Julia Wuz Here
A little girl and her younger brother arrive at a motel with their junkie parents. The little girl tries to maintain what control she can and distract her brother from their parents’ actions. When the parents leave the children alone, a day of escapist play is disrupted by an accident. After the siblings go to bed, the little girl wakes up in the middle of the night to find her parents still gone and the future uncertain.
Interview with Writer/Director Samantha Silvay
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Production designer and dear friend Angela Simmons approached me about making a short film inspired by her childhood. We sat down together, and I listened to her stories. Rather quickly, I honed in on what would become Julia Wuz Here. After having written the script, we decided to dedicate the project to all the children who were forced to grow up too fast just like Angela herself. This message provided a clear purpose that the entire film-making team got behind and embodied throughout the process.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Julia Wuz Here is an intimate portrait of a child on the brink. It carefully dissects her day in the hopes of bringing attention to an often overlooked problem in our society. Having a childhood should not be a privilege, but it is one. Finding moments of play is not a prerequisite, but the resiliency of children allows for these moments even in the most trying of circumstances. However, these moments can be far from happily ever afters, and it is important to not lose sight of the bigger picture. Viewers should watch this film to engage with these topics both intellectually and emotionally.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The personal is at the forefront of this film. When a dear friend trusts you to tell their story, it imbues you with a sense of responsibility and an extra level of sensitivity to the subject matter. Beyond making a film that could embody her truth, there was a group consensus to make something universal that would resonate with and represent all the children who were forced to grow up too fast. This task requires an understanding of both the complexity and the contrasting simplicity of the situation at hand. To get inside the mind of a child who is forced to deal with so much yet also comes to understand it as commonplace was a unique challenge. This film is for Angela and for them, and I am beyond humbled to have been able to bring light to their often overlooked stories.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script did not undergo many drafts, so the day of filming was a big moment of development. Seeing actual children portray these scenes heightened the emotions behind them, and filming was an emotionally charged experience for all involved. The gravitas of the situation at the core of the script put a weight on all of our shoulders to do right by it.
The biggest development came during the last scene of the day. Originally, there was no moment that broke the fourth wall. However, when I saw the pure emotion on Leah's face as she acted out the scene as written, I just knew we had to get a shot of her looking straight at the camera inviting the viewer into her world unabashedly. The first time we all saw her stare into the camera spoke volumes. I was so certain of this moment that we only did one take as written before moving on to incorporating the breaking of the fourth wall. As a first-time director, it was really cool to see a momentary spark of inspiration on set turn into the pivotal moment of the whole film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been great to see how the film impacts viewers emotionally and makes them really think about the situation our protagonist Julia is encountering with. It has also been wonderful to see that our goal of making a film that represents children like Angela and the fictional Julia has touched people's hearts and opened their minds to an oft-overlooked discussion.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We set out to make an emotionally impactful film, but it has still been surprising to see how each viewer emotionally connects and interacts with the film in their own way. Some have been taken aback by the darkness of it all, and their stoic response sometimes even speaks louder than those who choose to open a dialogue up immediately after viewing the film. It can be challenging to get a quiet response, but the conversations that follow once those particular viewers have digested the content and are ready to finally speak about what they've seen have proven to be some of the most insightful.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are simply looking to bring more eyes to the film. I think the subject matter demands attention, and any opportunity to share our message with a wider audience is a privilege.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Sales agents, buyers, distributors, and film festival directors would of course be useful to amplify the film's reach. We would also welcome any journalists looking to further profile the film and/or speak with our team about the subject matter at hand, our take on it, and the message behind it all.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for this film to start a dialogue. I think the situation portrayed in the film is more commonplace than people understand, and it deserves to be a topic of discussion.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is childhood a privilege?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Angela Simmons (production designer) and I are currently developing a stop-motion short film that we plan on making over the summer.
After taking some time away from the script, I am currently completing my feature An Axe For The Frozen Sea, which I developed during the CannesFilm Writers Residency program.
Interview: February 2023
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
Julia Wuz Here
A little girl and her younger brother arrive at a motel with their junkie parents. The little girl tries to maintain what control she can and distract her brother from their parents’ actions. When the parents leave the children alone, a day of escapist play is disrupted by an accident. After the siblings go to bed, the little girl wakes up in the middle of the night to find her parents still gone and the future uncertain.
Length: 5:52
Director: Samantha Silvay
Producer: Monk Henshaw
Writer: Samantha Silvay
About the writer, director and producer:
SAMANTHA SILVAY received her M.F.A. in Screenwriting from AFI. After her pilot The Great Bridge's successful stint of being hosted on the Black List, she was chosen to be a part of the 2021 CannesFilm Residency program. Her scripts are female-driven, world-building focused, and play with societal expectations and perceptions.
MONK HENSHAW is a Bay Area native turned LA transplant who spends her free time making comedic shorts and writing sketches! She loves abstract art house films and experimental music so much that she majored in both during her undergrad at Mills College (2012). After 6 years in the industry working at various docuTV and indie film companies (including a nice stint at Pixar), she went back to school. She honed her comedic voice at the Harold Ramis Film School via The Second City Chicago (2017), creating 50+ shorts (varying quality). Hot Air screened at the Minneapolis Mini and The Replacements had critical film festival success screening at 40+ film festivals internationally and winning best picture, best lead actor, and best VFX at a substantial number of those festivals.
Key cast: Leah Scott (Julia/Big Sister), Bodhi Riggio (Little Brother)
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, journalists, film festival directors and buyers
Instagram: @the_samcam_
Funders: Self-Funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
DCIFF/Washington D.C. - March 1st-5th
HRIFF/Los Angeles, CA - February 23rd - March 3rd