These Games We Play
A man goes on a quest across New York City at night: one that risks tearing his fantastical reality apart.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Mike Klubeck
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film for a variety of reasons. It was a year since Covid began, a year since I graduated from film school, and a year since I came out of the closet, and was itching to direct another project exploring the phase I was at in my life. I knew I wanted to make a film that was more experimental to break out of my comfort zone, and it really took its shape when I found the song "Enola Gay". I love how music can complement film, and wanted to do an entire short film set behind the backdrop of a song.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I believe you should watch this film because it's fairly unpredictable, and takes you on an interesting, fun, and emotional ride in less than 7 minutes. If you do end up watching it and love it from the beginning, you'll love it until the end. However, if you start watching, and a few minutes in you're not vibing with the tone, I'd give it a chance and watch until the end because there are definitely a few twists throughout that all lead to an exhilarating climax.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Ultimately this film is about the duality that exists within all of us. There is a person we portray externally, to others, and to the world, which is often contradictory to who we actually are. Too often many of us live a life of quiet desperation, where we desperately want to change our circumstances and branch out beyond our comfort zone, but are too scared to take the risk and make those changes out of fear of failure or not being accepted. These universal themes of duality, personal identity, acceptance, and risk are deeply rooted within this film and all my other work up until this point. They are themes I continue to explore in my future endeavors.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script originally started out a bit more abstract. I wasn’t too sure of the narrative in the beginning, and I had originally intended it to be more of an experimental mood piece as opposed to a more direct narrative. In the end, I found a middle ground between the two, making the ending more personable and direct in its telling.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I’ve received great feedback. I have much intention when crafting a story for how I want the audience to feel at each beat as the story unfolds. However, by the time I’m done working on a film; after shooting it and looking at footage and edits for hours, it’s impossible for me to judge how an outside audience will see and interpret the story. It’s always the most heartwarming for me when I hear a viewer felt each moment and each beat in the way I intended. Most of the feedback for this film has been that, which to me, makes it feel like I succeeded.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I have had some instances receiving feedback where the viewer had different interpretations of the film than I had envisioned, but that doesn’t bother me and it usually fascinates me to hear how differently the film can be received by different types of people.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’m inspired by the mission of We Are Moving Stories, and it’s such an incredible place to find a true representation of my current generation’s artistic talent. It’s really an honor to be featured, and all I would hope to achieve with my film's visibility on the platform is the opportunity to connect with other talented filmmakers who are either also featured, or just happened to find and connect with my work through the site.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope the message people take away from this film is that complexities lie beneath the surface of all of us. What is being displayed on the outside can be drastically different than what a human is internally struggling with, whether it be relationship issues, questioning of sexuality, identity crisis’s, anxiety, imposter syndrome, etc. Ultimately, nothing good comes from living life as a facade, and I have learned that true freedom and happiness can only come from self-acceptance.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The main question the film asks is this: Is it better to live a life of discontent and dishonesty but with comfort, safety, and familiarity, or is it better to settle for less, take the risk, and live the life you know you’re truly meant to live?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently in the development of my debut feature film, Photocopy, a psychological horror film that follows an aspiring photographer who begins to lose his grip on reality when he spots a mysterious doppelganger roaming the streets. My producers and I are beginning to finance and plan to enter casting by the end of the year, with production taking place in 2024. If you'd like to learn more about that project you can check out my website page: https://www.mikeklubeck.com/photocopy
Interview: November 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
These Games We Play
A man goes on a quest across New York City at night: one that risks tearing his fantastical reality apart.
Length: 6:48
Director: Mike Klubeck
Producer: Mike Klubeck, Harrison Allen, Bre Kelly
Writer: Mike Klubeck
About the writer, director and producer:
MIKE KLUBECK is a New York City-based film director. During his time attending NYU Tisch, he wrote and directed two successful short films. His junior year short film, I-O, was an official selection for the BIO-FICTION Science Art Film Festival and was screened in Vienna in 2019. His senior thesis film, All Night Long, got a Remi Award from the Houston International Film Festival. He graduated from NYU with a BFA in Film/TV Production in May 2020. His latest short film released in 2021, These Games We Play, was nominated for Best Experimental Short Film at the 2022 NFFTY Film Festival and had its New York Premiere at the 2023 NewFest Film Festival. In addition to his narrative experience, he has directed a variety of music videos and commercials. He is currently in the development of his first feature film, Photocopy.
Key cast: D'Andre McKenzie, Janelle Yull, Malcolm Young
Instagram: @m.klubeck
Website: www.mikeklubeck.com
Other: Vimeo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Streaming online on Vimeo!