HOMESICK is an absurdist thriller about an unhappy man who visits a retreat offering adults a second chance at a happy childhood. The film attempts to answer the question: Is it ever too late to have a happy childhood?
Welcome to SxSW and congratulations! Is this your first SxSW experience?
I was scheduled to make my first trip to SXSW as a speaker on the SeriesFest indie episodic panel in 2020. Going to the festival has been a dream for years and, like so many people, I was crushed when it was cancelled. Almost two years later I’m beyond thrilled to be attending as a filmmaker.
How did you first hear about SxSW and wishing to send your project into the festival?
Some of my favorite filmmakers launched their careers at SXSW, so I’ve always had a twinkle in my eye about the festival. And given the peculiarity of this film, South By always felt like an ideal home. We packed the team with SXSW alums including our production designer, Cheyenne Ford (SHIVA BABY), composer, Andrew Orkin (SAVE YOURSELVES), sound designer, Arjun G. Sheth (SWAN SONG, DIRTY), and colorist Kath Raisch (SALES PER HOUR, REALLY LOVE. Plus, our lead actress Leslie Fray (JACK REACHER, PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL is an Austin native!
Tell me about the idea behind your project and getting it made!
The journey from script to production was quick but the idea for this film had been percolating for years. I loved the idea of a retreat where adults could go to be kids again, and to work out old traumas. It seemed particularly relevant with the pandemic and a collective desire to “go back to before” if that’s even possible. When I finally sat down to explore the idea the script poured out of me. I told my husband/producing partner, “We need to make this film.” He was like, “Uh, can I read it first?” Thankfully, he felt the pulse of the project and was willing to take the leap. Three weeks later we were on set.
Who are some of your creative inspirations? Any particular filmmaking talent or movie that inspired you for this project?
Janicza Bravo’s short GREGORY GO BOOM inspired me to try my hand at this short. She is a master of the form. Yorgos Lanthimos is also a big influence for me. With this project specifically I was looking at the work of painter Salman Toor. He can evoke every fathomable emotion with the color green. It’s wild. Also the haunting and playful music of Meredith Monk was an important tonal reference.
How did you put this together from a technical viewpoint? What sort of cameras/lenses did you use and/or did you have any creative challenges in making it?
We had a very collaborative pre-production process which helped meld the creative and technical elements. Our big challenge was creating a visual language for the two worlds within the film. We wanted to find contrast, but also a sense of unity. We wound up using an aspect ratio shift to support this distinction, and a specialty piece called a Low Angle Prism. It creates the feeling of being close to the ground looking up, or looking down from above, depending on how you use it. Our DP Cory Fraiman-Lott managed to use the piece in different ways for various key moments throughout the film which brought that sense of unified contrast we were after. Color was also a major point of conversation, spearheaded by our production designer Cheyenne Ford. She worked closely with Cory to create the palate, which was elevated further in post by Kath Raisch and her team at Company 3.
If you had one piece of advice to offer someone to get their start as a creator or filmmaker in the industry, what would you suggest?
You only get to be a beginner once. Not knowing is a gift. Enjoy it, and make it count!
And finally, what is your favourite short film of all time?
How could I possibly choose just one? The first film that comes to mind is PLAISIR by Molly Gillis, which actually premiered at SXSW last year. It is now available through Searchlight Shorts.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 11-20. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!