A delusional woman desperately clings to an abandoned skating rink and her memories of it.

Interview with Writer/Director Mary Dauterman

Watch White Rock Skate on the filmmaker’s website

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

My co-writer Jenny and I found out our childhood skating rink in Texas was for sale a few years ago. We joked about buying it but decided to make a short film about it instead. RIP White Rock Skate.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

If you are into cringe comedy or find failure funny, you should watch this.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

A theme that started to emerge was how an obsession with the past can close you off from living in the present. White Rock Skate is a tragic comedy about one woman’s failure to grow and change.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

This was my first short, and it went through so many changes and rewrites from when Jenny and I conceived of it to the day before shooting. Blair Beeken, our lead (who is an amazing improviser) also developed the character in incredible ways. And editing felt like a massive rewrite. Every tweak and change got the story closer to its essence—the alienating journey of this hopeless character against the world. It was a great and vast learning experience to make this film!

What type of feedback have you received so far?

“That was … so sad” or maniacal laughter.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

It is definitely appealing to a specific type of humor. It can put some people on edge, and have other people or bursting out laughing despite themselves. (My mom thought it was “very weird.” But she may have been distracted by her own performance as an extra.)

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

It would be cool if more people discovered/checked out my work!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Would love to talk to festival directors and journalists about White Rock Skate! I’m also always looking for crew and collaborators in New York and Texas.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope people find and enjoy this film! It makes me laugh, I hope it makes you laugh, and Blair Beekan is a national treasure. Just trying to do my part to convince the world that women are funny.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Are roller skates a proper mode of transportation?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Jenny and I wrote a short film that is a comedy horror with a bonkers dance sequence and ~supernatural~ elements. I’m directing it and she will be acting in it alongside some of our favorite Brooklyn comedians. We shoot in July.

Interview: May 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

White Rock Skate

A delusional woman desperately clings to an abandoned skating rink and her memories of it.

Length: 7:40

Director: Mary Dauterman

Producer: Alex Luprete

Writer: Mary Dauterman & Jenny Donheiser

About the writer, director and producer:

MARY DAUTERMAN is a director and multidisciplinary artist. She is an ADC Young Gun and her various work and projects have been recognized by The Webbies, The New York Times, NPR, Vice, and CNN. Her short films have screened at Maryland Film Festival, Nitehawk Shorts Festival, Cinequest, Florida Film Festival, Calgary Underground, Rooftop Films, and NoBudge. Mary is originally from Texas, attended the University of Texas in Austin, and now lives in Brooklyn.

JENNY DONHEISER is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she studied Drama at the Atlantic Acting School and Stonestreet Studios. She is a graduate of the Improv and Sketch programs at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade and a founding member of the Pipeline Theatre Company. Jenny has written and starred in several short films, webseries, and sketches which have been featured on Splitsider, Vulture, No Budge, Jezebel, and Huffington Post.

ALEX LUPRETE is an Austin-based producer and filmmaker working in the narrative and commercial space. He graduated from UCLA's Professional Program in Screenwriting and was a Pitch Finalist and Second Rounder at the Austin Film Festival.

Key cast: Blair Beeken

Looking for: sales agents, distributors, film festival directors, journalists

Twitter: @whatsfordunch

Instagram: @whatsfordunch

Hashtags used: #whiterockskate

Website: whiterockskate.persona.co

Other: Vimeo

Funders: Self-funded