Amazon Prime 2019 – This Is How
A woman tries to allow herself intimacy and normalcy in a budding relationship while trying to hide her unique form of self-harm.
Interview with Writer/Producer/Actor Paulina Lagudi
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film for a variety of reasons. The practical reason is that I wanted to better my filmmaking skills to transition into writing, producing, and directing. Instead of making a fun comedy or easy to swallow, enjoyable story, I decided to write a story based on my own journal entries. My journals dealt with self-harm, masks, and protecting myself against letting other people see me. So, I figured if I was going to go into this filmmaking thing, I might as well take a risk and get real vulnerable.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We all struggle to show who we really are to people, especially people we want to be romantically involved with. I've always been fascinated with how we use sexual experiences to communicate instead of words, and I think this film can be an interesting time for audiences to reflect on how and when they've done or do this in their own lives.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I've never burned myself with cigarettes, but I suffered from an eating disorder for seven years. I remember so many times I would want to tell someone or be ready to tell the person I'm dating, but when it came to it, I would hide it. I would put myself in the position of dominance instead of vulnerability and make sure the other person was vulnerable to me. I would do this in many emotional ways, and decided to show it in a sexual way in the film. My personal story isn't unique. It's universal: "What helped us survive as children is our demise as adults."
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script was originally 12 pages. The final draft is one and a half pages and ended up being an 11 minute short.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Wow. Haha, that's usually the response. It's pretty confronting, so I think it takes people a second to digest it after they watch. Some very kind feedback has been that it's a very mature film in that we don't use many words at all and yet the message comes across quite clearly.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think I've been thankful for the feedback from people that relate to the story or felt deeply moved. It's not a film that makes you cry. It's not a film that paints a pretty picture. I think I'm always surprised when audiences like or feel connected to something I made. That's why I do this, though.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Vulnerable conversations. That's all I ever want when it comes to filmmaking. I just want us to all own our s**t and talk about it. I think it creates a sense of empathy for others that we need more than ever as well as makes us more self-aware.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Journalists for sure. The film has had its festival run. Holly Shorts was so gracious to have us and was a great platform for the film. I think the increase of press and journalism around short films, especially female filmmakers, has been great.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Any type. The worst thing that can happen is you feel nothing at all.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I have no idea lol. There are too many to pick one but also I don't if any will spark a debate. I guess I could maybe think that the way Ben's character ends up naked in front of a fully clothed Sam is indicative of how she's stripped him down in order to not expose herself. It's a form of deflection. So the question may be 'do you do this with your partner?'
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for the interview and for watching.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are all working on more and more films, short and feature.
Interview: June 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
This Is How
A woman tries to allow herself intimacy and normalcy in a budding relationship while trying to hide her unique form of self-harm.
Length: 11:00
Director: Brian White
Producer: Paulina Lagudi
Writer: Paulina Lagudi
About the writer, director and producer:
BRIAN WHITE is a Chapman University graduate. He is a union first assistant camera that has worked on multiple films and commercials. He has directed independent music videos as well as short films.
PAULINA LAGUDI is a Chapman University graduate. She's written multiple short films as well as feature films. Her first feature film, Mail Order Monster, can be found on streaming platforms as well as Showtime. She has since been hired to write a true-story feature film by a major production company. Paulina has produced multiple forms of content with her original company Jax Productions, which has since been changed to Say Little Productions. She produced the feature film Mail Order Monster and has since created a course called The Producer Bootcamp for filmmakers to do exactly what she did in taking their scripts to screen.
Key cast: Paulina Lagudi (Sam), Tim Fox (Ben)
Facebook: Say Little Productions
Twitter: @saylittleprods
Instagram: @paulinalagudi
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? https://www.boyish.media/paulina-lagudi-content