Toronto After Dark 2016 Profile: Amanda Kramer
“It doesn’t really matter what kind of stories I want to tell, if I want to show woman as vulnerable, mean, stupid, cranky, wretched, dishonest, manipulative, whatever — what’s important is that I want to move us away from stereotypes/archetypes that exist mainly for the male gaze.”
Film: Bark
Bark shows us an unnamed teenage girl as she sits alone in the parlor of an exquisite and mysterious mansion, reading. Another girl, interrupting the silence, enters the parlor and insists that her name was called. The girl denies that she called out, or spoke at all, but her friend maintains that it happened. The argument becomes a tricky, bizarre mind game, escalating into an alarming physical altercation.
Bark had its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and is having its Canadian Premiere at Toronto After Dark before moving on to Monster Fest in Melbourne, Australia.
You can see Bark at this year’s Toronto After Dark, screening as part of Shorts After Dark at 3:30pm on October 15th. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED WITH FILMMAKING.
Amanda Kramer: I’m a novelist for HarperCollins with a background in playwriting and theatre. Filmmaking was a natural next step, as I love writing for actors and working out my words through visual aesthetics and highly curated frames.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT BARK. WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM?
AK: Bark is a chamber piece set in the living room of a big house where two 17 year-olds struggle their way in and out of an unclear argument. One young woman insists that she heard the other call her name, though neither have said a word. Repetition, games, manipulation — all climaxing in a physical confrontation that leaves them both defeated. The idea came from my own teenage life, the classic themes of Samuel Beckett, the absurdity of certain arguments, a fair look at feminism, and the desire to see a woman bark like a dog.
WHAT WAS YOUR CASTING PROCESS LIKE? HOW DID YOU KNOW THESE TWO WOMEN WERE THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE ROLES YOU HAD CREATED?
AK: Lucia and Gina were cast in one of my features, both in roles very different from the ones they play in Bark. The best casting is creative and thoughtful, compelling because it’s unexpected and full of faith. This was a classic exercise in playing against type, against personality; Gina was successful because of her subtlety, her striking nuance in close-up, and the coldness/aloofness she’s able to access out of true introversion, whereas Lucia was successful because she is raw, overt, spilling over emotionally, and deeply committed to pushing past normal into gross/ugly/weird. Had I assigned the parts for the people, both would’ve likely played the opposite role.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR CHOICE TO UTILIZE SUCH A SUBDUED COLOUR PALETTE?
AK: I’m often fighting for color correction that is entirely my own; the opposite of slick, juicy, commercial appeal. Something memorable, hazy, poetic, and sort of dull. Producers, cinematographers, editors all want the standardized look because it’s become a norm for audiences, a way of watching that reads as “expensive” or “professional.” But I find that specific look tired and trendy and artless. I insist on creating my color palette around the piece, always taking into account the initial intention of the costumes/hair/make-up, production design, acting, and tone.
HAVE YOU HEARD ANY INTERESTING AUDIENCE INTERPRETATIONS OF BARK YET?
AK: At Fantastic Fest, a man told me he grew up with foster siblings, handfuls of them every year, and this type of survivalist interaction was common in his home. A few women who’ve watched Bark have said it reminded them of teenage fights, of shitty female friendships they’ve either witnessed or experienced. A couple people thought the actresses were portraying the same girl with a split personality, an imagined id or ego.
TELL US ABOUT WHY YOU ARE A FEMINIST AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOUR FILMMAKING.
AK: I’m an ambitious, driven, diligent, tenacious woman with grit — politics aside, that’s feminism. It doesn’t really matter what kind of stories I want to tell, if I want to show woman as vulnerable, mean, stupid, cranky, wretched, dishonest, manipulative, whatever — what’s important is that I want to move us away from stereotypes/archetypes that exist mainly for the male gaze. Writing complicated and complex characters for both genders is an inherently feministic stance, it’s anti-Hollywood, anti-commercial, and absolutely crucial.
IF A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE WERE CREATED, WHO WOULD STAR AS YOU AND WHAT GENRE WOULD IT BE?
AK: I think based on looks and vibes and Judaism and just general epicness I’d have to choose Gaby Hoffmann. The genre would be something in the Todd Solondz camp — bizarre, funny, fucked up, self-aware, sad. Or maybe Whit Stillman energy — witty, charming, cold and warm, smart.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WOMEN WORKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY?
AK: Lynne Ramsay, Joanna Hogg, Celine Sciamma. Maren Ade is pure idol worship and who isn’t in love with Megan Ellison?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE NONSENSE TCHOTCHKE THAT YOU OWN?
AK: I don’t have much nonsense, I’m pretty minimal, but I do have a lot of bricks that I’ve painted white and thrown in the corner.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR NEXT PROJECT, PARIS WINDOW? ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING ELSE?
AK: Paris Window is a feature film about hypnosis, incest, unraveling, manipulation, doubles, codependency. Delusional siblings turn on each other as brother Julian becomes convinced — after watching a series of hypnosis infomercials — that he’s the victim of a conspiracy when his sister Sunny begins dating a man who looks exactly like him. It’s claustrophic, obsessive, hallucinatory. I’m also in development on two other features — Ladyworld and Drain You — and always writing, always brainstorming.
RECOMMEND ONE #MUFFAPPROVED FILM FOR OUR BLOG READERS:
AK: Shit Year is a film written and directed by my brilliant friend Cam Archer, starring Ellen Barkin in one of the best roles of her career. It’s along the lines of a Cassavetes/Rowlands director/actress dynamic — with Barkin showing depth, melancholy, humor, alienation, basically everything you want to see a stunning woman over 50 play. It’s weird and cool and avant garde and thoughtful and beautifully shot in black and white. Hugely an influence on my writing and aesthetic, a raised bar for challenging themes.
You can follow Bark’s official website, Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date info on the film.
Lisa Gallagher is the Producer of The MUFF Society in Toronto and the Social Media Coordinator for Toronto After Dark Film Festival. She is a lover of cats, carbs, and laying down.
Follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd.
