I don’t think indie films are a place for experimental filmmakers anymore. Maybe it never was. I still think there was a time some 15 years ago when indie film was a medium for new filmmakers to experiment with unique and new forms of storytelling. That’s what I loved about that niche of filmmaking.
Tackling present day topics in media is an often used method to break down and understand perspective in a better manner, however it’s easy to get the message lost in insincerity. Many have attempted to tackle the Covid pandemic in recent media and often are met with lukewarm feelings. It always boils down to sincerity and a feeling of genuineness. Especially with a topic that the world is actively facing still. Offside Productions is the recent contender to the challenge, with the upcoming anthology series Normal Ain’t Normal, co-produced by BuzzFeed and activist & actress Rosario Dawson. The series presents the realities of social injustice and economic disparity in America that became more prevalent during the height of the early stages of the pandemic.
Helmed by director Yvan Iturriaga and co-writers Josh Healey, Reem Assil, Tommy Orange, and Reyna Amaya, the 4 episode series will be available to stream on BuzzFeedVideo on YouTube and Facebook starting September 27th, 2022. The digital short series tackles our current pandemic landscape in a fresh manner by realistically pulling in raw humor and diverse storytelling to reflect the local community’s experience. Who better to share the realities the Bay Area, specifically Oakland, faced during the pandemic than an Oakland creative team. Each episode involved different members of the team and pulled from personal experiences from their professional, health, and racial experiences during the pandemic and it’s immediate aftermath. With mixes of fantasy, emotional monologues, and humor, each episode of Normal Ain’t Normal reminds the audience of what’s truly important: community and our fellow humankind.
Featured cast included actors and debut acting from Reem Assil, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Martin Sensmeier, Tristan Cunningham, Sal Lopez, and Rosario Dawson. The Knockturnal had the opportunity to speak with Director and co-creator Yvan Iturriaga and writer/actor Reem Assil about their experiences with the series.
How do you go about telling a story on a topic that is still actively going on right now? Film is typically an escape, so how do you tackle keeping it fresh and pull viewers in?
Iturriaga: “It is our intention, me and Josh (Healey), and our passion to work on films that is very relevant to our lives. Sadly the pandemic is still relevant these years later, however the story really focuses on the working class community. We knew the impact of the pandemic, even after the vaccine would carry on for a long time. The pandemic made a lot of people realize, things are going to change. What was “normal” wasn’t okay, and things that were taken for granted needed to shift. We live in a society that doesn’t value workers and their stories need to be heard the loudest.”
As a director, did you come across any areas of opposing vision while working with the writers for each episode?
Iturriaga: We didn’t have any conflicts. There’s a lot of trust, we often shared guides and drafts to each other to ensure strong collaboration amongst us. My job as a director and directing what others wrote, is to actually trust the writers. I always went back to them, especially with Tommy (Orange) as there’s a story very specific to him, and who am I to tell a Native American story. I need his validation and guidance to tell it right. For us, writers are very key and we need to follow them.
Josh Healey, Reem Assil, and Yvan Iturriaga at the premiere screening of “Normal Ain’t Normal”
Reem Assil, Oakland based chef and writer shared similar sentiments in her journey in writing out an episode for the series.
Assil: “For me, the most healing thing is to take people on my journey with me. Makes you more vulnerable which has its drawbacks and I certainly grapple with that in my episode. But at the end of the day, it allows others to not see you as this two dimensional person. My identity is inter-sectional, I’m a Palestinian woman but I’m also a restaurateur and a worker. All of these identities play into how I see the world. The pandemic made that perspective for me much clearer, and in the series we really zoned in on that experience. What I want is justice, I don’t want to be a cog stuck in the wheel or be a token for the outside world to create their own story.”
Assil had opened her restaurant mere days before the California lock-down, and grappled with the realities of taking care of her employees and livelihood during an unknown time. The crucial value that helped everyone carry forward strongly through the pandemic was always community and caring for each other. Assil often mentioned that the label of chef is not for her, as it has a connotation of a “one man show” but behind every success is the hard work of an entire staff and team. These feelings of vulnerability, community, and facing the unknown are prevalent throughout the writing of the series, allowing viewers to remind themselves of the raw emotions that many people faced in the height of the pandemic. But the series educates viewers through four characters perspectives stemming from diverse backgrounds to highlight the diversity of Oakland’s community is a strong point and should not be forgotten. The cinematography tactics used weaved elements of spoken poetry and speeches to add emotion through the camera, making the acting extremely human. Iturriaga’s direction and art style behind the camera really highlighted each actors strong suits, whether that be facial expression, body language, stunts, or more. His direction really pulled together the synergy of each script to relay messages in a succinct and impactful manner.
Panel discussion for the premiere screening of “Normal Ain’t Normal”
The select audience that night were privy to a full screening of all four episodes of the digital series, and a panel discussion touching on all the sociopolitical topics highlighted within the series. Oakland gentrification, tech boom, Covid medical bills, the fluctuating financial landscape, these are some of the ongoing realities for many in the Bay and the pandemic was quite isolating. The team aimed and succeeded in bringing to light those realities and using storytelling as a tool to remind others, you are not alone. In the words of co-creator and writer Josh Healey, “Normal is what got us into this sh*t in the first place”, so it’s beyond time for us to re-define our “normal”. Society is always stronger together, and change can only come from community care and action. The premiere was held at the Oakland Museum of California, and the theater was filled with laughter, acknowledgement, and a silent reminiscence as we were taken through a journey of emotions many of us have reflected on privately in the last few years.
Premiere screening of “Normal Ain’t Normal” at Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif., September 17, 2022.
Co-creators Iturriaga and Josh Healey have worked with Offside Productions before, as well as co-producer Rosario Dawson, and the production house focuses on digital projects to amplify grassroots’ movements. A goal held dear to the cast and crew for Normal Ain’t Normal, and a message ringing clear to all who watch; communities hurting to live is not a normal meant to be upheld. The partnership between Offside, Iturriaga and Healey remains dynamic and robust. With the inclusion of Dawson, the powerhouse team brings to life a poignant commentary on the pandemic, without being insensitive to those of us still processing the trauma of a worldwide event. A quick to consume series that all should see, with beautiful direction, powerful acting, and genuine writing allowing the heart of the series to resonate in viewers’ for time to come.
I oftentimes compare films to food because each experience leaves me with a phantom taste that settles ever so abruptly on my tongue. With Silent Twins, I remember that feeling distinctly: gummy worms. It’s something of a treat in that it was mesmerizingly beautiful and yet altogether tough to digest after a two-hour sitting. However, it’s the first film I’ve seen in a while that accomplished its primary role as an indie film, which is to do something new and altogether inventive. The story follows twins who almost inexplicably refuse to talk to anyone else save for each other. It then follows the two as they grow up, fall in love, become writers, and so much more. At the end of the day, it’s a film about mental health that is delicately told and certainly worth a watch.
The woman who helped tell that story was Agnieszka Smoczynska, the director of the film. She’s spent the past few years working to adapt this story to film and her efforts were clear. She beautifully weaved scenes of joy with bleak depictions of sadness, and strategically used stop motion animation to tell an alternate story that paralleled the one which the sisters experienced. This isn’t exactly a new phenomenon but especially considering the nature of the film and the subject matter, this method of storytelling carried this film from another batch in the bin to something worth studying and taking a look at. In fact, without these interwoven animated features, this film would altogether lose any semblance of meaning. Additionally, the film delves highly into surrealism when it comes to conveying sensations and emotions. These scenes are both beautifully shot and incredibly well done.
The other woman who made this something of a standout film is Letitia Wright who was both the star and one of the producers of the film. To say she delivered a great performance would be a disservice to her craft. Her performance, along with that of Tamara Lawrance, carried this film as they occupied more than the majority of the screen time. Each possessed the type of magnetic personality needed to keep an audience entertained when the backdrop of each scene is bleak, dark, or more often than not, harrowing.
In the end, there isn’t much to lay fault to this film but there is a great deal of room to give credit to its inventive storytelling. I felt the film was too long and had a few scenes that were over the top in their presenting. For example, there is a surreal scene late in the movie that exists to convey the message that those committed in an asylum are essentially just dead bodies waiting to expire. While the message is poignant, the scene was not and altogether felt jarring compared to the overall narrative. This is a fairly minor gripe considering the overall body of work. For those looking for an interesting movie going experience, this is certainly one to keep on your list.
It’s common for artists to talk about the challenges being an artist.
Easily the worst thing I’ve seen all year
Not all films work for everyone. There are in fact people who did not enjoy commercial successes like Titanic or critically acclaimed films like Citizen Kane. By and large, however, people did find something to love and adore in these films. I mention that because when I saw Lamb I was rather puzzled. So much so in fact, that I decided to chat up several of the other reviewers and writers afterwards only to find more of the same reaction.
The film opens on a couple who are seemingly devoid of joy in their lives and spend their days tending their flock sheep. That is until an ominous and mysterious visitor comes and leaves ‘a gift’ on Christmas Eve, so to speak. At this point during the onset of the film, I was genuinely intrigued to see where this was going. There were hints of Kierkegaard and a divine connection, a teasing of the subtle take on a narrative structure that would continue throughout, and most curiously a very unsettling discovery of events. But all of these threads either led nowhere or to a payoff that simply isn’t worth it.
From the opening scenes to the inciting incident, the film takes its time in dreary fashion. I’m always willing to give a filmmaker the time to tell his story, however, from those opening minutes, the film continues to meander for another entire hour. To better describe what that looks like, it’s reminiscent of a silent film of the pre-code era. The majority of the film, especially the first two acts, are just framed shots of mundane activities, not unlike b-roll you would find in passing at the MoMA. To be fair, these scenes are beautiful to see and are brilliantly shot, but film has progressed to be more than just moving images during the past century. The only breaks during this monotony are the first climaxes of the first and second act and the midpoint. And to clarify, I’d give more details as to what these moments were, if they didn’t completely ruin the film for any poor soul that would subject themselves through this film.
Despite all that, there is some credit to give. This is Valdimar Jóhannsson’s feature debut and I do admire the fact that he tried to take a daring approach to tell a story. There were numerous creative liberties he took with telling a narrative story that made this film even remotely watchable. Specifically, the way he went about discovery of information – through the use of mise en scène and strategic timing – was particularly good and unique. However, that’s the only positive I can give this director or this film. The sad fact of the matter is that the underlying story itself is so tragically underwhelming and unsuitable for the format of a feature that it inevitably reflects poorly on him. At the end of the day, the plot is a paper thin story that’s been told hundreds of times during the past century to much greater success. Here we have something I’ve seen common in many European films of the past decade: a few good twists and tricks, but no actual substance. And that to me is rather damning considering the current state of American cinema as well. Additionally, and I always repeat these in my reviews, not all stories need to be told in two hours. If this story was told through a ten-minute short, it still wouldn’t be good, but, it would be at the very least digestible. It’s far easier to endure ten minutes than the torturous ninety-seven I sat through.
Performances were great all around. Needless to say Noomi Rapace breathed much needed life into the film. That’s not to say she was alone in that, as Hilmir Snær Guðnasan and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson rather perfectly filled their roles. They were understated when needed and dynamic when the moment called for it. It’s also another credit I want to give to Jóhannsson as great performances are also due in large part to solid direction.
All in all, this film was very much like a train that’s run out of tracks – it went nowhere. In fact, it’s definitely one of the worst films I’ve ever seen and after getting initial reactions from others, I’m not alone in that opinion. It doesn’t even make sense to discuss the thematic message of man’s relationship with nature as it’s a touch trite in this day and age and it doesn’t come across very clearly in the film. Despite that, I genuinely believe that Jóhannsson has got what it takes to be a great director and should get more projects in the future. Lamb releases on October 8th, and unless you plan on making a drinking game out of the film or exploring experimental storytelling, I don’t recommend you see it.
Not even a pandemic can hold independent filmmakers down!
Take Out Girl is the new indie breakout film co-written by and starring Hedy Wong (“Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks,” Chinatown Squad), and directed by Hisonni Johnson (short “Red Hood It,” “Grayson: Earth One”). It recently won Best Indie Action Thriller at Film Threat Award This! And has raked up 14 wins since its premiere at Cinequest Film Festival in 2020. Now with a new home at 1091 Pictures, Take Out Girl is filled with drama, action, comedy, and romance, and is sure to be on everyone’s radar very soon.
It’s always fun when you see a movie’s plot go completely off the rails in real-time.
Skylan Brooks is a prolific actor who has finished filming his newest movie, Archenemy. We caught up with him to discuss the movie and the mindset of his character, Hamster.
Paul Starkman is an acclaimed director who has worked on several Emmy-nominated shows like “Top Chef” and “Project Runway”. We caught up with him to discuss the themes of his new movie, Wheels.