Garden State Film Festival 2020 – Me Too
A Youtube vlogger experiences sexual violence at a party, and how she learns to cope with the after-effects of trauma is seen through the eyes of her webcam. Me Too is the public dramatization of a very private struggle faced by millions of women worldwide.
Interview with Writer/Director Maya Bastian
Watch Me Too here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I have long wanted to make a film about the impacts of sexual violence, as it's a subject that is close to my heart. While researching for this script, I came across hundreds of Youtube videos made by survivors simply called My Story. These brave women would film themselves telling the story of their rape and post it for the world to see. I knew I had to make something to highlight their courage and struggle. These stories have stayed behind closed doors for too long. The film is designed to be an amalgamation of true accounts from thousands of survivors. It is an effort to create a connection between those who are struggling to share their own stories of violence, and the brave young women who have gone before them. We are now seeing the power that honesty and bravery can have in connecting women’s voices. I believe the sharing of stories is the only way forward as it brings truth to power in the most formidable way.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
At the forefront of the #metoo movement, we have heard many stories about the act of violence but what happens afterwards? This film sheds a light on a year in the life of one survivor. This film aims to capture the power of trauma by exploring one vlogger’s experience. It’s essentially a ‘found footage’ film, shot entirely on a webcam. It will take you through the first days after the incident, and then onwards to show the variety of health impacts that linger on. It's incredibly important that we understand how these despicable acts can affect someone for days, months and years afterwards.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Trauma is a theme I work with frequently. I want to not only understand it for myself but to highlight the ways in which it affects our society. Through this lens, we get to investigate other themes such as family, community, and the whole spectrum of emotions as well. Our lead actress Shian Grace is phenomenal at exploring these themes in a deeply personal way. She grabs the viewer in and holds you there, so you can feel exactly what she is feeling.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script passed through many hands before it was finalized. Authenticity of experience was my main focus. I researched for many days and spent time reading first-person accounts. The script was much longer but we cut the film back in editing. I have a trusted group of colleagues that I show my works in progress to and they were fantastic at providing notes. Cutting it shorter made it flow better and helped the emotions of the piece take center stage. The biggest challenge was shooting each scene only from one angle, the webcam. Editing without coverage proved to be incredibly difficult! But my editor Ben Allen and I came up with some creative techniques that both highlighted the lead characters state of mind and also helped with the coverage issue. It was a fun and worthy challenge to undertake.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film is just starting to screen at festivals now, so we are looking forward to feedback! Those who have seen it, have complimented us on the unique take on the subject. We've also had a lot of support from survivors, as I think many people want to see more stories that focus on the personal effects of this trauma rather than the violent incident itself.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I've always felt that we glorify violence in our society and have tried in my films to not default to showing violence whenever possible. I'm really happy that others have agreed with this idea and are supportive of it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm excited to receive more feedback and the opportunity to have this film seen on more screens.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would really like to screen at more festivals, so festival directors take note! We are also looking for distribution or buyers for the film. I think it would be great to have it seen at colleges and universities across the continent.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The traumatic fallout related to sexual violence is not something that is often spoken about publicly. I hope that this film can be seen as a conversation starter and a way to highlight this underserved topic. I also want to encourage survivors to speak out and connect with others about what they have experienced. It's a very frightening thing to do, but it can make all the difference as far as your mental health is concerned.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What happens after #metoo? How do we care for survivors of sexual violence?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
My short film Tigress is in post-production. It's a drama looking at militant rebellions and the choices one makes in a warzone. I'm also developing my first feature project which is a horror film set in the jungles of post-war Sri Lanka.
Interview: March 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
Me Too
A Youtube vlogger experiences sexual violence at a party, and how she learns to cope with the after-effects of trauma is seen through the eyes of her webcam. Me Too is the public dramatization of a very private struggle faced by millions of women worldwide.
Length: 5:00
Director: Maya Bastian
Producer: Suze Armstrong
Writer: Maya Bastian
About the writer, director and producer:
MAYA BASTIAN is a writer, a filmmaker and an artist. Her work has been shown in Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, UK, South Asia and across Canada. Her short narrative hybrid film Air Show received national press in 2017 for its look at refugee reactions to militarized air shows. She is a recipient of the Al Magee Screenwriting Mentorship, was included in Reelworld Film Festival’s Emerging 20 and has been selected for filmmaking grants by Art With Impact, Home Made Visible and the Canada, Ontario and Toronto Arts Council. She is currently in post-production on her short film Tigress which looks at militant rebellions and the ways in which we rebel. Her films explore trauma as it relates to community and culture.
SUSAN ARMSTRONG is a multidisciplinary creative professional producing work as a film director, motion graphics director, creative consultant and producer at Lumi Creative Studio. Susan’s work has been the recipient of many awards and she has produced work for Maurizio Cattelan’s latest documentary, Natalie Galazka’s Dance Film, Elon & Emmanuelle, Abigail Whitney’s Les Freres promo, Maya Bastian’s Survivor Stories for The Mosaic Institute and Arrival Archives for the Regent Park Film Festival. Her work has been shown at Miami Short Film Festival, The New York Underground Film Festival, The South Asian
International Film Festival, The Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC), The Design Exchange TO and The Globe and Mail. Her latest work seamlessly employs her multiple backgrounds in graphics, film and producing to create compelling pieces that shine a light on personal stories and our current social environment.
Key cast: Shian Grace, Felipe Aukai, Christine Cortes
Looking for: distributors, sales agents, journalists, buyers, film festival directors
Facebook: Maya Bastian
Twitter: @MayaBasti
Instagram: @mayabasti
Hashtags used: #metoo #survivorstories #metooshortfilm
Website: www.mayabastian.com
Other: Vimeo
Made in association with: Lumi Creative Studios & Art With Impact
Funders: Funded by Art With Impact
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Airing virtually at Garden State Film Festival on March 28th at 8:30 pm