Picking the brains of someone like filmmaker JC Farris is pretty much like opening a Pandora’s box of creative infection. Her latest short film, Assembly Line of Broken Hearts, is a visual feast and food for thought. Someone who wants to catch your eye and make you think must have a lot to say. Well, I was lucky enough to throw some questions Farris’ and now you, too, get to revel in her fascinating answers.
Where in the world would you go right now if you were free to do so?
I often dream about being at a plaza in Italy drinking a lovely glass of wine and watching a classic film on the side of a brick building like in Cinema Paradiso. Throw in some tiramisu and I’d call that heaven.
What was the last thing you watched at home and at the cinema?
The last film I watched at home was X a great nod to the classic 70s and 80s slasher films. The last film I saw at the cinema was a special screening of Lamb. A fantastic, surrealist family drama with a touch of folklore horror. It was excellent. There was a wonderful Q&A with director Valdimar Jóhannsson that was very enlightening.
How did you break into film? How does your filmography read?
I received my bachelor’s degree in Cinema. After that, I moved to Chicago and spent years studying screenwriting, acting, and improv. I quit my 9-5 job and started making my living as a production assistant on commercials, reality shows, indie films, studio films whatever I could get. I learned a lot being a PA but wanted to move to other positions and it just wasn’t happening. So I started making short films with whatever resources I had with whoever wanted to do it with me.
I produced, wrote, and/or directed over 20 short films and web series episodes, which is honestly the best education I could get. I’ve had shorts films play at several festivals. My comedy film WE HATE BOB was in over a dozen film festivals, winning 2 Audience Choice awards, a Best Writer award, and a Best Director award. My short horror film, TAKE A BREATH, premiered on Shudder part of the 13 Minutes of Horror Film Festival. I was brought on to help produce an indie feature film, GHOSTWRITER, which premiered at Dances with Films.
Now I continue to have several projects at different stages where I’m either the producer, writer, and/or director. Also, I continue to help other filmmakers with their projects in various capacities.
What would you say is your filmmaking style? Do you have themes that re-emerge?
I’ve gone on a long journey to find and embrace my voice as a filmmaker. I would say I’m very indie-minded, enjoy aspects of expressionism, neorealism, and exploring various experimental techniques. My project goals and interests lie in female-driven narratives in the horror, sci-fi, and thriller genres. These genres provide a fascinating lens through which to scrutinize social issues wrapped in an enticing, entertaining way.
I gravitate toward themes about generational trauma and societal injustices with characters who question their identity and never quite have a sense of comfort in any situation. I want to create films that capture authentic characters that explore strong social themes with messages about humanity that, I hope, will spark conversation.
Not just actual filmmaking, but what other film related projects have you been involved in?
I have worked for film festivals as a producer, in hospitality, and in coordinating an industry conference. I’m also a script reader for competitions and a screener for film festivals. I’m going to Iceland soon to attend the Reykjavik Talent Lab. Also, I’ve taken part in the Stowe Story Producers Lab and the Chicago Independent Producers Lab.
Tell us about the birth and growth of Assembly Line of Broken Hearts.
Having worked in some form or another in the film industry for many years as well as gone to film school, I have witnessed and experienced a great deal of discrimination. Wanting an outlet for all this frustration, I came up with this film. I truly hope others enjoy it and get something out of it too, but this film was really for me. I found the entire process freeing and therapeutic.
I had been talking about this project for quite a while, and I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful artistic friends who encouraged me to just do it. We brainstormed what we could do with the resources that we had available. I worked with Soft Cage Films, a non-profit company that does social justice based filmmaking.
Many of the people in the film were attendees of their gala. I pitched the film to them and asked them to get in front of the camera. Everyone was so supportive and excited to be part of the film. I’ve been asked about the title a few times. I took the title from an Amanda Palmer song called Berlin. To me, it just fit so well and thought it was beautiful. I love how artists inspire other artists.
Tell us a bit about how you work with various collaborators – camera people, editors, sound etc?
The major portion of the film involves four actors—Dana Rochelle, Maria Stephens, Mari DeOleo, and Katelyn Lane. This is a hard film to explain. It blew me away with what the actors came up in their performance. I explained it was about discrimination, that I wanted to convey the array of emotions you go through when experiencing it, and they went way beyond my expectations and truly brought their own unique perspective. I knew I had to give them something tangible to direct them, so, for example, I said you are in this vast open space but can only move within this small box I laid out on the ground show me how that feels.
One of my favorite parts is where the camera appears to be moving, almost dancing along with the actor. The DP, David Holcombe, was tremendous in being so open with the entire process and become in tune with the actors and the movements.
The most challenging part of making this film was the editing and composing. I am extremely lucky to have a consistent collaborator and friend who was the editor of this film, David Baker. We spent many hours at his apartment discussing how to put it together, scrutinizing every second and if the moments convey what I wanted them to convey. Also, the composer Matt Mickelsen, who is also a consistent collaborator and friend, came up with so many terrific ideas. We had some long conversations. I gave him an idea of the emotions I was going for and broke it down into sections so he could compose for each one. I love the score; I think what he did was brilliant.
Every person who touched this film added a piece of themselves to it. I came up with the ideas of projection and movements, but each person brought something authentic to the film and the message I was trying to convey. I am very grateful.
The light projecting and vivid imagery you demonstrate reminded me of the documentary Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno – have you seen it?
I have not seen this documentary but am very excited to check it out. I am a huge fan of his film Les Diaboliques!
What are you trying to say with the various motions and body language? What kind of responses have you had from viewers?
When beginning a new film project, I like to set boundaries and challenges for myself. From the start I wanted this film to have no dialogue, the actors had only their body to convey their emotions. It’s easy to just say how you feel, but what if you don’t have that option I chose projection as a metaphor for people projecting their own biases on others. Any movement in the film was deliberate and intentional, as mostly movement was restricted. It became poetic how the body was used to express emotions.
There have been a variety of responses to the film, from a beautiful, emotion-filled rollercoaster ride to I don’t get it. Like any art piece, it is subjective. You bring your own life experience and personal taste to art and get out of it what you bring to it. I enjoy hearing the various reactions and interpretations of the film, welcome them all, and hope it encourages conversation. And hey if it’s not your cup of tea that’s cool too, thanks for watching.
Are you more interested in the abstract, experimental kind of film over the linear narrative film? Describe your reasons.
I love abstract, experimental film. Most of my student films were experimental with no dialogue and I wanted to get back to that a bit since I’ve done nothing but narrative since my college days. I honestly love blending experimental techniques into narrative. I enjoy exploring atypical storytelling methods, it is freedom. There are so many ways to tell a story. It’s unique to each artist and I hope to convey my personal filmmaking voice in each film I do.
What influenced this style of filmmaking and what you were trying to say?
I wanted to make a film about the roller-coaster of emotions you go through with discrimination and I felt I couldn’t do that with a traditional narrative style film. My main objective was for the audience to feel something, not to tell a structured, mainstream narrative style story. With experimental film, you can push boundaries and try new things that you’re not always able to do in a typical narrative.
Tell us about your feature film prospects? What else do you have planned?
I currently have two feature film projects in development. One as a producer, a female-driven supernatural horror HER EYES WERE DARK AND GREY currently looking for producing partners and financing. The second is a sci-fi horror called A VIOLENT FLAMMABLE WORLD that I wrote and hope to direct. Currently, I’m rewriting the script and searching for a producer.
I wrote a sci-fi mystery TV Pilot I’m shopping around. Also, working on a short social justice based horror I’m writing and directing as part of an anthology film. I always have several projects going, all at different stages, and continually search for creative collaborators to work with.
Check out my website for more: jcfarrisfilm.com