Jules has a big goal for her birthday and an even bigger obstacle to overcome: herself.

Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Geena Pietromonaco

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! Truthfully, I wanted to give myself something to do! I hit that point that I think a lot of actors hit, where you're just waiting for someone to give you a job. So I wanted to give myself a job! And I figured this journey in women's health that I experienced was odd enough that it'd be interesting but also relatable enough that some folks could really resonate with it. I hadn't seen a ton of stories quite like this and thought it may have space somewhere!

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

I think generally we should watch movies to feel less alone and to help make sense of our own experiences. So I hope people watch this film for that feeling! Jules' condition is awfully specific but I think we all can relate to moments where we feel like our own worst enemy. And I hope it makes you laugh and/or google something after!

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Vulnerability sort of reigns as the key theme of our movie. Watching a character struggle so intensely to be someone she's not and how being dishonest with yourself in an attempt to be "normal" and accepted can lead to an even greater sense of isolation. Just love yourself! Be patient and honest about your needs!

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

The film started as a pilot and will hopefully return to a series format (*wink wink* if anyone's interested!) in the future. We had initially set out to film the pilot episode and try to shop around a little but quickly realized that shooting a 30+ page script would be a real strain on resources! So we synthesized some of the key elements of season 1 into this short film. And I really love it!

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Quite positive! Which is a huge relief especially since we've worked on it for so long and it's based on my life! Despite a few rejections from festivals, people who have watched it seemed to really enjoy it.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I think the thing that surprised me was that many folks have said "When do we get to see more?!" That was absolutely a goal of ours, to make something that someone would want to see more of and get to return to the series plan. But I've been delighted to hear people actually say that want more! And it's really wonderful to have people come to me and say that they had experienced or a friend of theirs had experienced a similar situation.

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

The more eyes the better! I'm a firm believer in telling anyone who's willing to listen what you're up to and what your goals are. I really hope that with this I can connect to more people, especially women, in film and collaborate in the future.

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

I hadn't thought this much! Film festival directors would be great. Journalists too. But producers and buyers that may want to develop it into a series, we're happy to see ya!!!

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

Just getting people to watch it is such a wonderful accomplishment! Hopefully, it inspires people to share any experiences that they're feeling ashamed of. I hope people get a kick out of it. I hope we can talk about our reproductive organ issues with greater ease. Brene Brown says that "shame flourishes in the dark" and I hope that by putting my story in the light, others may feel inspired to do the same.

Behind the scenes of Impenetrable - Taylor (Assistant Director) & Danny (DP) game plan

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

Oooh, that's a good question. How do we embrace the "shameful" parts of ourselves and remove the shame element from them entirely? Why is it still so taboo to talk about our bodies, specifically our sex parts?

Would you like to add anything else?

I'm really grateful to have this opportunity! I hope y'all get to see our movie and I hope you like it!

Interview: May 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

Impenetrable

Jules has a big goal for her birthday and an even bigger obstacle to overcome: herself.

Length: 19:28

Director: Geena Pietromonaco

Producer: Thomas Ackles

Writer: Geena Pietromonaco

About the writer, director and producer:

GEENA PIETROMONACO is from Redmond, WA, and is based in Seattle currently. She has written sketches and things in the past but this is her first attempt at writing a short film. She's so happy to see this super personal story come to life! This is also Geena's first attempt at directing a short film and is extremely grateful to the crew for bringing amazing ideas and making this film better than she could have hoped.

THOMAS ACKELS is a producer from Seattle, Washington and Co-Founder of Offbeat Films, the production company for Impenetrable the short film.

Key cast: Geena Pietromonaco (Jules & Voice of Dilator), Annie Barry (Marge), Matt Vergara (Dale), Jessica Clement (Puppeteer)

Looking for: film festival directors and distributors

Instagram: @impenetrabletheshortfilm

Hashtags used: #seattlefilm #seattleshortfilms #shortfilm #offbeatseattle #womeninfilm #womenshealth

Website: www.impenetrablefilm.com

Funders: Seed&Spark

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Seattle International Film Festival - May 18th during the Sound Visions segment at the SIFF Cinema Uptown
Online for the Seattle International Film Festival - May 22nd through the 29th