Lucy, 15, blames her mother for her father leaving them for a 24-year-old blonde. When she finds out her crush at school likes blondes, she dyes her hair to get the attention of both men.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Luisa Novo

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

It was my MFA in Filmmaking thesis for The New York Film Academy.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

It's a film about trying to fit in, about wanting to change yourself so others will like you. It's a relatable subject, everybody has gone through insecurity and peer pressure at some point in their lives.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The personal and universal themes are teenage insecurity, acting out, trying to fit in. Lucy dyes her hair so that her father and her crush at school pay attention to her. But her mother, who she is blaming for her father leaving and think is a failure, is the one who doesn't judge her and is there for her.

You have to remember the people that are always there for you, and that you are enough, always. Not everybody is going to like you, and that is ok.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The film went through changes in the way Lucy related to each character in the movie. Through each draft, I worked on improving the intentions and actions of the characters so we would have the best version of the film possible.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Audience members that are mothers say they relate to the story, and some of them say they cry in the last scene where Lucy and her mom are bonding.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I am really passionate about educating and empowering young girls to love themselves. I hope the film can inspire teenagers going through something similar to embrace who they are and lean on their support system.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

If we could have the film distributed in more platforms on top of Amazon Prime it would help the film reach a larger audience.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I would like this film to empower young girls.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Why do media and society put so much pressure on girls and women to be a certain kind of way? Why are we ok with most women going being insecure about their bodies, appearance and sometimes even intelligence?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I have a short film in post-production about an abusive relationship. It should start its festival round at the end of the year.

Interview: June 2019

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

Becoming Lucy

Lucy, 15, blames her mother for her father leaving them for a 24-year-old blonde. When she finds out her crush at school likes blondes, she dyes her hair to get the attention of both men.

Length: 13:45

Director: Luisa Novo

Producer: Daniela Shaw, Pipo Wagner, Lidia Damatto, Luisa Novo

Writer: Luisa Novo

About the writer, director and producer:

Born in Cascavel, Brasil, LUISA NOVO graduated in Cinema from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. In 2011 she relocated to Los Angeles to continue her education at the New York Film Academy and UCLA, earning certificates in Producing and Business and Management of Entertainment and an MFA in Filmmaking. She has directed a number of short films both in Brazil and the US, focusing on stories from a female perspective and themes like self-image and self-worth. She is interested in the struggles women go through arising from the social standards and pressures society puts on them.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, DANIELA SHAW graduated in filmmaking and later moved to Los Angeles to step up her producing career. With seven features already completed (Minutes Past, Experimenter), she is always looking for exciting projects. She works as a production coordinator at FJ Productions and at the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival.

Born in Cali, Colombia. PIPO WAGNER moved to Argentina to graduate in Business management and later specialized in Media and Entertainment. After working on two tv shows on National Television he relocated to Los Angeles in 2013, where he has been working on different media productions including Feature Films, Commercials, and Web-Tv. He continued his education in Entertainment and Producing at UCLA.

Key cast: Maitlyn Pezzo (Lucy), Heather Dowling (Mary)

Facebook: Becoming Lucy

Website: www.becominglucythemovie.com

Other: IMDb

Funders: Mix of Kickstarter and self funding

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? The film is available on Amazon Prime as part of the series Discover Indie Film.