5 Questions with Kerry LeVielle ("Partners in Crime")
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
One summer, back in high school, I remember I spent the entire ten weeks riding my bike back and forth to the local library renting about five to ten movies at a time. I bought a journal and started writing reviews, cataloging writers, directors, actors, the year the film was released, etc: I think I watched about thirty seven movies that summer. So when I went to college and found out they offered a degree in Cinema Studies, I instantly changed my major. Around my sophomore/junior year, I realized that I wanted to move more into the filmmaking space. I concentrated my minor in screenwriting and took every, and all, practical filmmaking class that I could. After I graduated, I was awarded fellowships in the Creative Culture Program at the Jacob Burns Film Center and Sundance Ignite which has opened my world up to a phenomenal network of peer filmmakers and nurtured my voice as a filmmaker an inordinate amount.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
The initial idea for Partners in Crime began with one of my producers, Leah Galant. The concept of friends stealing money for an abortion is a dramatization of an experience Leah shared with me about her and one of her friends.
Leah and I were in overlapping classes in Creative Culture. Both of us being fans of each other's work, we wanted to collaborate on a project together feeling that our voices complimented one another. We brought on one of my long-time collaborators and Creative Culture fellow, Brit Fryer as another producer. I started writing the script which involved talking to folx from Planned Parenthood NY. Since the film is set in my hometown we met with a local branch of Planned Parenthood to discuss reproductive justice specifically in the context of the county. We casted locally, got the local film commissions involved: it was a really wonderful process to have elements of my town blend with Leah’s concept.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
I feel the biggest challenge was raising and finding funding for the film. We had a few EPs come onto the film which was incredible, and we did a Kickstarter campaign, and fortunately, met our goal: thank you to all of the folx that shared and donated! I feel like funding is a large challenge for any movie, perhaps even more so for short films.
I’ll say what felt “easy” about the film stemmed from the environment we built on set and the relationships the crew and cast had with one another. Art is a vulnerable experience. We all valued and trusted one another which informed the comfortable nature of the set.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I recently watched Nomadland directed by Chloé Zhao. I immediately fell in love with her work minutes into watching The Rider (2017). What I admire so much about Chloé as a director is her unbridled tenderness for her subjects and actors which translates beautifully into the moments she captures in her films. Her ability to harmonize non-fiction elements, either in the camera work or editing style, with Frances McDormand's and all the actors’ performances, to me, is breathtaking. Cholé is incredibly empathic and I believe her to be a remarkably profound filmmaker.
5) What’s next for you?
Over the last year I’ve been developing my first feature film, which is semi-autobiographical, with my producers Brit Fryer and Natalie Jasmine Harris.
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https://kerrylevielle.com | IG: @le_vielle