Big Apple Film Festival - Saturday Grace
A young woman, filled with grief and struggling with her faith, forms an unexpected bond with a homeless lady via dance.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Patrice D. Bowman
Watch Saturday Grace here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Ever since directing my short film Lean on Him in 2015, in which a woman experiences a crisis of faith when her mother begins to develop dementia, I've devoted myself to exploring Christian faith on film in a challenging way and to depicting complex women of color on screen. I applied those same ideas to my newest film, Saturday Grace. I also wanted to explore how a single encounter can transform into a real, life-saving (or at least life-affirming) connection. I had to tell this story.
I should also add that I was at a point professionally where I was mainly working on the films of others (as an editor and/or colorist, usually). I had a bunch of half-formed ideas, but I often didn't have time to develop them. I knew that if I didn't start focusing on my own work more, I wouldn't be able to express my creativity fully. So, I made Saturday Grace.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you want to see a short (7 minutes) and moving story about faith, loss, friendship, and art, you should watch Saturday Grace. You should also watch Saturday Grace if you want to see more on-screen depictions of multifaceted female characters of color. Besides, who doesn't enjoy a good dance number? There are two in my film!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
One universal theme I have in mind is how humans connect in a meaningful way, especially when it's so easy to ignore everyone (particularly the marginalized) and be isolated. This idea of human connection connects to another big theme: art as a way to bring people together and to express belief (religious or otherwise). The art in this film is a dance; Iyana is a worship dancer at church, Lilah used to be a Broadway dancer. Iyana dances to bring herself closer to God, Lilah dances to recapture her glory days as a famous entertainer. They both love dance, so they become friends. Their shared art and what it means to them brings Iyana and Lilah together.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I first workshopped Saturday Grace as a screenplay. The feedback I received at Filmshop, the filmmaking community I'm a member of, was extremely helpful. I learned that I had to focus on the central story of dance and friendship between the two main characters while cutting out extraneous scenes and characters. I also had to add dancing so that the film was more visually appealing. I shot the film and edited a rough cut. When my producer showcased my rough cut in Filmshop, it was 17 minutes. The feedback was direct and honest. The runtime was too long for a simple story about dance and friendship. Specifically, there were plot points that took attention away from the main two characters. I also had to condense establishing shots and repetitive dialogue. In the end, I cut my short from 17 minutes to around 7 minutes.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far, the feedback has been positive. Many people found the story to be warm and inspiring. There was some confusion about the whether or not Iyana's husband is dead (he is) and if that's why she's depressed (partially). And others wanted to see actual flashbacks of Iyana with her husband while he was still living, just so that her grief was more tangible. But most people who watched the movie loved the central friendship and the dancing.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Even counting the feedback mentioned above, nothing yet has surprised or challenged my point of view. All feedback has been pretty reasonable.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We Are Moving Stories is a valuable resource when it comes to elevating new voices in film. By having my film more visible on this website, I'm joining a growing community of filmmakers and film-lovers who want to continue to support the craft. I want as many people as possible, both inside and outside the film industry, to experience this inspiring (but not cheesy) story and feel a strong emotional response.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
The next stage for my short film would be to appear in as many festivals as possible and to be publicized in publications and podcasts. So, I would need producers, distributors, film festival directors, and journalists to amplify this film's message. Also, I would need to connect to a PR manager who can help me build my brand as a filmmaker and as a business person; Saturday Grace was produced by my company Bowman Pictures LLC.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that Saturday Grace will be received as a strong short film that addresses faith, loss, and human resilience. It is also an addition to the larger conversation of inclusivity in film.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I would love for people to watch this film and ask themselves what in their lives makes them feel truly human and allows them to connect to other people.
Would you like to add anything else?
I want to give a big shout out to the Saturday Grace production team! You all worked a real miracle during the weekend shoot. Special thanks to my producers Jessica Wachtel and Casey Denaro. They helped so much with getting the crew and the gear needed. Paul Chernosky choreographed great dances in such a short timespan. Wendy Heagy and Natasha Walfall are talented actors and dancers.
To see the BTS photos and the names of everyone involved in the production, check out our Facebook page.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently working on two short film scripts: a thriller and a horror-comedy. Both are female-lead and contain Christian themes.
Interview: August 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
Saturday Grace
A young woman, filled with grief and struggling with her faith, forms an unexpected bond with a homeless lady via dance.
Length: 7:04
Director: Patrice D. Bowman
Producer: Patrice D. Bowman
Writer: Patrice D. Bowman
About the writer, director and producer:
PATRICE D. BOWMAN is a New York City-based filmmaker (director/writer/editor/colorist/etc). She graduated with a B.A. in Film Studies - Production from Yale University in 2015. Her first short, the award-winning Lean on Him, played in film festivals across the USA. Her next short film, Saturday Grace, is now being submitted into film festivals. Through Bowman Pictures LLC, PATRICE delivers high-quality yet affordable post-production services and also produces her own films.
Key cast: Natasha Walfall (Iyana), Wendy Heagy (Lilah)
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: Bowman Pictures LLC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bowman_pictures
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bowman_pictures/
Hashtags used: #dance #woc #faith #drama
Website: www.bowmanpicturesllc.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Bowman Pictures LLC
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Big Apple Film Festival / New York, NY - Wednesday, August 28, 2019 7:00 PM - 9:40 PM