LʻApprenante (The Learner)
L’Apprenante (the learner), an American student in Paris, takes French classes to experience the culture, even though her accent is tragic. At a party, she meets La Femme (the woman), but struggles to communicate her interest as she grapples with the language barriers and coming to terms with her queerness. Can she overcome her self-doubt, commit to improving her French, and make a move with La Femme? Impossible n’est pas français.
Interview with Director Angelique Kalani Axelrode
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
L’Apprenante is basically about my experience being a “baby gay” and how awkward and vulnerable I felt during this queer stage of development. It felt like trying to learn a new language, one as intimidating as French, without any written instruction. I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing, being “too straight”, or, god forbid, being rejected, that I couldn’t get out of my head. It was like trying to immerse yourself in language class but refusing to commit to the accent for fear of embarrassment. Long story short: it doesn’t work. There is no growth without vulnerability. That seemed to be my biggest lesson of 2022 when I wrote the short. I was living with a family friend in Paris at the time and felt like I was rediscovering myself- yes, I am admitting to the “abroad changed me” cliché. But living abroad really did push me out of my comfort zone; I never would have decided to take French classes if I wasn’t living in Paris and wanted to hide my American identity. Stumbling over my words in class with fellow expats and blushing after pronouncing “de rien” totally incorrectly made me feel like the self-conscious “baby gay” I used to be. It took me back to my humble beginnings, and I realized that girl who used to “gay panic” all the time still lives inside me. So, I wrote this film for her and all the other baby queer people out there.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To remind yourself to be vulnerable and put yourself out there!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Vulnerability is a big theme in the film. It draws parallels between the process of learning a new language, where embracing vulnerability and relinquishing reliance on your native tongue are essential. Similarly, stepping into your queerness entails venturing into uncharted territories and liberating yourself from societal expectations and heteronormative narratives. It's like starting from scratch and learning a new language. Embracing authenticity, committing to growth, and being unafraid of stumbling along the way are crucial elements in both journeys.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film and script were made pretty quickly because I had a limited amount of time living in Paris (a family friend and fellow filmmaker generously let me stay at his place for free). My Bolex camera we used was broken at the time (unbeknownst to me), so we had to heavily improvise in post-production and ended up using some footage our main actor, Tatiana Ringsby, caught on their camcorder. I also did a reshoot in LA with the main actor for one scene, so our second editor Jacqui Carriere, worked a lot of magic to incorporate all the new footage.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We are just starting to show the film to audiences, so eager to start receiving feedback soon!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I hope to get peopleʻs stories about going abroad / embracing their queerness to broaden my perspective on the subject matter.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Connecting with people!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Distributors and film festival directors! I am also developing the concept into a feature-length script because there is something about studying abroad that brings out peopleʻs queerness. I have never seen anything about it and there is so much content there.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I want to hear peopleʻs feedback on what it was like for them stepping into their queerness and hope this film can inspire people to continue to be vulnerable and open to learning new things about their sexuality/identity.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How are the processes of learning a new language and coming into your queerness similar?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently a TRADES AiR Resident at Aupuni Space in Oʻahu and am in pre-production for an experimental film and live performance titled "Mapping Memories of Land and Lineage on Maui." I am really interested in challenging conventional storytelling practices and want to play around with how we present films and engage with audiences.
The experimental short film will blend abstract visuals, movement, narrative storytelling and incorporate digital, 8mm, 16mm footage to capture the non-linear and non-chronological nature of memories; and the immersive, live projection performance will challenge traditional storytelling methods, utilizing the interplay of film and dance to create an interactive viewing experience.
Interview: June 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
L’Apprenante (the learner)
L’Apprenante (the learner), an American student in Paris, takes French classes to experience the culture, even though her accent is tragic. At a party, she meets La Femme (the woman), but struggles to communicate her interest as she grapples with the language barriers and coming to terms with her queerness. Can she overcome her self-doubt, commit to improving her French, and make a move with La Femme? Impossible n’est pas français.
Length: 7:00
Director: Angelique Kalani Axelrode
Producer: Angelique Kalani Axelrode, Hannah Fishlow, Cordelia Hare, Caytha Jentis (Consulting Producer)
Writer: Angelique Kalani Axelrode
About the writer, director and producer:
ANGELIQUE KALANI AXELRODE is an award-winning filmmaker/activist who received her B.S. from Vanderbilt University in '21. She leverages film as a medium for self-discovery while exploring the indigenization and queering of storytelling in her work. In 2023, she was selected as one of four Native Hawaiian women representing the new generation of narrative cinema in Hawaiʻi for the Asian Film Archives program in Singapore, and her short films have been screened internationally at Academy Award Qualifying festivals. Notably, her short film Esmé placed in the top 25 of the Straight 8 Film Competition and screened at the British Film Institute in May ‘23. She recently presented her short film, A Tale of Two Sisters, inspired by the moʻolelo of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, at the Native American Indigenous Scholars Association conference in Tkaronto. The short will also be available on Hawaiian Airlines from August to October 2023.
CAYTHA JENTIS is a former literary agent. She has written, produced and directed a number of award-winning features including Bad Parents starring Janeane Garofalo, Cheri Oteri, Christopher Titus and Kristen Johnston (Cinedigm), And Then Came Love starring Vanessa Williams and Eartha Kitt (Warner Bros), and The One starring Jon Prescott (TLA Releasing). She has an MFA from UCLA in screenwriting and a BS in TV/Film from Syracuse University. She is a member of the Producers Guild and NYWIFT.
HANNAH FISHLOW graduated from UC Berkeley’s Media Studies Honors program in 2021 where her love for film and producing grew. She is currently participating in the prestigious NBCUniversal Page Program on the East Coast and holds past experience in the industry previously interning in Film & TV Development for Kamala Films and most recently, for Film Movement as a Distribution Intern. When not creating or consuming media, she loves to critique it; Hannah recently published
her first editorial piece, “Nepotism Babies and Tik Tok Darlings, Live from New York it’s Saturday Night” for the Kollection, and is in the process of publishing her research “As Seen on TV”: Social Responsibility in Controversial Television Representations as regulated by an online public sphere. She also recently successfully completed FUTURE NOW's highly selective entertainment mentorship program. Her blossoming career in the film industry is guided by her desire to tell quality stories that matter, and that have yet to be told in such a way or by these voices.
CORDELIA HARE grew up in the Philadelphia area where her intrinsic curiosity always led her to seek out new experiences and challenges. Whether it was moving to Italy in high school for a year or attending university in the UK, Cordelia feels most alive when stepping out of her comfort zone and learning more about the world little by little. She is currently doing a Masters in Media, Communications and Creative Industries at Sciences Po Paris and has hopes of entering the film industry, especially in Paris, one of the film capital of the world. Just as L’Apprenante is learning a new language in the film, Cordelia has been learning the process of creating a work of film and has enjoyed every minute of it.
Key cast: Tatiana Ringsby (actor)
Looking for: distributors
Instagram: @angiaxe, @babyqueerz
Website: angeliqueaxelrode.com
Funders: Crowd sourced
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Frameline June 18 - New Parkway Theatre in Oakland
Dances With Films June 24 - TCL Chinese Theatre