5 Questions with Catherine Fordham
1) What was the impetus of your short?
When I first moved to New York I visited GEMS, a nonprofit in Harlem that works with commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls. Their stories haunted me and as I learned more about this world, I realized how little most of us know about what's going on in our cities and towns. Years later, I interviewed two survivors of the sex trade in New Mexico. Their backstories were very different from each other but there were so many similarities to their experience -- the hours they worked, the systems of violence and subjugation. This is happening on a very large scale and it's a thriving industry with its own rules. So with KAYA, I set out to make a film that addresses domestic child sexual exploitation, head-on, but through the lens of a suspenseful thriller. Like medicine coated in sugar.
2) What was the process of developing the aesthetics and visual language of your film?
I had the best time working with my DP Drew Levin in pre-production on this film to create our look. The subject matter is disturbing and violent, and we started by talking about how we wanted to give it room to breathe on screen. To us, that meant staying away from handheld cameras and committing to a very still, composed, intentional, style. To make sure we were on the same page and gained inspiration from the greats, we watched a bunch of films. We landed on Drive and No Country for Old Men as our two main references. We loved the brutal, real-feeling violence in Drive and were inspired by the lighting, camera movement, and blocking of No Country.
Then we arrived in New Mexico and everything really clicked into place. It’s such a cinematic state that feels like every decade smashed into one. Inspiration was everywhere — the light is magic and our main motel location (locked at the last minute after losing our first one) still had all the old phones and TVs from the 90s and these awesome murals in every room. We lucked out.
3) What was your approach to assembling the crew for this short and how did you tackle the challenges of having a successful shoot as a team?
This shoot was a challenge! New Mexico isn’t my home state, so I didn’t have a group of friends there I could beg for favors, our budget was extremely tight, and it was summer in the desert. But I was surrounded by the very best people. My longtime collaborator Monica West (producer) and I tackled pre-production from opposite coasts. Our first local hire was Mykel Salazer, our first AD and ride or die. I found her very randomly and she was the key to making the shoot come together before I could get to New Mexico. (Side note — it was her first time in this role, but she’s been Assistant Directing features ever since and was just inducted into the NM Film and Television Hall of Fame as a “rising star.” How cool is that?). The rest of our crew was put together from local recommendations and some people wore many hats. Ashley Crandall was production design, wardrobe, and props. We had to shoot in four different motel rooms and make it feel like just two, so we were moving TVs and curtains and props — it was crazy. Ashely worked so hard!
Natalie Johnson came with Drew and I from New York and she is a BEAST — the kind of producer who will follow a random half-drunk rancher 15 miles down a dirt road into the middle of nowhere with you on a location scout and laugh the whole time. The owner of our motel location was also such a character and needed a lot of… attention. We may not have told the full truth about what we were shooting so someone had to be on the lookout at all times. Natalie was like a ninja, nanny, drill sergeant, construction worker, and boss bitch with 10 arms.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently (new or old, short or feature) that you really loved and why?
I saw a screener of a film shot in Nepal, Looking for a Lady with Fangs and Mustache that will have its premiere soon at Tribeca — go see it! First — is there any better name for a film? No, no there’s not. Directed by Khyentse Norbu, the film is about a man who is haunted by frightening dreams and hallucinations. A sage tells him these visions are omens for his imminent death and he has a week to find a mystical “lady with fangs and mustache” or he will die. Kathmandu is so visually rich and so rarely seen in narrative film. The cinematography is brilliant — every frame is masterful. I love how patient and still it feels. There are almost no close-ups — so bold! Shot by Mark Lee Ping Bing (In the Mood for Love and a million other greats). Killer production design by my friend Emily Crow.
5) What are you working on now?
I’m developing the feature version of KAYA, and I’m pitching a television show with my brilliant writing partner, Jessica Leonard. I also have a body horror short Cocoon, which I really want to shoot if a little money falls from the sky.
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