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Your new movie Heart
Wreck - in a few words, what is it about?
When
a girl washes up on the beach it's unclear how she got there, but one
thing is certain, she is suffering from a broken heart.
What
were your sources of inspiration when writing Heart
Wreck, and (at least on a metaphorical level) is any of this based
on personal experience? Heart
Wreck is a poetry short. The words are meant to compliment the images,
but not necessarily illustrate them. The poem is about betrayal,
heartache, and feeling utterly lost, and yes, it's inspired by real
experience. When I wrote it, I had no idea it would become a short film,
but some art comes from such a deep place that the
artistic expression begs to be born until we, as dutiful artists, do
everything in our power to bring it to life. So, in that sense, once the
idea and visuals came to me, I had to see it through. I was very lucky
to work with Big Tree Films on this. I couldn't have done it without
Manx Magyar (DP), Isabelle Caplan (PM), and Geoff Bassett (colorist).
With Heart
Wreck being a micro-short, clocking in at just 1 minute 30, what
are the special challenges of making this short a movie?
We
had about 4 mins of usable footage, so selecting the shots that best
told the story was a challenge. But we knew going into it that Heart
Wreck was a micro short, because I had pitched it as that. The poem had
been recorded and mixed months before we actually shot the film. So when
it came time to edit, we already had our audio. You
just have to talk about that beach where Heart
Wreck was filmed, and what was it like filming there?
Heart
Wreck was filmed in thirty degree weather at Nauset Beach in Orleans,
MA., and Chatham Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, MA. Both locations were
selected for various reasons. Orleans has big scenic waves that would
make for a convincing shipwreck narrative, and Chatham had the historic
beach hut. Filming on these beaches was an amazing experience. We were
all very cold, but Cape Cod is such a beautiful place, we knew it would
be worth it to suffer a little for the art. How
would you describe the overall look and feel of your movie?
Manx
is an incredible cinematographer. He makes everything he shoots look
like a painting. And I would describe the film that way, too. The colors
are very vibrant, thanks to the natural beauty of the sky and sea, and
Geoff Bassetts' amazing coloring. I suppose the beauty of the landscape
juxtaposed by the pain in the poem gives the film a sad quality, but
that was very much intended.
You're
also the only actress to appear in front of the camera in Heart
Wreck - so what did you draw upon to bring your character to life,
and have you written her with yourself in mind from the get-go?
I've
told a few friends I didn't dare hire a real actress to do this because
of the freezing temperatures, but that's not entirely true. I always saw
myself in the role, mainly because I wrote the poem and it's such a
personal one. It was very cathartic for me to make this film--it brought
up all the old pain again. But sometimes you need to revisit old
heartache just to recognize how far you've come in the healing process. With
Heart Wreck having
been entirely conceptionalized and shot during the times of Covid, did
that at all inform the making of your movie?
Covid
played a huge role. I doubt this idea ever would have come to me if we
hadn't been in quarantine at the time. But that's the silver lining!
Covid has forced so many of us to think in new creative ways about our
art. If this film inspires even one frustrated filmmaker to get out
there and make something, I'll be happy. What can
you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
Did
I already mention we shot this film in thirty degree weather? It was
really cold. We probably should have waited for warmer temps, but we had
already put this film off for so long that I think we were all just
ready to get it made. And the on-set atmosphere with Manx and Izzi is always second to none. We laughed a lot. Mostly at ourselves for how
dumb we were to shoot a movie on the beach, in the ocean, during the
middle of winter. The
$64-question of course, where can Heart
Wreck be seen?
Heart
Wreck is on all Big Tree
and GR Films streaming platforms:
YouTube,
Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo. Make sure you check us out online!
https://vimeo.com/512056869
Any future projects you'd like to share?
My
1930s short, Dessert, starring Samantha McMahon and Paul Kandarian, is
in post production right now, and Big Tree
just launched its new website
at
https://www.bigtreevideo.com.
Follow both of us on social media to stay up to date on everything we're
doing.
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Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else? https://www.facebook.com/GabrielleRossonFilms
Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Heart
Wreck is lovingly dedicated to the man with the lantern who carries my
soul, my husband, Kris Salvi [Kris
Salvi interview - click here]. Thanks
for the interview!
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