OMI
When he's ready to take the next step with his shiksa girlfriend, a young Jewish man gets possessed by the spirit of his dead Yiddish grandmother, OMI, who has plans of her own.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Adam Lebowitz-Lockard
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
When the pandemic hit I started doing something I had never really done before: I asked some Jews I knew what being Jewish meant to them. I spoke with friends, rabbinical students, fellow artists, and cousins and family members to get hear about their experiences, and discovered similarities that helped me to articulate things I had always thought about but didn’t know the words for, and differences that I empathized with.
But, unfortunately, I was faced with the fact that the people I wanted to talk to most, the foremost Jewish presences in my life, are no longer with us. My great-grandmother Mutti, who brought our family to the US from Germany in the 1930s, and with whom I share a birthday, passed away a long time ago. And then, so did her granddaughter, my mother, Katy. Finally, our last family matriarch, my grandma Omi, passed away as well.
It only occurred to me after she died that I wished I had had conversations with Omi about her life and experiences as a young German Jew first coming to America. What being Jewish must have meant to her during the Holocaust, and how her identity changed in this new land. I think often about how similar and different our attitudes and values might be, and where we might find a middle ground.
So I wanted to make something that started to open up this conversation a little bit about where these differences in Jewishness might be, and where we might have more in common than meets the eye. I also wanted to make something fun and warm and surprising, which I very much how I remember her.
This is for Omi.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because it's a warm-hearted Jewish exorcism comedy with a combo of Jim Carrey's physical comedy and Coen Bros' wit.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The personal and universal work in tandem in this film. At its core, this film is about two different generations testing and challenging one another, as the protagonist tries to figure out what traditions and pieces of culture to hold on to, and what to let go of.
This film premiered in Wichita, Kansas, and after the screening, an audience member told me as we were talking that this was the most time he had ever spent talking with a Jewish person. I asked him if he was able to relate to the film and its Jewish characters and he said: "Oh yeah, of course. Everyone's got a grandma."
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The biggest thing that changed the film was the score. Once I started working with the composer, Isaac Mailach, a lot of the editing and story shifted to go hand in hand with his terrific music compositions.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mostly positive! I've gotten a lot of feedback on how audience members are appreciative of the physical comedy parts of the film, and its sweet heart at its core. Physical comedy isn't really in vogue in the world of indie film which favors more intimate stories, so I think that presenting such an intimate story in a larger-than-life way has been appealing to audiences.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It's been really validating to hear folks of all backgrounds say that they have been able to relate to such a culturally specific story. That's been nice.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm thrilled to be included amongst such a dynamic, diverse array of stories and filmmakers who, like me, are mining their backgrounds and family histories to share specific, nuanced stories on film. And I'm hoping that folks interested in contemporary, Jewish, films will have a new film to check out!
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 distribution! Get at me distributors of the world!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I'd like it to make people laugh! And then maybe call their grandma.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think that this film sparks a great and ever-changing debate about what components of our family history, culture, and legacy, do we hold on to, and what do we let go of, and what lives inside of us that might be invisible to others.
Would you like to add anything else?
Don't hesitate to reach out if you want to check out the film!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Making OMI into a feature!
Interview: July 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
OMI
When he's ready to take the next step with his shiksa girlfriend, a young Jewish man gets possessed by the spirit of his dead Yiddish grandmother, OMI, who has plans of her own.
Length: 15:30
Director: Adam Lebowitz-Lockard
Producer: Adam Lebowitz-Lockard
Writer: Adam Lebowitz-Lockard
About the writer, director and producer:
ADAM LEBOWITZ-LOCKARD is an actor, filmmaker, and teacher based out of Los Angeles, and founder of OmiKatyMe, dedicated to telling Jewish stories with Passion, Joy, and Grace. He made his TV debut on FOX in The Pine Tar Incident, can be seen on The Shrink Next Door on Apple TV+, and has sketches on Funny Or Die with his sketch group Desperate Times. On stage his work has been seen at the Geffen Playhouse, Whitney Museum, Primary Stages, The Flea Theater, American Repertory Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival, Smith St. Stage, and countless theaters throughout Los Angeles. He is a Stage Raw Award winner for his work on How We're Different From Animals with the Élan Ensemble. He received his MFA in Acting from the University of Southern California.
Key cast: Adam Lebowitz-Lockard (Matt, Omi) , Ashley Eskew (Christina)
Facebook: Omikatyme
Twitter: @OmiKatyMe
Instagram: @omikatyme
Website: www.omikatyme.com
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Dances with Films/Los Angeles - June 27, 5pm