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

I went to school for theatrical directing and acting at Elon University, and after college really fell in love with filmmaking as a medium. New to Atlanta, I won the Atlanta 48 Hour Film Project and that got my name out in the city as a filmmaker. I started my own production company and from there have loved focusing on stories that depict women, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters in unique and playful ways.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

Sailor and Hannah brought this project to me with the initial idea of two Amish girls on Rumspringa exploring their sexual nature and their limited world experiences. Overall the script did not change much, but there were already some strong temperament shifts in the script that immediately made me think of noir. I wanted to play with the idea of using noir styling for the moments when Hannah Alline's character was hoping to look cool or sensual, and then juxtapose those with the awkwardness of real life. Every teenager wants to look cool, and then struggles with how they actually appear in the world; that feeling seems even more amplified by an Amish upbringing. I also wanted to lean into the potentially queer exploration of Hannah's character and how her sexual interests might be different than Sailor's character. Thankfully both Hannah and Sailor were open to these style concepts, and we developed a very funny piece together from there.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

Honestly the biggest challenge was finding a place that would let us park the Uhaul we were filming in. We were shooting in July of 2019 and our first indoor hanger location fell through last minute, so we ended up having to park the Uhaul outside so that definitely made shooting inside the Uhaul like a hot box. Between takes we would roll the back up and gasp for cooler air. But the team was really troupers about it.

The easiest part was working with the girls. They already had such clear ideas about these characters and had done a lot of research on the Amish culture as a whole. They both crack me up but still put a lot of genuine heart into the work they do. They also have such a great connection to each other and it was very fun to lean into their different energies and let them play with a delightfully awkward back and forth.

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

Promising Young Woman is something I've seen semi-recently that's really stuck with me. The visuals and color palette are gorgeous. The moments of humor and heart really stick with you amongst a pretty painful and dark story. The message is so powerful and it's such a unique take on an issue that hasn't really been taken head-on. I will talk about this movie endlessly anytime.

5) What’s next for you?

I just directed a short comedy called "Mi Casa" about two Latina ghost sisters who are stuck in the same house together for over 100 years and are getting on each other's last nerves (anyone stuck in quarantine with family members might be able to relate). Suddenly a new guy moves into the house and attempts to communicate with them through an ouija board. Hijinks ensue. We're in post right now and I'm excited to share it soon!

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https://www.kristinaarjona.com/about | IG: @kristina.arjona