Chicago Feminist Film Festival 2019 – Lavender
Lavender tells the story of Poppy, a seventeen year old girl who, when confronted by the severity of her sister's mental illness and the disappointing reality of finally kissing her crush, learns to find empowerment in sisterhood.
Interview with Director Meg Duncan and Producer Bethany Walravens
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This film was an accumulation of years at film school, being overshadowed by our male peers and being told we didn't have stories worth telling. I remember sitting with Meg and making a deal: that we were going to make a film with all female head of departments, and tell a story that reflected the strong women and sisters in our lives.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Well, first of all, because women rule and you should support all the gorgeous gals in your life. But also to spend a night inside the mind of a young girl we can all relate to, concerned with the perceptions of the outside world and torn between friends and family.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The themes in my film, sisterhood and the power of softness, come from deep down inside me. I think a woman’s connection to their own femininity is both personal and universal – a girl’s sense of self is forever developing and growing, and while every woman has a relationship to femininity, every woman’s relationship is unique.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script went through many incarnations. I actually scribbled the first version in my diary about 2 years ago now, mostly in poems. But the script really picked up momentum through discussions with the brilliant women I was lucky enough to collaborate with; late night chats in my little sister’s room, reflecting on tricky moments in our growing up, walks around the neighbourhood with Ella Newton (who played Poppy) talking about high school, friends, phones and boys, and never ending brainstorming about lens softness with my cinematographer Alanna Raif, or aural layering with my composer Imogen Cygler. All of these things and more built the script, I encouraged all of the heads of departments to dive into their own femininity in order to build Lavender’s unique aesthetic. This meant that our film was built from truth, and I think it’s that truth that allows depth and meaning to be transferred effectively to audiences, sparking connection and queries about their own femininity and experience.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Our feedback has been absolutely incredible. Girls tell us that Poppy is a voice they can understand, and that speaks to the way they felt and feel growing up.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has shocked us for sure. Lavender at times was an uphill struggle as we fought for our film to be made. We had male lecturers tell us that our stories didn't matter and that no one wanted to hear from a ‘selfish’ female voice. To then come out the other side and receive such love and acceptance has been fantastic and made the entire process worthwhile.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
This film is more than just what is on the screen. It's a film that has had so much passion and love poured into it by a group of talented females who were told at every point that their creative vision and ideas were not worthy to be on screen. I want people to know that they are heard, and that they are worthy, and especially for young girls that they are valuable, that mental health issues are normal and that their decisions are valid. Having our film on We Are Moving Stories allows us to do that, and to reach a wider audience who hopefully our film can help.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would absolutely love distributors and film festival directors come on board. We want the film and Poppy's voice to reach the women we wrote Lavender for, and we would love help getting this done.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I want people to walk away understanding that quite simply - growing up is tough, and that's true whether you live in Australia, Chicago, or anywhere else in the world. We want people to recognise that young people – and especially young women – have so many thoughts and pressures that consume them and affect their mental wellbeing, and that we will be forever growing and adapting in this world. Sometimes the yucky bits make us stronger, and the soft bits and the real bits are loaded with power.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Where do growing women draw their strength?
Would you like to add anything else?
We'd just like to say that we are incredibly grateful to the Chicago Feminist Film Festival for screening Lavender. The opportunity to screen for audiences willing to listen to female stories is amazing, and we could not have chosen a better place to have our American Premiere.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
All of our Lavender girls are onto fun and exciting new projects. Meg is cooking up wonderful and provocative stories for web, stage and installation, collaborating with musicians, dancers and animators to create work that wraps audiences in a nostalgic haze, prompting self reflection and dreaming. Our editor, Tayler Martin, received a placement with Film Victoria and has been editing beautiful documentaries alongside some household names. Alanna Raif is climbing her way through the cinematography ranks and continues to create beautiful dreamscapes. Whilst creating new projects, Bethany is working as a production assistant on reality TV shows and hopes to one day create a reality show which lifts and supports women in a new light.
Interview: February 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
Lavender
Lavender tells the story of Poppy, a seventeen year old girl who, when confronted by the severity of her sister's mental illness and the disappointing reality of finally kissing her crush, learns to find empowerment in sisterhood.
Length: 9:44
Director: Meg Duncan
Producer: Bethany Walravens
Writer: Meg Duncan
About the writer, director and producer:
MEG DUNCAN is a filmmaker from Melbourne. Often set within a personal or domestic context, her films foreground stories of gender, sexuality and identity, encouraging audiences to interact with their own memory to create meaning. Meg grounds her stories in rich external and imaginative landscapes, wrapping both her characters and her audience in a nostalgic haze.
Recently graduating from Film and Television at Swinburne University, BETHANY WALRAVENS has always had a strong love for the arts. Whether it be music, stage, or screen, Bethany is driven by the way creative performances bring light and love to the people around her. With a strong belief that films shape the way we perceive the world, Bethany is focused on creating projects that truthfully represent women, female sexuality, and mental health issues.
Key cast: Ella Newton (Poppy), Ivy D'Orsogna (Emma), Wil King (Charlie)
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors
Facebook: Lavender
Instagram: @lavendershortfilm
Website: https://lavendershortfilm.squarespace.com/
Other: IMDB
Funders: Pozible
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Chicago Feminist Film Festival/Chicago USA - February 27, 2019; Hollywood Women's Film Festival/Los Angeles USA - May 2, 2019; Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin Berlin/Germany - June 13, 2019