Washed
In this stop-motion horror short, a couple enlists the aid of a mysterious figure to help them with their seemingly insurmountable laundry problem.
Interview with Writer/Director Michael Bartolomeo
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made WASHED because the idea of a flesh-eating pile of laundry was too exciting not to bring to life on camera, and the pixilated, stop-motion style I had been applying for years was the perfect way of achieving these grotesque visuals.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Well, certainly a horror audience would be interested in viewing my film as there are a number of creepy moments and yes, some strong visceral body-horror imagery as well. But I do think non-genre fans could potentially appreciate it as well, particularly ones with an affinity for fantasy or science fiction.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
There are universal themes explored in the film, such as fear, loss of love, the inability to connect with someone, but instead of painting these with a broad brush I tried to convey them visually, and in a way that was also relatable. For example, the main couple in the film have become unable to communicate with one another, but instead of explicitly stating this with dialogue or movement, I used stop-motion to show their outfits changing rapidly within the span of several seconds and the discarded laundry piling up in the corner, representing unresolved tension. So that's totally relatable. We all have dirty laundry. And none of us really WANT to wash it but we know we have to.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We had a fairly uneventful journey through the writing process. It was a little bit of a tennis match, where I'd write the treatment, pass it along to my wife Megan (who also served as producer and production manager) who would punch it up a little, then back to me, then back to my writing partner and lead actor, Steve, and then eventually we had distilled the final product from the mass of stomped grapes, as it were.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mostly very positive! Particularly when it comes to the technique and practical FX. As far as the narrative goes, there has been a considerable amount of bewilderment from viewers and I will admit I was prepared for that.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I'm not sure the film has a point of view per se, at least not one that I intended. It sounds like bulls*** but it's true. I've really enjoyed being blindsided during Q&As by a question I didn't have an answer for, such as "who is the cloaked figure supposed to be?," or "why does the laundry pile come alive," both of which prompted me to sort of work through the answer live in front of an audience, which was probably pretty irritating to the person asking, haha. At the end of the day the film is a result of themes I had swirling around my head and I knew viewers were ultimately going to inject themselves and their own experiences into those themes
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Exposure is the key at this point. The more eyeballs, clicks, tags, shares, and mentions we get, the better, and my hope is that the WAMS community would find our film enjoyable!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
The film has been available to the public for nearly a year now through Slamdance and fortunately we no longer have a need for any additional financial backing or publicity, but I suppose you can't ever have too much of that!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
In today's overly content-saturated landscape, my only real goal is that viewers FIND the film, let alone view it in its entirety, however if someone does stumble onto it via the algorithm, I hope that they at least are entertained by it. My dream though, is that they like it enough to re-watch it and at that point some of the film's subconscious messaging is revealed to them.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I'd say the single most important thing I'd want viewers to ask is "how well am I communicating with someone I care about?" The central conflict of the film is the lack of communication between the man and woman on the bed, and their refusal to confront the problems in their relationship, leading to the physical manifestation of their emotional "dirty laundry." So I'd hope viewers come away from it thinking about how to avoid this emotional pile-up in the first place.
Would you like to add anything else?
Nothing, except that I am very happy and honored to have been profiled on We Are Moving Stories once again.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We actually are doing a third film in this trilogy (cheekily referring to it as the "Ed" trilogy, the first two films being SOLVED and WASHED) and it's called FED and it's currently in production now with an anticipated 2022 premiere. And then I have this fantasy of making a Cassavetes-inspired feature drama about aimless aging hipster dads in NYC and I want to shoot it on 16mm.
Interview: September 2021
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
Washed
Length:
8:42
Writer
Michael Bartolomeo & Stephen West-Rogers
Director
MICHAEL BARTOLOMEO is a NYC-based filmmaker who creates visually unique short films in a variety of genres.
Producer
Megan Kortvelesy
Key cast:
Stephen West-Rogers, Sergine Garraud, Lukas Hassel
Looking for:
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/TriangleFilmsNY
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/washedthemovie
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/triangle_films
Hashtags used:
#getwashed #washedmovie
More info:
Where can I watch it now?
WASHED is available to watch on The Slamdance Channel! Just visit