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Your new movie Last
Words - in a few words, what is it about?
A woman decorates a box as therapy to cope from a nasty breakup. This
film was shot for Campus Movie Festival and it won top 16 of 44+ films
submitted. Is any
of your movie based on personal experiences, and have you ever tried box
therapy on yourself (and how did it go)? I had to do it to
shoot the film yeah. Before I shot the film I wanted the box to be
prepared. I wanted to get down all of my thoughts and feelings on the box
first to capture the realism and raw emotion of the story because yes, it
is based on a real experience and how I feel about someone I thought I was
deeply in love with. Even today it's a struggle, but every time I fall
back into it, I just pause and remember. The fact is I was in love with an
idea of who I thought he was. I never really knew what kind of person he
was. And he didn't deserve a sliver of who I am. Everything in the film
has a story... I wanted that subtext in there. I wanted it to be known how
I feel because I felt robbed of my last words. But you're not gonna rob me
of my last words. It was fun to decorate the box though, and now,
Dominique can say she's tried box therapy too. She seemed to really enjoy
it. I know as a woman I can be judged for making films like this because
women get the whole "crazy, angry black woman" card held against
them when they make content like this but I don't care. Men can do it and
it's okay. So I can too. I like to push the envelop and say exactly what I
want and need to say. I did it with Monae's Room and I'm doing it with
Last
Words too. Women have the right to be hurt and angry and we have the
right to turn it into art and tell our story without being judged for it.
I'm not apologizing for its content and I'm not apologizing for being
honest in this interview either.
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Other sources
of inspiration for both story and style of Last
Words?
Everyone that knows me knows I love Drake.
There's this song of his, Madonna off his If You're Reading
This It's Too Late album. I love many of the songs off that album, My
Side, Star67, Preach, Wednesday Night Interlude, and the first 6 or so
songs. When I listened to Madonna though, I dont know... the general
premise of Last Words just came to mind! My interpretation of
Madonna was
okay, so he is confused, unable to commit, but is apparently still
obsessing over a woman (when you read the lyrics). I thought to myself
whoa... this kinda sounds like me pre-March: Unable to commit to a man you
love for good reason, but still can't let him go. In the song Drake sounds
exhausted, probably emotionally and mentally. I pictured Drake in the song
to be psychologically unstable to be obsessing over this woman the way he
was. Box therapy is something I made up on a whim for the film. I thought
it was creative, different and frankly well... funny. I used low key
lighting, wanted it to be dark and fit the song in the film. I also wanted
a lot of movement. Unstable lovers can make you psychologically unstable
so I don't judge and I love Drake's music, his style and the fact that he
tackles inner conflict and love woes in his music. That song is kind of
sad, sadistic and powerful to me and I wanted to do a film inspired by it,
and at the same time close a regretful chapter of my life but in a
productive and therapeutic manner. Cue my last words of the film.
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You just have to talk about your movie's
soundscape, and your combination of words and music for a bit! Again,
I wanted to look for a song that had Madonna's dark, sadistic
hip hop atmosphere, so I searched for music on Jamendo.com and found that
instrumental you hear in the film. It was exactly what I needed, it fit
perfectly to the atmosphere of the film. I loved it so much I bought the
license. I know exactly how the "man" in the film should speak
and what he would say, and how, so I recorded the voiceovers. I had a
blast recording those. I edited my voice to make me sound like a man. I
was laughing while I was recording the male section because he sounds so
ridiculous and childish.
Everything I uttered as the man in the film, I was told in real life.
After everything I had sacrificed and gone through because of a particular
person, the person had the nerve to tell me we didn't have a real or big
relationship. And that was the last of that. I can't imagine how another
woman would have reacted if having been treated that way. Me, I made the
film and laughed at the foolishness. It's basically me saying,
"Forget everything? Forget what exactly?" This was my attitude
while recording those. Women need to realize when they're way too good for
a man and learn to brush it off. Some will try to hurt you not once but
twice, and go on about their life afterwards. If you have self-respect you
can rise from it and never give them a chance to screw you ever again. I
turned an evil situation and rage into comedy and art. What you hear in
the film is down on paper but most of that is impromptu/on the spot dialog
for the most part. That whole interaction you hear, with the music, that
is my most favorite thing about the film; that entire song. You could
actually just roll your window down and blast this song while driving
through a suburban street somewhere if you want to.
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What can you tell us about your "box" as such, and its creation?
All
we needed was a box and markers to produce the film. Box therapy is
something I made up for cinema's sake, but I still have the box and plan
on keeping it as a souvenir for having shot the film. I'm here to be
honest about my work: shooting this film helped me so much. When you go
through things you think you'll be depressed or angry forever not
realizing you're young - very young, and unfortunate circumstances that
inspire art like Last Words
will only be a distant memory
10-20 years from now. I didn't realize it when I shot the film but I'm
thankful that I have my whole life ahead of me, and can sleep at night
knowing I've been a great person to everyone who've come across me. When
people watch this film I want them to relate, but to also realize okay
look... you're young, and have your whole life ahead of you. Be good to
people and good will come back to you. I know it will come to me.
And by having the box as a souvenir, well you can never forget the blood,
sweat and tears it took to produce the film. The box is also a testament
to the fact that you don't need a fancy camera, a huge studio and top of
the line effects to make a quality film. All you need is your raw emotion
and some creativity. It's great if we have fancy equipment to brag about,
but what's the use if the story isn't there?
A
few words about your actress Dominique LaFleur, and why exactly her? She's
great! She also stars in my next film to be released Sometime Around
January, and I really like her camera presence and the fact that she
can pull off intense emotion really well, which you can see in the scene
when she is decorating the box. She gets what my experiences have been,
she's gone through it too... and she transfers it. Dominique is a blast to
work with too; she's funny and so easy to talk to. We just click really
well and so yeah, I asked her to act in this film after we shot the
January film and she said yes. I feel like she also understands me and how
my mind works. When I sent her the synopsis of Last Words
before we
filmed, she laughed and said it was hilarious and that she loved how
sadistic my mind is. My favorite shot of her though, is when she is
throwing red roses down at her ex, with that attitude as she's chewing the
gum. I laughed my butt off. But we don't know who she's throwing the roses
at... not until the end. Basically though, I appreciate and value hard
work and gratitude over most things. I recommend Dominique to anyone. Do
talk about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere! It
was really funny. It was just Dominique and I. I set up a work light I
bought from Home Depot lol. And we just filmed this in 2 hours. We laughed
a lot. I had a lot of fun. Even made bloopers and posted them on YouTube.
Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Last
Words yet? I haven't shown this film a lot if I'm
honest. I haven't posted the direct link on Facebook either. But from Campus
Movie Fest reactions and close friends, people thought it was creative.
But I feel like people are creeped out too, especially by the end. In the
beginning I didn't even have the definition of box therapy in it when I
first started showing the film. But I felt it'd be less confusing if I
added the definition of box therapy to the film, so that people know what
they're watching from the start and then on... it's much less creepy? The
film isn't a laugh-out-loud film but I find it funny. My mom saw it and
said men woudn't like it. I laughed, that's funny. She also said she
didn't find it funny since she knows what it's about. My other friend
didn't either, cause he knows it is based on a real experience and was sad
I went through it. Oh well. If I can laugh so can y'all.
Some people didn't know what to make of the ending either. It's pretty
straightforward what happens though. My advice would be, don't over-think
it. Take what's been given to you. Any future projects you'd like to
share?
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I'm working on my good friend and singer/songwriter
Aaron Wilson's stuff right now, his second music video and a short sports
biopic. Then after that, it's on to my Twilight
Zone-inspired scripts,
with Most Dangerous Species on the Planet up first.
I submitted the January short to festivals. I really hope and pray that
travel is in my near future. I've also been asked to help create a series
based on traveling and trying out interesting foods, with a hip hop vibe
to the show. If that pans out, I'll be traveling which I really wanna do.
Even if it won't pay, travel is a great compensation for me. Maybe I'll
even get to eat a fry or something who knows. But after the January short
is released I'm pretty much done with the love stuff for now. I don't feel
the desire or the need anymore. Your/your movie's website, Facebook, whatever
else?
First, check out my vimeo - Last Words
is on there.
Give it a play. When Sometime Around January comes out, that film is going
up too so follow me on Vimeo to keep up with all of my film projects:
http://www.vimeo.com/raeshelle.
I just joined Instagram too: highwaywomann. I post pictures, I've gotten
into photography... and I love the open road, cruising while listening to
music like Fleetwood Mac, rap or r&b... check me out on there too if
you have an adventurous spirit like me. I'd like to share it with you.
Anything else you are dying to mention and I have
merely forgotten to ask? Last Words
is not another Monae's Room.
It isn't another film about a woman who wants her ex, "can't take no
for an answer" or who calls him after he's broken up with her.
Last Words is about a conversation between a boyfriend and a girlfriend.
The point of the film that I wanted to get across is the utter hypocrisy
that is the then boyfriend. From his first few words at the beginning of
the film, to the 2nd conversation: sheer nonsense and hypocrisy.
The film is a subtext, and a very short guide on how to throw your ex's
ass outta your house.
Thanks for watching. Thanks for the interview!
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find Raeshelle Cooke at adultvideouniverse.com
