainly understood the characters and their pain. We've had female viewers of all ages and demographics convey to us that they have connected to the characters and feel solidarity with the themes and representation of loneliness.
What this illuminates is that to feel this crippling loneliness, one doesn't necessarily have to be physically isolated as these women are. I think, in many cases- people find themselves living someone else's ideal life, and feel both alone and pressured to keep going along, to keep up the facade. Eventually, they fall into perceptions and expectations of success, domesticity, and other social markers of "fulfillment." I really hope that seeing this version of loneliness and giving it a name, if you will, allows us to observe this behavior and hopefully free ourselves from it.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
KATHLEEN: The most recent (ie: quarantine era) feedback has been really enlightening. We created this piece with the concept of universality in mind. These women are all of us. They transcend time, age, gender, etc. But now their relatability has become even more poignant because of the boredom, frustration and dread that we all feel during this experience of quarantine.
While it may have been unintended to reach and unify people in this moment, I'm hearing that it's causing some to have a somewhat existential but also supportive response to the film. I hope through this horribly difficult time that people are finding peace in some places and finding inspiration in others, even if it's a bittersweet inspiration. Life is precious, and brief, and often the meaning of it all eludes us.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
BRETT: We want this story to be accessed by as many viewers as possible- and not only women. I think it's vital that women see this and feel a sense of togetherness and companionship so that they know this kind of depression and isolation is something that women everywhere are experiencing. But it's really important to us that men also see this film so that we can encourage that sense of empathy and understanding. We all need to go to great lengths to understand the pain of one another, I fundamentally believe that as a filmmaker and an artist.
KATHLEEN: Visibility as an indie filmmaker is important. We're all trying to find our community in this world. As an artist, I love when I stumble on something that speaks to me or challenges me. I want to support those makers. Clicks, shares, and word of mouth are valuable. Not just for analytics, but for moral and community building.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
KATHLEEN: The ultimate goal is for this short to be seen in as many venues as possible so that the message can continue to make an impact all across the world. Short film distributors, distribution platforms, and more film festival directors would, therefore, be a welcomed addition to continue spreading the message. We would also love to speak with more journalists and artists so that we can continue the discussion surrounding the film and illuminate the themes and message further.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
BRETT: We want women all over the world to know that their pain is seen, that their experiences are not trivial and most importantly - that they are not alone. Isolation, loneliness, and depression are conditions plaguing women of all different demographics, economic conditions, etc. Even those who are surrounded by friends and family still suffer, many of them silently. It's the lack of identity and purpose that ultimately forces them to disconnect.
But a film like this can help those suffering understand that they do have a community and that support is there, sometimes in very unlikely places. It's the simple act of acknowledging, or a small gesture of kindness and community, that can set someone on the path to healing.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
BRETT: Is isolation a purgatory, or is it an opportunity to find ourselves deeper? Perhaps pain is simply a critical part of accepting serenity and purpose, and in fact, this a cycle that we are mean to set upon over the course of our lives. Would accepting this cyclical realization help us all in our darkest hours?
Would you like to add anything else?
KATHLEEN: Representation was critical in creating the most inclusive, fully realized version of this film. By ensuring that our filmmaking team included LGBTQ, Latinx & POC representation, we were able to add unique voices and multiple perspectives in this conversation about universality and isolation.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
KATHLEEN: Brett and I are currently developing 101 Years into a feature film. We are also beginning pre-production and fundraising on a Western short film that explores themes of toxic masculinity and male gender roles.
We also have written a pilot for an anthology series set in dystopian depictions of different eras of American history, a feminist Western feature film, and a global modernization of The Three Musketeers set in post-French colonized Africa.
Interview: May 2020
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
101 Years
Two women live alone on the same property- 101 years apart in time.
Length: 11:26
Director: Brett Dameron
Producer: Kathlene Burke
Writer: Brett Dameron
About the writer, director and producer:
BRETT DAMERON is an NYC/LA-based filmmaker and the writer/director of 101 Years. He is a graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
KATHLEEN BURKE is an NYC/LA-based filmmaker and the producer of 101 Years. She is a graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Key cast: Kathleen Burke (Sharon), Sarah Jes Austell (Elizabeth)
Looking for: film festival directors, journalists, buyers, sales agents, distributors, producers
Facebook: BearWolf Creations
Twitter: @damermann
Instagram: @bearwolfcreates
Hashtags used: #feminism #periodpiece #5050by2020 #femaleproducer #drama #nycfilm #indie
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Due to COVID-19, 101 Years is currently screening online with the Sarasota Film Festival until May 10th.