5 Questions with Jessica Garrison
“DIME" is a provocative chamber drama, written and directed by Jessica Garrison, that assuredly tackles sexuality and gender power dynamics related to a young woman’s sudden influx of cash procured in Vegas. We asked Garrison how the project started, what the biggest challenge was, and what comes next for her…
1) What have you been up to since we last spoke in April of last year?
Oh you know the usual. I made this new short, I’ve written a few plays. I’ve traveled. I’ve cut bangs, I’ve grown bangs out.
2) What’s the backstory here - what was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?
Well..The true backstory came from a late-night hypothetical posed by a man I was dating. We were a couple bottles deep discussing sex fantasies and gambling tactics. I told him a story of a man in Vegas offering me $300,000 who said I could either keep it, or I could put it all on red. And that’s where the story ended - with a mortgage-sized question mark. How I would respond, he thought, said everything he needed to know about me. That was the first seed of Dime.
I first wrote this story as a one-act play. I write for a theater company in Los Angeles (shout out to Public Assembly) who put it up in one of their monthly shows. As I was writing and flushing out the script, the story evolved from fantasy to a more realistic take on what it would look like within the context of a couple, and how the power dynamics and gender weaknesses would come into play in the relationship.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the most and the least?
The biggest challenge was probably adapting from stage to screen. The script didn’t change too much, I took out some of the more poetic dialogue, but it was mostly the characters and performance that needed honing to suit the new format. We did a few rehearsals, but I think we really found it as we were shooting. And it was shot over one night in a small studio with no air conditioning in the middle of the summer. So I have to give a huge amount of credit to Erica and Morgan for finding their deft, nuanced performances at four in the morning on the verge of a heat stroke.
Fitzgerald said “happiness is only the first hour after some great misery.” Or something like that - that’s how I always remember the quote. And that’s generally how I feel about the creative process. An extended period of misery, with an hour of true joy at its completion.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
Hmm hard to pick one. New— probably Parasite and Uncut Gems. I love a good strong surprise. I like to be charmed. I like to feel taken care of as an audience member. I like climactic epiphanies. Each film gave me this in different ways. Very similar to my taste in men actually. I would date both of these movies.
Old - I just watched Force Majeure again for the third time. I like to go back to it every once in a while, like Big Sur or a drive up the coast. It clears my head and brings me back to basics.
5) What’s next for you?
Well, I’m writing a feature script now based on Dime, so.. I’m back to an extended period of great misery. But it's okay because that first hour is worth it.
—
https://www.jessicagarrison.net/
IG: @figggy