5 Questions with Pepi Ginsberg ("End Zoom")

1) What have you been up to creatively since we last spoke in Jan. of last year for "Alba and June"?

I’ve been writing a lot! Working on two feature scripts and polishing a couple of shorts for when I can return to set. I directed a fun music video for an artist named Ela Minus, got pregnant and had a baby and have just been living the pandemic life. It’s been a ride. 

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

Initially I wanted to make something that felt like a little prank for me and my classmates at NYU to enjoy while we slogged through our last semester of grad school over Zoom. We were in the heat and heart of lockdown and I had had a short cancel two days before the city shut down. I was feeling really itchy to exercise some creative muscles and since I couldn’t get on set I decided to do something from my house. I thought it would be fun if I made something like that viral video of the woman peeing while on a Zoom call, an unfortunate side effect of our new lives. I wanted to see what I could get away with. I enlisted my classmates who were luckily down to play.

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

I think the biggest challenge was getting us (the cast, my friends) to a place where we’d deviated enough from the script that it was feeling really natural. We rehearsed a handful of times and did about 5 takes, then chose the best moments from those. Melanie Akoka and Clara Dubua, my friends who edited, got it feeling like one piece again. It actually took us a little bit of rewriting, pickups and finagling, but the process was very light hearted and fun. The easiest part was shooting! We just pressed record on our screens! Insane!

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

I went on a Merchant/Ivory binge not too long ago and watched Maurice, Remains of the Day, A Room With a View and Howard’s End. Talk about emotionally satisfying escapism. These movies are so sensual and so humanistic. I love them all. Also rewatched Talk Radio. It’s sort of disgusting and amazing in its ability to glorify and condemn toxic masculinity and celebrity culture at the same time. I’d be surprised if you could get a movie like that made today. 

5) What’s next for you?

I’m hoping to get back on set for a short this summer and do more music videos. I’ll also continue to work on scripts. I really miss shooting narrative work, it’s been a long year of many false starts while trying to get things made in the pandemic. I’m feeling really excited and hopeful to get back onto set. 

—

www.pepiginsberg.com | IG: @newagerealchange