RACHEL RAMA
RACHEL RAMA follows Rachel as she navigates the blurry landscape of millennial dating and life in Los Angeles. Here we see the humble beginning of a woman who is a self described, “dating disaster”, who will eventually transform into one of the world's leading relationship coaches.
Interview with Actor/Writer/Producer Rachel Bennish
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! Well the idea of this pilot was actually born from a storytelling class my co-writer Michael-David Ker and I were in together. In the class, I would tell my funny and oftentimes cringeworthy stories about my dating life in Los Angeles. Michael was really inspired to bring these funny stories and my point of view to life. I think we were both itching for a project to work on and our shared sense of humor and creative partnership was a fun surprise to both of us. These stories bring a level of authenticity, humor and compassion to the blurry and frustrating landscape of millennial dating which I thought many audiences could appreciate.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because it’s fun and entertaining and brings a level of play and self compassion to places in our lives where we’re often asked to be the most vulnerable; like in dating and relationships.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Because RACHEL RAMA is semi-autobiographical, writing about my own love life and then getting feedback on it during the writing process from people who didn’t know me was really interesting. I would get feedback like, “It seems like Rachel doesn’t know what she wants.” And I was like ‘oof, you’re right about that.’ All of a sudden it brought a layer of self learning and compassion for myself and my past relationships that I hadn’t had before. It was like a free therapy session! It also made me realize people could relate to some of Rachel’s hangups and fears around not feeling good enough or the desire to belong. Beliefs that might hold people back from getting what they truly want in life.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Well my writing partner and director Michael-David Ker always told me there are three films you make. The one you write, the one you shoot and then one you edit. He could not have been more spot on when it came to this project. For example we had originally written this ‘TED talk’ character as a fantasy of Rachel’s. In her fantasy, she was not only a confident woman who knew what she wanted, but also a world famous relationship coach known as ‘The Relationship Whisperer’. We had so much fun filming the TED talk with this ‘fantasy’ version of Rachel that we played around with the idea of it not being a dream but actually her future self. We decided to try it out and it ended up shifting the whole premise of the show (for the better!).
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Overall we’ve received some good feedback from trusted friends and other filmmakers while still in the editing process. We were told we did a great job with casting which I have to say I agree with (and not just because I play the lead). We got super lucky and pulled a lot of our comedic actors from the Upright Citizens Brigade improv school in Los Angeles. One of our lead actors, Ahmed Alsawalhy, is a talented actor but was actually pretty far from how we had originally pictured Rachel’s love interest. When he auditioned though, he brought so much of his own unique personality and style to the character that we instantly fell in love with him.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
A lot of the initial feedback on the script was a concern that as the main character, Rachel didn’t have a strong enough drive or know what she wanted. She was seen as more of a reactionary character to the larger than life characters around her instead of driving her own ship. While this is a very good note for any pilot project, it was challenging to take because a lot of the premise of the series is around the growth and challenges that Rachel goes through to help discover what she truly wants and who she is. We took the note but stood by the premise to watch as Rachel learns (the hard way) what feels ok and doesn’t feel ok for her in her life.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Not only would I love to share the journey of RACHEL RAMA as she makes her premier into the world; I would love for all the talented actors and filmmakers who worked on it to have their moment to shine. From our director of photography Alex Alvarado to our composer Colton Weatherston Jr., there are so many talented people who worked on this show that I am rooting for. Comedy is a really hard genre to land and I think we had the perfect creative team to get us there.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We’re currently looking for a producer and showrunner who are a great fit and would want to sign on to help us pitch this series to networks.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
My biggest hope is that people laugh and find it funny! We did make a comedy after all. I think it’s a little nerve racking knowing the first time it’ll be screening in front of a live audience will be at its premier but I guess that’s the journey or a filmmaker right?
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
A key question I think will help begin a conversation is ‘What are some big things you've learned about yourself in your dating life or in your relationships?’
Would you like to add anything else?
Making RACHEL RAMA was both a dream come true for me and a huge learning process. As a comedian and writer I’ve always leaned pretty heavy on ‘write what you know’. Learning how to step into this character we’d created that was based on me while keeping some objectivity was a challenge. And this was my first film I’ve ever produced so I was so thankful to have my co-pilot and experienced filmmaker Michael-David Ker as the director and our producer Jeana Sullivan there to support along the way.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Our director and my co-writer Michael-David Ker is currently bringing his solo show BIRTHDAY to the Hollywood Fringe Festival June 5 - 12 2022. After an intense & painful year – losing both parents, then his home in the Woolsey fire – one man attempts to rise from the ashes and celebrate LIFE in a new way. This one-person show is a comic reexamination of what’s really important in life. It’s about holding onto humor, hope, and trusting that something bigger is at play, even in the midst of personal loss.
Interview: June 2022
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
RACHEL RAMA
Length:
26:22
Writer
RACHEL BENNISH is originally from Long Beach and graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s in Theatre Arts. She has a background in improv comedy from the Upright Citizens Brigade and began doing stand up five years ago. Last summer she starred in New Age, an indie comedy pilot presentation written and directed by Amir Baigmoradi that premiered at the Long Beach DIY Film Festival.
MICHAEL-DAVID KER is originally from Malibu and has a long history with indie filmmaking. His short film, “ANGRYMAN” won a prize at Slamdance and played at South-by-Southwest, New York Underground, and many more. His short "Never Date An Actress" starring Naomi Watts, was part of Slamdance’s $99 film program (where filmmakers made an entire film for $99). It screened at Slamdance and South-By-Southwest and was the catalyst to get him invited into the Fox Filmmaker's Lab.
Director
MICHAEL-DAVID KER is originally from Malibu and has a long history with indie filmmaking. His short film, “ANGRYMAN” won a prize at Slamdance and played at South-by-Southwest, New York Underground, and many more. His short "Never Date An Actress" starring Naomi Watts, was part of Slamdance’s $99 film program (where filmmakers made an entire film for $99). It screened at Slamdance and South-By-Southwest and was the catalyst to get him invited into the Fox Filmmaker's Lab.
Producer
A lover of the arts and execution, JEANA SULLIVAN spent 4 years working in development beside prolific director and mentor Jonas Åkerlund. Immersed in the filmmaking process from the ground up, Sullivan was an important asset to the director’s team on Netflix’s hitman thriller POLAR starring Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens, and Vice’s coming-of-age black metal film LORDS OF CHAOS, with Rory Culkin, Emory Cohen, and Jack Kilmer. Her extensive behind the scenes work includes music videos with today’s greatest artists and influencers such as Beyonce, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Kesha, U2, Pussy Riot, Taylor Swift and Queens of the Stone Age, to name a few. Sullivan is a consulting producer and visual content artist providing writers, directors, and producers with creative treatments that bring their stories and vision to life.
Key cast:
Rachel Bennish (Rachel Bennett), Hester Jean Lee (Sam), Ahmed Alsawalhy (Benny), Jocelyn Fee Miller (Gerturde), Steven Arce (Nico), Joshua-David Bishop (Forest), Joe Willand (Gift), Jeremy Weinreich (Ice Cream Worker), Monique Reymond (Anna), Christian Henley (Jackie), Madison Taylor (Sparrow Spirit)
Looking for:
producers
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/rachelramashow/
Hashtags used:
#rachelrama
More info:
Dances With Films/Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood - June 11, 2022 at 4:45PM