VCA Graduate Screenings 2019 – Peeps
Narrated by the birds that roost in the rafters of a shopping centre, Peeps is a portrait of five unique teenage girls in contemporary Australia.
Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Sophie Somerville
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to share the complex experience of being a young Australian teenage girl with the world.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It’s funny, and I think it’s insightful, offering a unique take on the complexities of the adolescent world.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film is separated into five parts, and each part takes place in the point of view of a unique character. The film explores the way these different girls view themselves and each other in their friend group and everyone who watches it can find something to relate to.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I changed the script a lot after I cast the film because I was struck by the different personalities and enormous acting abilities of the girls I had cast. So I wrote the parts specifically for each actor. We also changed the script during rehearsal, because the girls would say things that I thought was hilarious, and a lot of that ended up in the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Most people have said that it feels very truthful, and based on my own personal observations. I was very glad to hear that because that is one of my main goals in my work. I want to find the truth, and make it funny to watch.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It was great to hear from people that the film feels realistic because when I wrote it it was based on my own experiences and I wasn’t sure if people would relate to it at all. I think the strength of the girls’ acting adds to the naturalism of the film, and the rich, complex environment of the shopping mall.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
My main goal is to get this movie into some festivals because I want to share it with the world. So if you are a festival programmer and you are looking for honest, funny, Australian stories written from a distinctly female perspective, I would love it if you would watch the film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Anyone and everyone!!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love everyone to be entertained by it and be able to think about afterwards. My goal is to make hilarious, cute, strange, terrifying, honest films that speak to the shared reality of our experiences as humans on this earth.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do we truthfully tell a story? What is it like being a teenage girl? Why is growing up so stressful? How do we learn to cope with ourselves? Why are people so unique and strange?
Would you like to add anything else?
The film is narrated by the birds that live inside the shopping malls. So if you like birds that can talk, you might also like the film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am working on developing another short film, which I think will be a comedy/drama about a dysfunctional family.
Interview: December 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
Peeps
Narrated by the birds that roost in the rafters of a shopping centre, Peeps is a portrait of five unique teenage girls in contemporary Australia.
Length: 17:39
Director: Sophie Somerville
Producer: Courtney Bombell
Writer: Sophie Somerville
About the writer, director and producer:
SOPHIE SOMERVILLE is a Melbourne based filmmaker. She has directed children, chickens, a car, a dog, a pig and one time even an adult man. This is her third and most ambitious film at the Victorian College of Arts. She wanted her graduate film to resonate with the emotional turbulence of young women all over the country and internationally while capturing her own unique experience. Her previous works include shorts Sweetheart, Darling, No! and Catastrophe!. Before transitioning to film Sophie wrote and directed numerous plays including Streetlight which showcased in the 2016 Sydney Fringe Festival.
COURTNEY BOMBELL is a teenage girl stuck in the body of an adult woman. A perfect fit for the Peeps family. This is her second collaboration with Sophie Somerville as a Master of Producing student at the VCA. She has been involved in numerous VCA titles over the course of her degree as well as titles such as Todd Sampson’s BodyHack, Sammy and Bella’s Kitchen Rescue and Dead, Undead and Living Dead trilogy. Having moved from Sydney in 2018 she is excited about the artistic opportunities Melbourne has to offer.
Key cast: Charlotte Smith (Xanthe), Ella Callow-Sussex (Anna), Shyla Farrugia (Chelsea), Mackenzie O'Brien (Felicia), Shaelyn Connor (Linda)
Hashtags used: #peeps
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Festival selections are TBC at the moment.