Cannes Short Film Corner 2020 – Lollie
A young lunch lady in Brazil needs to fight the world to protect her one-of-a-kind friendship with Lola, a 70-year-old mentally disabled homeless woman.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Agnes Shinozaki
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I am from Brazil and this film was born from a true story of a Brazilian family. The first time I read about this woman who'd adopted an elderly disabled woman, I cried for hours, tears that were both happy and sad - which for me, it's the absolute best type of tears. I had the instant feeling that this story should be told and heard everywhere. I have a duty as a filmmaker to create relevant stories and this is a big one.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Everyone should watch this because it's a groundbreaking story, something that has never been done before and probably won't ever happen again. Sometimes the world feels like it's swallowing us in its pettiness, greed and big egos, but this story is proof that we can all be better.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Overall, if I had to sum up in a word, this film is all about LOVE, more specifically unusual non-judgmental love, not the romantic kind. The love that makes the small-minded people uncomfortable. The main message with this story is that it does not matter who, when or where it shows up, you might just have to turn upside down to make it work and you will. This theme is present in every character and all the relationships. Sometimes loving means letting go as well.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
It was a story that resonated with me on a level I'd never felt before. When I had the idea, I pretty much already knew how it would unfold. The fun fact about this film though, is that I had every intention of shooting it in LA. I had the hardest time when someone suggested I shot it in Brazil. It was too big of a change... but it sounded like a great idea on paper, but I had pretty much everything already aligned in LA, but I wanted to be fair to the real women - so many but's.
Finally, I made up my mind and I'm very proud to say that it was a very smooth process overall. Thanks to an amazing crew I was able to put together the very film that I'd imagined and it's even better now.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has been incredible. I knew I had a great film in my hands, but the audience reaction blew me away. I think I was in shock for a whole week after we had the first private screening. I completely focused on a performance-based film and people seem to be in love with my characters, which for me is the definition of cloud nine. But furthermore, I was so ecstatic to hear compliments on other aspects of it as well, such as cinematography and music.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
In the process of editing, it was a challenge to understand if people were getting what I wanted them to get from the end. But it was just a matter of trusting my instincts, and thankfully it was the right call. After I had the private screenings I knew a hundred per cent of people got it and I could see it in their eyes how much they were excited about it. It was amazing.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I find it so honorable to give more visibility to young filmmakers and especially women in the industry. I believe that initiatives such as this one are responsible for pushing us up and forward. Visibility is key in our industry and I'm so honored to be here. I have great plans for this story and this short film is just a little piece of the major part, and you guys are definitely helping it come true.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Right now, journalists would play the biggest role in my plan, by making this film known, and reach the right people. As I said above, this short film is just the beginning. My aim is to come across producers, buyers, distributors, not for the short exactly, but for the feature version of Lollie - which I'm writing right now.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I wanna make this a story known worldwide in the feature version. I believe in its potential and my one and only wish is to make films that make a difference. This story is perfect for that.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What makes a woman become a mother to someone they haven't birthed, especially in the scenario where age is abnormal?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for supporting us! I know I speak in the name of all young filmmakers when I say this support is much appreciated and can make a huge difference for us all. I hope you enjoy my story as much as I do and that I can brighten your day a little bit.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I (Agnes Shinozaki) am primarily working on the feature screenplay of Lollie, and I have two other screenplays that I am working on, one of another Brazilian story and one to be made in the US. I also have two short films in the pre-production phase, just waiting for the lockdown to be over to move forward.
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
Lollie
A young lunch lady in Brazil needs to fight the world to protect her one-of-a-kind friendship with Lola, a 70-year-old mentally disabled homeless woman.
Length: 20:30
Director: Agnes Shinozaki
Producer: Agnes Shinozaki, Lagon Filmes (Carol Caliri), Santiago Valencia and Melissa Gutierrez
Writer: Agnes Shinozaki and David Barbeschi
About the writer, director and producer:
AGNES SHINOZAKI was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil and moved to the US at the beginning of 2018 for her Master's degree in Film Directing. Coming from a family of Cinema lovers, she grew up watching European Cinema and even got her name from the French director Agnès Varda. Agnes found her artistic voice in the sad and tragic moments of the everyday life, which are full of unseen beauty. Inspired by true events, and started writing the screenplay for Lollie. Along she brought DAVID BARBESCHI, a colleague with experience in producing and screenwriting, who's written nine short films and won several awards, including Pawns, a short film with over 1 million views on Omeleto.
Lollie was also produced by AGNES SHINOZAKI. She worked with a production company in São Paulo, Lagon Filmes, which had the production team led by CAROL CALIRI. Afterwards in the post-production phase, Agnes was joined by producer SANTIAGO VALENCIA and MELISSA GUTIERREZ.
Key cast: Monique Hortolani (Gabi), Cristiane Natale (Lola), Marcelo Gomes (Jonas), Ellen Bueno (Nurse), Francis Helena Costa (Woman in suit)
Looking for: journalists, distributors
Facebook: Agnes Shinozaki
Instagram: @agnesshinozaki
Hashtags used: #lollie #truestory #motherhood #braziliandirector #brazil #saopaulo #shortfilm
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? We were going to be in Cannes Short film corner, which unfortunately was cancelled due to the pandemic. We will be submitting to the festival circuit in the upcoming months.