4 days ago
Female-Led ‘East Of Wall' Filmmakers Discuss Their Docu-Fiction Story
During a time when superhero films and sequels reign supreme at the box office, there is a refreshingly original and daring type of on-screen storytelling happening, that is worthy of your full attention.
Sony Pictures Classics' East of Wall is a docu-fiction film that follows a horse training family in South Dakota, as they navigate modern business challenges, strained relationships and having to face heartbreaking loss & trauma head-on.
Arriving in theaters on August 15, I sat down with East of Wall writer/director Kate Beecroft, as well as the film's stars, Tabatha Zimiga and her daughter Porshia, which the film is based around. Being a scripted narrative with a few seasoned actors in the mix, but coming from their real life experiences, I first wondered what are the facts of this story, and what had to be creatively written and enhanced upon.
Kate said, 'So, I lived with this family for three years before we started shooting. We experienced a lot together and we shared a lot. So, when I was crafting this script, it was stories and moments that they've shared with me from their past. Then, also things that we've witnessed together and have gone through together, and my experiences watching them. We have Scoot McNairy's character, who plays Roy, and that's the kind of fiction that gets weaved through. But yeah, it's really just them.'
With Tabatha and Porshia not being trained actors and playing themselves on-screen, I was curious of their creative process with Kate, in making sure that they felt comfortable acting on-camera, but did not lose their genuine nature.
'Well, exactly that is super important for telling this kind of story,' Kate said, 'So, the crew was really small. It was intimate. They were all people that I knew Tabby and Porshia would trust. So, building that team was really important to make them feel comfortable.'
Tabatha added: 'To be able to tell the story and work with everybody and trust them - it's really not hard to trust Kate. I felt safe with Kate right away, to be around her - and like she said, she stayed with us for three years. We got to know each other really well and she always gave us freedom to be who we are, and if we didn't like the way something was done, she'd give us freedom to express ourselves and tell her how we thought we would do that. And then, we'd go from there.'
As for this story about horse training & selling to the unique bond of family, I wondered what they hope that Americans and the world-at-large see of their South Dakota lifestyle and the world that you live in, and understand better about their creative and individual ways.
Porshia said, 'That everything's not ran how it's seemed to be - like our ranch is not ran by a man, it's ran by my mom - and most people don't understand that. I think I want them to see how much effort we've put into this and it shows how much emotion it will impact.'
Kate added: 'It's what she said about most people think that ranches are run by men, but this woman is running a ranch with a bunch of kids and horses and cattle. It's really exciting to be able to showcase - there's a resurgence of the Westerns right now, right? Everyone's making a Western, it feels, and to be able to have a Western that feels modern and with women at the forefront of it is really exciting.'
While we live in a time in America that can be quite divisive, with some perhaps choosing to judge a book by its cover, what do these East of Wall filmmakers hope that audiences will take away from this very human story, after watching it play out on the big screen?
Kate said, 'Well for me, I think sometimes there's a divide in Hollywood, as well - like mid-America or marginalized communities not seeing themselves represented accurately in Hollywood. And so, it's like - why go bother to see a film? Maybe I'll just go see a Marvel film, instead of an emotionally impactful film. So for me, I'm hoping that people are being able to see their life reflected on-screen, and for people in these communities, which this film is about. So, that's important to me - and that's also why I didn't cast Hollywood actors to play these women. I wanted them to play themselves, just to show more diversity, new faces, new souls, new voices.'
With trauma playing a leading force within this film's overall theme, I was curious what each of them perhaps learned even more about trauma, through their filmmaking experiences here.
Tabatha said, 'Well, it really helps you act. It really does, being able to have experiences and wisdom way beyond your years and stuff you never thought you would have to go through or keep back there. It was a very big growing moment to do the movie. I was pretty much working through it at the same time as utilizing it as a skill for the betterment of yourself and to put something out so beautiful.'
Porshia added: 'Being able to push and pull in-and-out through your body with the trauma, so you could do the scene how they want it, you want it - with being able to control your emotions.'
As I concluded my conversation with this East of Wall creative team, I left Kate with one last question - What do you hope that this type of innovative filmmaking does for the future of on-screen storytelling moving forward, for both studios to see and understand, as well as the public to better comprehend?
'Great question,' Kate said. 'You know, I think I want people to be able to take away that like - discovering new talent, that to take more risks for Hollywood and studios take more risks, because getting an indie film made is really hard. Everyone's very scared to put money up for anything, and to know that we had great reviews from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety and IndieWire - to be seen by them and highlighted by them is huge. Also, winning the Audience Award at Sundance - to show this innovative kind of like different storytelling - it's working because I think people are able to step into their lives more than you would if it was a Hollywood actor playing them, you know? So, I'm excited. I love docu-fiction so much.'
