Aspen Shortfest 2019 – Nest Egg
When a young American woman decides to become a gestational surrogate to a couple from China, her insecure husband tries to torpedo the arrangement.
Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Henry Loevner
Watch Nest Egg here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’ve been fascinated by gestational surrogacy for a while, in large part because I have three cousins who were carried by surrogates. On top of that, I was born in Hong Kong, lived in China for many years, and speak Mandarin. So when I discovered that Chinese nationals have been coming to California in droves to hire gestational surrogates, I knew I wanted to make a film about it.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
There's very little content out there that accurately portrays the surrogacy experience. It's often used as a punch line. So if you’re interested in an authentic take on the process, I think you’ll enjoy the film.
Also, if you’ve ever struggled to make yourself understood to someone who doesn’t speak your language, you might relate to this story. There’s nothing funnier to me than miscommunication.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I’m deeply interested in American anxieties about the rise of China. And surrogacy is the perfect distillation of this theme. Here is an ordinary, blue-collar American guy who feels like he’s being emasculated by a wealthy couple from China. He doesn’t know how to cope, so he gets hostile and territorial. Unfortunately, it’s the reaction that many people are having to the prospect of American obsolescence.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script is actually a composite of several true stories. I conducted dozens of interviews with surrogates, intended parents, doctors, lawyers and case managers to get a comprehensive view of the surrogacy process. And I was writing throughout this research stage, incorporating what I learned into the script. So the story changed dramatically over a 6-month period. I experimented with different points of view and different conflicts. But I landed on the POV of a surrogate’s husband because it offered the most room for comedy.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been very positive. Most people see the film for what it is, lighthearted and funny. I sent the film to some of the agencies and doctors that I interviewed and they were very supportive of the final product. I did encounter one person from the surrogacy industry who worried that the film paints surrogacy in a negative light. But I’m not out to discourage anyone from trying surrogacy, quite the opposite actually.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I tried very hard to give everyone a fair shake in this film. I didn’t want anyone to feel like their POV was misrepresented – the surrogate, the Chinese intended parents, the surrogacy case manager. But it’s just impossible for one story to capture everyone’s experience. Someone is always going to feel left out of the conversation.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’m hoping to spread the word about the film and advertise myself as a writer/director.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festivals and journalists are welcome to reach out about the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It’s very easy to make snap judgments about people who don’t speak your language. I hope anyone who watches will be more inclined to give foreigners the benefit of the doubt.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How would you feel if your spouse wanted to carry someone else’s child?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m currently developing a couple of narrative feature projects, including a horror film about “yellow fever” and the fetishization of Asian culture.
Interview: April 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
Nest Egg
When a young American woman decides to become a gestational surrogate to a couple from China, her insecure husband tries to torpedo the arrangement.
Length: 13:01
Director: Henry Loevner
Producer: Yidi Li & Aubrey Bendix
Writer: Henry Loevner
About the writer, director and producer:
HENRY LOEVNER is an LA-based filmmaker. Born in Hong Kong and having spent years working in China, Henry is fluent in Mandarin. He was previously an in-house director at BuzzFeed Studios in LA. His narrative short films have earned hundreds of millions of views online. He also directed season two of BuzzFeed’s series, You Do You, the #1 most downloaded TV comedy on iTunes, summer 2016. Henry has three cousins who were carried by gestational surrogates.
A native of Beijing, China, YIDI currently resides in Los Angeles where she works as a Producer at BuzzFeed. Prior to joining BuzzFeed, YIDI earned her MFA in Cinema & Television Arts from Columbia College in Chicago.
AUBREY BENDIX resides in LA and will be a Co-Producer on the upcoming sequel of Netflix's high school rom-com hit To All The Boys I've Loved Before. In her previous role as Head of Casting and Talent Relations at Awesomeness, Aubrey worked on films and series such as The Perfect Date (Netflix), Before I Fall (Open Road), Light As A Feather (Hulu), Trinkets (Netflix), t@gged (go90/Hulu), and Emmy Nominated Zac & Mia (go90/Hulu).
Key cast: Dan Gill (John Booker), Brooke Trantor (Brittany Booker), Anna Pan (Lin Wang), Jizhong Zhang (Zhou Wang)
Looking for: film festival directors
Instagram: @hloevner
Hashtags used: #NestEggShortFilm
Website: www.henryloevner.com
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? VIMEO - May 2019