5 Questions with Avon Haughton

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

I studied theater for a long time. From there, my interest in storytelling eventually expanded to writing, then filmmaking. Across mediums, the constant seemed to be me exploring the thin line between what's there and not there as they both (somehow) weigh equally on our realities.

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

The initial idea of the project was to pose questions about what COVID would do to us as social beings. This was back in late March when things were still very new, especially the idea of "social distancing." I found the term odd as I believe we were already pretty distant figuratively, so I decided to write Pup with our old and burgeoning selves in mind.

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

Making a film during COVID felt idle at times. That ambiguous space we were all thrust into made it difficult to work the way we normally would. And to that, I'd say the easy part was that we didn't have to work the way we normally would. We got to pace ourselves which allowed for a more honest, fluid, and agile collaboration. 

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

I re-watched Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together. Love is so fucked up. 

5) What’s next for you?

Lots of reading and writing. Also working on a TV project.

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IG: @von.ity