The mockumentary, “Crushing It,” directed by Andrea Buccilla, is a funny and sharp-edged look into the gender dynamics of one modern couple. We asked Buccilla how the project started, what the biggest challenge was, and what comes next for her…

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

My husband and I have a long history as film lovers. It started when we were just friends in high school and we'd go for pizza and a movie every Sunday. Fast forward to a few years ago when we got together as adults: he was working in the industry and making indie films, I was teaching and pining for the days when I used to write and get creative, so I started joining him on set and helping in small ways... I once biked around Brooklyn looking for a very tiny, very specific audio adapter at every bodega and electronics store I passed. I found myself beginning to notice life events - large and small - through the lens of whether or not they'd make good movie plots, which naturally led to actually writing my first screenplay, Crushing It.

2) What’s the backstory here - what was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?

Crushing It is a deeply personal story that is ripped from the pages of my life as a tomboy. In my younger years, I was resistant and insecure about that label, perceiving it to mean less-than. Less girly than my beautiful, feminine mother wanted me to be. Less delicate than society thought young women should be. Even on the rare occasions that my grandmother won the battle of dresses and ruffle socks, I’d end up covered in dirt and scrapes and bruises, having found a game of pickup football far more enticing than whatever dull activity was meant to hold my attention. As I grew up, I realized that not everyone expected me to choose girly over tomboy; in fact, the love of my life and I were drawn together because both of us live in the grey between gender roles. He’s both masculine and gentle; I am both gentle and masculine. This film is about the comedy and drama that arise when those dichotomies live together in a romantic relationship. My dream is that this film can fill a gap in the current conversation, but mostly I hope it provides some relatability and levity to the idea of interchangeable and softening gender roles in a straight couple’s marriage.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the best, and the least?

My biggest challenge was getting over the hump of imposter syndrome. I was a journalism major and a middle school English teacher, so I liked stories and understood aspects of writing, but I'm not stubborn or cocky enough to think that that qualifies me to write screenplays. Add to that the fact that the story was about my life, and you can imagine how I got stuck thinking things like, "What makes you think you have the right to do this? And why would anyone want to watch (let alone help make) a story about you?" We pushed through and I'm very proud of the reception Crushing It has received, but I imagine getting over that initial hump in the creative process will always be tough for me, but I imagine it will continue to be exhilarating too.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

I thought Eighth Grade was damn-near flawless. I connected to it for a couple of obvious reasons: 1) Bo Burnham was a first time writer/director. And what an asshole. Who makes a film that good on their first try??2) Having spent my entire professional career working in a middle school, I was blown away at how accurate... painfully, uncomfortably accurate... that film was. What a gift. My favorite films pull belly laughs and emotional tears out of me. Eighth Grade did both over and over again.

5) What’s next for you?

Crushing It is becoming a web series! We'll get to see more of Liz and Jon's love for each other because, while the tension in the short film is funny and palpable, I think it's important to show why these two love each other as well. Stay tuned for that release in early 2020.

Contact Info:

Website: http://andreabuccilla.com

Instagram: @andreabuccilla