Chicago Feminist Film Festival 2019 – Supermarket
A woman sneaks an olive in a supermarket and life as she knows it takes an unexpected turn with no way out.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Rhonda Mitrani
Watch Supermarket here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This topic was so close to my heart having given birth twice before making SUPER MARKET. This particular story about the whirlwind of the pregnancy industry in the form of a woman getting pregnant after eating an olive in a super market came to me on a scratch piece of paper one day. I had to make it!
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because you really need to understand why this woman feels trapped in this giant super market flooded with items she's supposed to buy but doesn't need. You also can't believe she just got pregnant from an olive. It's also kind of funny and a little surreal so you want to see where it's going in twelve minutes forty seconds.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I've had three pregnancies and one miscarriage in the last ten years. Lots of stories and characters were born from my personal journey. For the universal theme, we live in a digital age where there is so much information it can be at times, overwhelming. This story asks us to turn away from all of the external elements and just trust in our own path and our own intuition.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script was inspired by Eugene Ionesco's absurdist play The Rhinoceros so the dialogue was written in that vein but I rewrote it so it would become more accessible. There are still many layers, for example, the scenes were written in the five stages of grief. This is the most transformative moments in our life so while there is complete bliss, there is also grief. We lose a part of ourselves that we cannot reclaim. Production and post was an incredibly creative collaboration with such a talented team. I loved every second of seeing the film evolve.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Women who have been pregnant love it! Everyone else wants to talk about it some more too. It's for a very niche audience but in general, I have been grateful for nice reception from the art audience too. It's an art film on some level.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
People always have questions afterwards. Rather than view it as a story that needs clarity, I have come to embrace that this is what I aimed for: to talk about Jasmine's journey and what needs to change.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The more eyes that see this film, the better!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
It would be great for distributors, festival directors and journalists to partner up with this special film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Pregnancy and birth are epic events that need to be reprioritized in every arena of our lives. Healthcare and support structures need to be readjusted for all people, not just for those who have access. And I want people to remember to trust themselves more. Trust their intuition and lose the twitter feed.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What kind of pregnancy and birth is best for me? How many things am I supposed to subscribe to. Is it easier to have a natural birth with a midwife and have a doctor on stand-by or a C-section today?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for your interest in SUPER MARKET.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am writing a coming-of-age story that takes place in Miami. I am also researching a woman scuba diver who is a pioneer for how to help save our oceans.
Interview: February 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
Supermarket
A woman sneaks an olive in a supermarket and life as she knows it takes an unexpected turn with no way out.
Length: 12:40
Director: Rhonda Mitrani
Producer: Rhonda Mitrani
Writer: Rhonda Mitrani
About the writer, director and producer:
Filmmaker and video artist RHONDA MITRANI was born in Miami to Cuban and Argentinian parents. After studying film at the University of Michigan, Mitrani worked in post-production for Miramax Films. Her film and television work has been featured at the LA International Film Festival, Showtime and HBO Latino. Her first documentary, CUBA MIA, premiered with Miami International Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS. Mitrani has exhibited her video art with Dot Fifty One Gallery, Wynwood Art Fair, The Girl’s Club Collection, TRIAD in London and the Boca Museum of Art with her collaborative RPM Project. In 2013 Mitrani opened The Screening Room, a new-media non-profit space in Miami. In 2018, Mitrani wrote, coproduced and directed her first fiction film, Super Market, a short inspired by her experiences with pregnancy which is executive produced by Killer Impact, a division of Killer Content. She is currently writing a feature. This is her second script in fiction. Her first script which was a feature was invited to the NALIP Screenwriter's Lab and is currently in development.
FERNANDA ROSSI is an additional writer to this script. Internationally renowned writer and speaker Fernanda Rossi has collaborated for 15 years in more than 500 fiction scripts and documentaries, including two documentaries nominated for the Academy Award®.
Key cast: Heather Lind, Heléne Yorke, Katrina Morris
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: Supermarket short film
Instagram: @rhondamitrani
Website: rhondamitrani.com
Made in association with: Killer Content
Funders: Kickstarter
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Chicago Feminist Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival (not announced yet)