Interview: Cassandra Berry, Susan Carol Davis, Claire Blakeney DeJarnett - "The Take Away" rockumentary

ROFFEKE: What unique challenges did you face in the making of "The Take Away" that you did not face making the previous two short films in the series? What challenges were similar to those of the other two short films? How long was the filming process and the editing process? What interesting parts, if any, ended up on the cutting floor and why?

Susan Carol Davis:
The challenges for the three films that Claire and I have made together are very similar:
1) Amount of time available to film 2) Limitations in budget available to promote the film once they were made 3) Availability of subjects to interview in a timely manner. When we set a goal to complete a film project for a requested film festival premiere, that has sometimes meant wrapping up our shooting of the film before every single person is interviewed whom we wanted to include.

At the same time, we set a goal to keep the length of our films under 20 minutes generally and that does mean, some favorite moments are edited out of the final cut when those moments don’t drive the story forward or mean as much to an audience outside of Denton, Texas where our filmed subjects live. The filming process for The Take Away was a total of 12 months with editing being a 5-month process.

 

Cassandra Berry

Claire Blakeney DeJarnett:
Our trip to Palestine with Cassandra yielded many hours of interesting footage, stories, and interactions that were especially difficult to trim down. At Cassandra’s old high school she tells a couple of intense, heartbreaking, and eye-opening stories about her time there. Taking these moments out was a choice for time and tone. A challenge on site in Palestine was the heat! I believe we were filming in Texas in July and this made it difficult to film exteriors for extended periods of time.

ROFFEKE tackles the misconceptions that rock is "mzungu" (white man) music and devil music. Muddy Waters sang that "The Blues had a baby and they named it rock and roll". You sing The Blues and Gospel (and rock?) in neighborhood bars. How do you reconcile all that - white, devil music, etc - with your Faith and history?

Cassandra Berry:
I personally do not buy into the misconceptions of rock music. Most, if not all, music is influenced by African/African American spirituals and gospel music, which often offers messages of hope and a rhythm that promoted excitement. The music I sing are messages of love, hope and community. Messages that need to be shared inside and outside the walls of faith-based communities. My audiences know that I identify as a Christian, whose heart is to carry out the true meaning of love and unity.

I was once asked by a pastor if I was still singing in the bars and the eateries. I told him yes and that I tend to go where Jesus would also go.

If through music, I can help someone to feel better leaving, than when they came, then I feel I fulfilled by life’s mantra. That mantra is “if I can help somebody while on this life’s journey, then my living is not in vain”. And that’s how I reconcile my faith and history.

Susan Carol Davis

 

ROFFEKE: In addition to being the CEO of Curious Dog Creative LLC, a film/stage director, producer and actress, you are also an arts educator. a) What would you say is the importance of arts education?
b) As a juror for the Thin Line Fest, what makes a film (or screenplay) stand out for you?

Susan:
a) Arts education encourages openness to other cultures, other traditions and other lifelong interests. Whether young adults decide to graduate from high school or college then work as dancers, actors or visual artists, they can enjoy the arts as hobbies and support arts organizations as donors. Art education in large or small communities opens up opportunities for people of all ages with physical, emotional or mental challenges to thrive and nurture self-esteem.

b) The films or screenplays that stand out to me capture my attention and interest within the first minutes of watching or reading. One example is the contemporary film, Emilia Pérez, nominated for the Golden Globes and Oscars this year. The camera work, the visuals, the sounds and acting are intriguing. I want to know more. I want to watch more. A film can have a large budget or a small budget. What I look for in narrative and documentary films is the director or writer’s clear point of view and how valuable their stories are in impacting the modern world for positive change and tolerance.

 

Claire Blakeney DeJarnett

ROFFEKE: You are the director of Film Programming for Thin Line Fest. What steps, if any, do you take to ensure the film programme is diverse and inclusive? What challenges do you face in this attempt?

Claire:
We have a terrific film programming team that is dedicated to watching all submissions in order to curate an interesting, diverse, and inclusive line-up and work with a number of distributors that bring quality content from around the globe. We try to program content from multiple perspectives and cultures and engage the communities around these topics. Our biggest challenge is the amount of submissions to review and chisel down. We receive around 400 submissions a season and have a small program each year. That small program must be engaging, unique, and varying in its themes and perspectives.

ROFFEKE: All three of you wear many hats and encounter (I think) similar challenges that women in entertainment from all over the world face. How do you take care of your mental health?

Susan:
I keep a sales job in the retail industry (clothing) because I enjoy the staff teamwork and because I like helping people of all ages to have a healthy body image. I also enjoy my home and my two dogs where there is peace and quiet and a place to entertain others. I begin and end every day with 15 minutes of meditation and prayer.

Cassandra:
Music is one of a few things that helps my mental wellbeing; it’s my love language with the God I serve. Family is very important to me, so spending quality time with them promotes positive mental health.

Claire:
Unabashedly, this is something I struggle with on a daily basis. Sometimes, the stress of my “many hats” and state of the world can feel overwhelming, but I try to make time for the activities that feed my soul and instill a sense of awe. I find peace in nature, and even if the day is busy and I can’t make it out for a hike, looking up at the sky for a moment or admiring a flower grounds me.

World Mental Health Day: Excerpts from ROFFEKE Interviews - podcast by Google's Notebooklm

I (Mildred Achoch) compiled a mental health document comprised of excerpts from ROFFEKE interviews, uploaded the document to Google's Notebooklm which then generated a podcast based on the information in the document. Below is the podcast and the interview excerpts, with links to the full interviews.

Interview: IVA ("Run" producer/singer/performer) and Camilla Natta ("Run" music video director)

ROFFEKE: IVA and Camille, how do you find your inner strength in a world and an industry that can be quite challenging for women?

CAMILLE: I’m excited to see things are changing in our industry, I think it’s an inspiring time to be a woman in our industry right now.  While only 22% of Hollywood directors are currently women, we’re still making changes faster than other industries like neurosurgery where less than 10% of neurosurgeons are women.  I have made an effort to surround myself with smart women in my industry (like IVA) who have been so generous in sharing their experience and supporting me.  Because of the importance of mentorship in our industry, we still have some way to go.  When you consider that twice as many main characters are male than female and then you break it down further, you see that in films with at least one woman director and/or writer, females comprise 57% of protagonists, whereas in films with exclusively male directors and/or writers, females only account for 19% of protagonists, it becomes very apparent that, as women, we still have great need of a greater pool of role models and it’s so important to support each other.  I’m grateful to be part of the female directors who can lead the way for the next generation of filmmakers, I want to be there for them, to encourage them.

The daily practice of showing up is also something IVA and I worked on together.  We’ve had a ritual of warming up our voices together every morning for the past 18 months and it just set us up for success.  It’s kind of like meditation, but we did it together, so it added a dimension of showing up for another person so you double up on your accountability and also your sense of achievement as a team.

IVA:  We had a beautiful, wild ride creating this video together, and we have collaborated many times, which made our working relationship even more powerful on this film, both when things went right and if things went wrong - like losing a much desired makeup artist at the last minute or facing a large budget and finding ways to make it smaller while holding true to the vision. We had inner strength from a mutual trust and respect for each other’s artistry, and from having each other to lean on. Camille and I have a very strong friendship. We lift each other up when our self esteem is damaged by the industry, and help each other navigate through when life and work becomes challenging. We have a pact to be fully honest with each other, and we can hash through differences and fight sometimes and then discuss openly what happened with no hard feelings. As a musician, I focus on sharing my truth in the most effective way I can, which I find is through my music, and Camille helped me emanate a deeper, stronger version of myself in this video. A few years ago I lost my mother suddenly, and was also in a romantic relationship where I was a victim of domestic abuse for many years. I was grieving for a long time and felt somewhat defeated, and Camille helped me feel ready to “Run” with passion again. Camille and I also provided firsts for each other with this video, she as lead director and I in having the creative direction of someone of Camille’s caliber and deep knowledge of me as an artist. I was able to look into the camera with my full being, unafraid of being seen. That has given me a new perspective on my artistry, and about who I am. I know most of all that standing together is our strength, and I am grateful to have a friend and colleague like Camille who gives it to me straight and loves me with all her heart, as I do her. I hope that as two women creating this music video together we will be able to reach many more people and inspire other women to realize their creative visions fully, and as often, as possible.

Read the full interview HERE:
http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2023/03/interview-iva-run-producersingerperform.html

Interview: Dr. Lisa Spencer aka llysa - writer of Bad Syne

ROFFEKE: Bad Syne begins with the graffiti artist saying: “if there are more public places specifically allotted to the public creativity and the public's idea of whatever they want to do with art...in Europe, it’s a lot easier, just walk up to a wall and write on it, no problem, it’s legal.” There is always a tension between freedom of expression and those who want to regulate art. What are your thoughts about this?

DR. LISA SPENCER: The regulation of art is dangerous. In history, we see artists being persecuted because they often were brave enough to express commentary on social and political mores and structures. One of the purposes of art is to make change in thought and in the action of art, the world continues to open up, change, and heal. The freedom of expression should only be regulated by consideration for others in terms of, for example: racism, sexism, exploitation, etc. Governments...have banned forms of religion, language, and art, dance and song, punishable by death. Art’s significance is vast, but its freedom plays a role in human freedom and human rights.

Read the full interview HERE:
http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/01/interview-dr-lisa-spencer-aka-llysa.html

Interview: Dr. Nolan Stolz - composer of "Gravitation" (Part 2)

ROFFEKE: Advice for musicians, music scholars and creatives in general?

DR. STOLZ: My advice depends on their goals.
For creatives not relying on their work as their primary income, I say "create the art that you want to exist in the world: music you want to hear, films that you want to see" and so on. If it's mainstream, great! If it's experimental, great! I wish that could be the case for all, but if you are trying to make a living at your art, diversify by finding as many ways to earn an income by providing a needed service. This means you may need to play music you don't like, do lighting for a show you don't like, etc. Doing this is a business choice, not an artistic one. Both are perfectly acceptable, and it depends on the person and the balance that is right for them...

For scholars, know now that you won't make much money off of book sales or royalties. Income from scholarship will come in other ways, such as a teaching position and invited talks. My advice is "write the book [or article, etc.] that you believe should exist but doesn't." There is so much joy in knowing your contribution serves its purpose. It pays off in other ways, sometimes not until years later. If I hadn't written those essays for that collection (which was essentially for free—my payment was a physical copy of the two-volume book), I probably would have never gone to England, France, or Sweden to lecture on Black Sabbath, written the book on Black Sabbath, gotten a personal email from Ozzy Osbourne. . .

Read the full interview HERE:
http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/01/interview-dr-nolan-stolz-composer-of_8.html

Interview: Federico Santini - composer of "Boysong" from the film Quest for Feilong (Part 1)

ROFFEKE: In your “About Me” page on your website, it is mentioned that you teach piano and music education at middle schools, high schools and music schools. What would you say is the importance of music education in middle school and high school?

FEDERICO SANTINI: I believe that musical activity has an important contribution in strengthening cognitive, emotional, linguistic, motor and relational skills, especially in developmental age, where the brain is still in the training phase. This is why I believe music education in schools is important...the music, by involving the emotional sphere of the individual, especially at an age where this is not yet fully mature, guides him to greater awareness and maturation of the same...Music is also often recognized as having a social and aggregative role. In fact, I have participated in several projects whose main objectives include not so much the students' musical performance but socialization and integration in areas and situations of social hardship. Music urges us to listen to others in order to work in unison and each member of the group or orchestra is important, each one with their part. In essence, I believe that musical activity within schools includes various aspects and substantially integrates the individual's education."

Read the full interview HERE:
http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/02/interview-federico-santini-composer-of.html

Interview: Simone Massi - Director of "in quanto a noi" (From our side)

ROFFEKE: In these hectic times, how do you take care of your mental health?

SIMONE: I try not to follow the media, not to rush. And then I try to take the good in life, accepting defeat and respecting others.

Read the full interview HERE:
http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/04/interview-simone-massi-director-of-in.html

Global Artivism Conference - September 2024

On September 5^th, 6^th and 7^th, I (Mildred Achoch) attended (virtually) the inaugural Global Artivism Conference which was held in Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa. It was an entertaining, insightful, inspiring and encouraging three days and I look forward to the next one. Below are some outstanding quotes from the first session of Day 1 and the keynote address. The keynote was by Favianna Rodrigues and was titled “Art, Social Justice and the Radical Imaginary: An Art Talk”

“I give honour to the sacredness of all the journeys which have brought us to this moment where we are gathered here…” – Louisa Zondo (22:20)

“…we also have to create ideas, ideas for the future. We need that novel that is going to help us think different, we need that film…” – Favianna Rodrigues (42:52)

“The African struggle for dignity and freedom, in the mainland and in the diaspora, is unimaginable without the contribution of Motown, Jazz, the Blues, Reggae, Hiphop…” – Professor Maluleke (13:45)

“We must address the scourge of poverty, inequality, corruption, gender-based violence, deteriorating mental health and well-being and the imminent threat of climate change. We must push for the end of genocide…” – Louisa Zondo (28:12)

“…only art and purposeful activism can help us RE-member our broken relationships, broken relationships between humans, broken relationships between men and women, between humans and the environment, between the body, the mind and the soul.” Professor Maluleke (16:41)

“…we are in a battle for the imagination, we are in a battle for understanding history and the impacts of history…” – Favianna Rodrigues (37:22)

“…we acknowledge that our histories connect all of us in many ways, including the tyrannies of colonization, oppression, inequality, marginalization and violence yet we in South Africa know that our liberation depended partly on the solidarity we received from people all over the world.” – Louisa Zondo (27:25)

“We as artists…we have to fight for justice and peace, that is what it means to be an artivist…” – Favianna Rodrigues (46:14)

 “In the beginning, there was art…” – Professor Maluleke (11:44)

You can watch the Day 1 sessions on YouTube:

 

For more information, visit www.globalartivism.com

Sustaining An Ongoing Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Through Active Collaboration - Imaginable Futures fireside chat

On June 28th, 2023, I (Mildred Achoch) attended a virtual fireside chat titled “Sustaining An Ongoing Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Through Active Collaboration” organized by Imaginable Futures. At the end of this very insightful and educational session, I asked a question related to mental health and activism (minute 46:20). Imaginable Futures summarized the panelists answers at the end of their post about the event. You can read their responses HERE and watch the entire session HERE.

"Show me your budget and I'll show you what you value." (Minute 45:54)

Artificial Intelligence and Horror: A Halloween Reflection

I was interviewed by Irene Mugo of the Daily Nation about how artificial intelligence is impacting me as a creative. I mentioned that when it comes to AI, I am an optimist but I am also aware of the drawbacks.

Some of my interview answers did not make it to the article so I will share them here. Regarding the drawbacks, I said:

One challenge posed by AI in the creative space is bias. Most, if not all, AI tools are trained on data that is largely Western. This issue is being addressed and corrected but more still needs to be done to ensure that AI tools are representative of diverse cultures, philosophies and aesthetics. Another challenge is the disruption that AI will cause and is causing in the creative space. Many creative jobs will be rendered obsolete or will change drastically due to AI. This presents both a threat and an opportunity. Creatives who upskill and learn to use AI to complement their creative process will be able to ride this AI wave rather than drown in it. I also think there is a big opportunity for educational institutions to begin incorporating topics such as "AI and Creativity" into their curriculum."

I subscribe to David Shapiro's YouTube channel and in his video titled "AGI Revolution: How Businesses, Governments and Individuals can Prepare", he outlines some of the horrors of AI. In the section about "Forever Jobs" (minute 26:14), he points out that even jobs such as "childcare, entertainment, and hospitality" which are deemed "likely to persist due to intrinsic human desire for human-performed services" will not be spared by the AI monster.

I am a fan of psychological horror, where the monster is invisible and therefore more horrific because our imagination becomes very helpful in filling in the blanks.

Artificial Intelligence is that unseen monster that, according to some experts, may literally end the world.

In his video (minute 24:28) David Shapiro talks about Emotional Adaptation, "The range of emotional responses people may experience in response to significant changes..." He lists some of these emotions: "uncertainty, fear, anger, existential dread, anxiety, hope and awe."

One of the interview questions that Irene Mugo asked me was whether artificial intelligence will threaten creativity. I hope my answer to her question will inspire hope and awe in all creatives as we face the wonders and horrors of AI.

As an optimist and as a creative, I do not think AI poses a threat to creativity. Yes, AI can mimic creativity and sometimes can produce creations that are better than what human creatives can produce. However, this in no way is a threat to creativity. The creativity of AI does not take away my creativity. Comparison is the enemy here. I create because it gives me joy, it is a way for me to express myself, to communicate and to create value. There are other creators - both human and AI - who can create things that look or sound better than my creations. However, there is only one me, and no one - whether human or AI - has my unique perspective, experiences, values and beliefs. One could argue that soon, human beings will be able to upload their consciousness to robots and duplicate themselves...but that is a conversation for another time! To quote lines from a song called  “Sons of Robots” by one of my favourite Kenyan rock bands "Rash":

“with all of their technology, they can feel no more.” 

I think as long as we creatives continue to feel, we will always be a step ahead of artificial intelligence.

Interview: Jeff Gross - Writer, Director, Producer of "Return to Eden"

Like in the case of Jonathan La Poma (who at that time - 2015 - had won 67 awards and honors for his projects), I felt that, though I could not select "Return to Eden" - a feature film by Jeff Gross, I still wanted to interview him. He was gracious enough to agree to the interview and I am thankful for the insight and words of wisdom he shared.

ROFFEKE: You are the writer, director and producer of "Return to Eden". In your filmfestivals.com interview, you say: "In retrospect, I wouldn't say that wearing that many hats is good for your health." How do you take care of your mental health? 

JEFF GROSS: Not that well, it would seem. The making of a film, as I see it, demands a constant state of pushing the limits, of plunging into the abyss and coming up again, time after time. In my estimation, this process is unavoidable, the commitment that is the difference between something that touches people and something that is mediocre, but it is certainly not a recipe for health. To a certain extent, as an artist, the quantity of self-doubt, and the depth of questioning is what pushes you to come up with something more powerful, more pure, more electric. This is a state of severe imbalance and energy depletion which one must be very vigilant about. I have studied Oriental Medicine, which is one of the themes in "Return to Eden" so I have some understanding of how to regain that balance, but have also been fortunate enough to have very talented acupuncturists to help me when I can't help myself. 

ROFFEKE: In the same filmfestivals.com interview, you say: "I am completely uninterested in film as a product. I am of the school that artists must be the conscience of a society, the prophets with transformation and evolution of consciousness the goal." A ROFFEKE interviewee recently expressed similar sentiments, about the importance of art (and the artist) but he also pointed out the huge cost that goes with that, usually at the expense of the well-being of artists. How can we artists reconcile these two realities, especially in a world that is increasingly becoming fractured and thus (not surprisingly) is increasingly downplaying and even deriding the value of art and artists? 

JEFF GROSS: It's an interesting question. I'm not entirely sure it's possible to reconcile the two. The cost to the artist is unavoidable, being an artist is only rarely, or belatedly, a harmonious existence.  And yes, the artist and art have lost status, have been cheapened. A lowest common denominator culture spreading mediocrity as fast as it can, the cynicism of a Warhol, the stultifying narcissistic mediocrity of a Spielberg, etc... But for consciousness to change we don't need to touch everyone at once. We need to put our visions out there, and hope that we have done our jobs well enough so that we touch what people know deep-down but have never managed to bring to the surface. Clearly we are in a an era of darkness, of madness, but if "Return to Eden" is about anything, it is this is the darkness before the light, the return to a more Edenic consciousness, as prophesied. Does this mean that the status of the artist will be more highly-valued? Not likely. The role of artist and prophet is pretty much thankless, in that sense. Which is why I recommend that you not embark on this path unless you really have to. Unless you absolutely have the calling, the sense of mission. If you're looking at the role of artist as a good lifestyle choice, a path to riches, fame and glee, good luck...

ROFFEKE: You also say in the interview: "…many filmmakers have been neutered by public money, and the mafia that distributes this money, with frequently, terrible taste. It turns artists into high class beggars, waiting for a handout. A lack of dignity, a lack of pride, and a level of indolence and aversion to risk, which makes for unfortunate, predictable results." In your opinion, would technology - such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, the metaverse etc - make filmmaking more democratic or would it reinforce the already existing faulty systems? What are your general views regarding the above-mentioned technology and the future of filmmaking? 

JEFF GROSS: My words about film making and public money refer to the situation in many countries in Europe. And yet there are people in Europe who pop up from time to time with vision, philosophy and talent. The bureaucratic spirit is the enemy of inspiration, read Nietzsche, read Max Weber, so the further film gets from the charismatic spark, the worse will be the films. As I watched the US fall into chaos during the Trump years, I wondered how it was possible that nobody was making films about that. That no artist was there to stick his neck out and denounce the status quo. And not just the political figurehead, but the entirety of the madness. Which is how I decided I had to make "Return to Eden." As for your question about AI, virtual reality and metaverses, I find the whole thing quite sterile and uninspiring. A cultural direction designed to keep distracted people titillated. Trickery and novelty, instantly forgettable, as opposed to a psychological voyage, an emotional journey deep inside. I have witnessed the impact of film, have seen minds opened, lives transformed, people transported to ecstasy. That's the cinema I'm interested in, unabashedly. I'm not saying it's impossible to have that with AI and the gang, but I've never actually seen it myself.

ROFFEKE: You are a novelist (World of Midgets and The Book of the Earth) and a screenwriter (writing collaborations with Roman Polanski, including "Frantic" and "Bitter Moon"). There are differences between writing novels and writing screenplays but what would you say are the similarities between the two? 

JEFF GROSS: There are indeed differences. A screenplay is 20,000 words, a novel is 50K or 150K words. A screenplay is shorthand, a novel fills in all the colors. A screenplay is two months, three months. A novel is a journey you embark on with not knowledge of how or if you will ever arrive, a mountain so high that you think it is impossible to ever climb. And then, one day, you arrive at the top, and you don't know how. As for the similarities, as far as I'm concerned, the most profound thing we can achieve in art, is rekindling a state of ecstasy in the reader/viewer. This is a matter of rhythm, of pace, a constant awareness of how an avalanche of words or images will transport the heart, reach the deepest part of the soul, elevate the miracle of existence, the astonishing magnificence of human beings, despite darkness, despite madness.

ROFFEKE: Please share some words of advice to up and coming filmmakers, and to creatives in general, especially regarding our role in shining a light - no matter how small - during these dark, turbulent and fractured times? 

JEFF GROSS: When Moses went to Egypt to free the Hebrews, he brought plagues upon the Egyptian to prove that Jehovah was a more powerful god than Pharoah's gods. To prove to Pharaoh as well as the Hebrews. When they were freed, he parted the Red Sea, so that Pharaoh's army was drowned. And then he wandered for 40 years in the desert. The most advanced man of his era unable to find which way was north? Forty years, two generations, time enough for a generation to be born from the loins of slaves, and then create a second generation who had never known slavery. A generation ready for the mission of imposing a new civilization. This is where we are now, ready to exit the desert, ready to create the next civilization. The return to Eden, the opening of the heart, call it what you will. For this, we need wisdom, deep insight, artists and revolutionaries, missionaries and prophets, catalysts. "Return to Eden," is pretty much all about this question, among other things, about how consciousness works, and the vital importance of shining that light "No matter how small" as you say, Mildred. You will face endless resistance and opposition, you will have to pick yourself off the ground any number of times, you will want to give up, try something else. My advice to artists? You will need relentless optimism, perfectionism without concession, energy, endurance, pride, humility and heart. Or at least, that is my method. Up to you to find your own.

Interview: Jesse Dorian - Screenwriter of "Sven"

ROFFEKE: In your writer statement, you say: “If the first two acts of this story feel tedious at times, and make the reader/audience deeply uncomfortable during others – Good.” Yes, there are definitely some cringe moments in the screenplay, which make the ending like a breath of fresh air after the harrowing claustrophobic atmosphere. Did you set out to make the reader uncomfortable or did that aspect just naturally appear as you were writing? Did the darker elements appear during the manic episode you mentioned or did you add them in later?

JESSE DORIAN: Okay, this is a great question. I’m pretty sure that that part of my writer statement is just my way of irritably responding to some of the negative feedback I had received from a few festivals for “SVEN,” regarding its first two acts. And as far as setting out to make the reader uncomfortable — no, actually. I don’t set out to make the reader uncomfortable, intentionally. All I’m setting out to do really, is tell a story, regardless of if the reader/audience becomes uncomfortable or not. 

I find that both readers and viewers will be able to sense if a writer has that sort of an agenda. I find that what makes a lot of “cringe” moments or elements in a story, is when those particular moments are either noticeably disingenuous… or, those particular moments are noticeably relatable to the audience. 

The other part of this question that I find great — also because you’re the first to ever ask it — “Did the darker elements appear during the manic episode… or did you add them in later?” And I think you sorta hit the nail on the head with what that question is suggesting, and the answer is — Yes. 100%. Because I wasn’t necessarily on the right path toward recovery from the manic state I was in at the time, when I started the very first draft of “SVEN” back in 2012. And I believe that — for me, being in that state of mind, is absolutely what pressed this story forward into the uncomfortably dark places that the central character must persevere through.

Being in a manic state at the time, made me draw the conclusion that maybe — it’s okay to take the audience, psychologically, to some new places that no other story or film prior has ever taken them… it’s okay to trigger the audience; challenge them. As long as I’m not disrespecting the intelligence of the audience, or underestimating their intellect, then it’s okay to inadvertently toy with them. 

For quite a while now, my philosophy as a screenwriter is: no matter how smart I may think I am, the audience is always smarter.

ROFFEKE: In your bio, you mention a gothpop music project. Share a little more about that?

JESSE DORIAN: That would be my solo music project Imitate Invertebrate. It’s been a work-in-progress for about 6 years now. What’s thoroughly frustrating, is that I’ve done so much — and worked so hard — on this music project but have publicly released so little. 

Hopefully, that’ll change soon because I plan to return to Imitate Invertebrate in early 2023, to begin completion on all, if not most of the 22+ songs that I’ve started writing and recording over the past several years. Fans of the genre will notice within no time that I’m a huge fan of industrial metal and industrial rock/pop from the 1980s and 1990s. 

Imitate Invertebrate is inspired; its a contemporary throwback project but it’s definitely its own thing. Probably because working on music is therapeutic for me in a way that film is not, Imitate Invertebrate is the only project I have that really makes any sense to me.

ROFFEKE: The “locked in a room” trope is common in thrillers and horrors but you give it a new spin, largely due to the unique characters. What inspired you to come up with these two main characters? How much time did you spend on character development or did the characters appear “fully formed”?

JESSE DORIAN: The “locked in a room” trope is a concept mostly reserved for filmmakers with no money, and few resources. It’s a great trope though, that can really test the strengths and range of a writer/filmmaker’s creativity, without necessarily exposing their limitations. 

I recently did an extensive in-depth interview with Festigious Los Angeles about the origins of “SVEN” as an original concept. The two main characters originated from a no-budget unscripted internet series that I had created back in 2008 (which was also the very first time I applied the “locked in a room” setting).

ROFFEKE: A ROFFEKE interviewee said: “I think it’s important to address the fact that a lot of artists, struggling or not, are not mentally healthy and have problems that they are actively dealing with though their chosen medium…what happens when you sacrifice yourself for something and it works? What about the moment after? What about when it doesn’t work? What are we really doing to ourselves? Why are we doing this to ourselves?” Please comment on part or all of this, answer one or all the questions asked, give your take on the views expressed, etc. 

JESSE DORIAN: Well, I see exactly what they’re tapping into with those questions, and they’re certainly not wrong. So, okay. I’m probably going to go on a rant — and hopefully, somewhere along the tirade, at least several of these questions are reasonably answered. 

As everyone already knows, a lot of artists are not mentally healthy. The outright neglect of my mental health has cost me a lot of my friendships throughout the years, while I was doing my best to remain hyper-focused on the completion of certain projects. 

When I first started writing the first draft of the feature script for “SVEN” in December 2012, I was a huge substance abuser at that time; arguably, at my absolute worst. I don’t think I had ever openly admitted that I sorta believed that I needed to be intoxicated to write, but also — I hadn’t yet been diagnosed ADD/ADHD. 

It wasn’t until around the time I turned 30 and I was finally diagnosed, that I realized that the number one cause of my depression during adulthood was due to my inability to focus; my inability to complete the same ambitious projects that I could so easily begin. 

Focus wasn’t necessarily always a problem for me when I was a teenager but as I became an adult, my attention span began to work against me, and before I knew it — even the things that I loved to do such as write, and work on music — I no longer had the attention span to really carry those projects out to completion. It was really hard for me to get anything done. And since I had always used alcohol as a way to coexist socially, that was really all I felt that I had at the time to give me enough drive to express myself creatively. 

For some reason, I had become convinced that achieving something that mattered, was simply grounded in how motivated someone either was, or was not. It had never occurred to me back then, why I was really purchasing prescription stimulants from acquaintances of mine who had prescriptions, throughout my early twenties. And not until many years after my manic episode, would I come to discover that I, in fact, DID need to be on prescription stimulants — daily; in order to be a fully-functioning part of society.

Once I was prescribed, all urges to abuse alcohol and other habit-forming drugs went away entirely. That was over 6 years ago.

However, I’ve also come to learn that artists or writers or whatever — let’s just say "creative people,” do not necessarily have to sacrifice their mental health, or even their sobriety to be just as good creatively as if they were using substance as a creative force, by abusing it — maybe those creative people who believe they need to be in a place of poor mental wellness just haven’t quite hit rock bottom yet… 

But I’m not going to lie — having the prior life experience that a substance abuser has had, or having the life experience of a person that is not quite “mentally healthy,” is in and of itself, life experience — that surely doesn’t hurt to already have. It certainly helps to have it. Especially, if they are in fact, a creative force. And yeah, in the end… sometimes, it’s perfectly okay to just feel something organically. 

And sorta touching back onto your earlier questions, regarding dark themes and the influence that a manic episode could have on the tone or atmosphere of a finished project… the most recent completed screenplay of mine, is called “Morituriosis.” 

I completed the first draft of “Morituriosis” in 2016 but it was the first screenplay that I had ever written entirely while sober. Personally, I think it’s the darkest thing I’ve ever written. “Morituriosis” takes you straight to Hell; it’s my most genuine attempt at assaulting the senses of the entire audience, inspired by a real life experience I had, while I was at my most vulnerable. With “Morituriosis,” I’m making the audience go somewhere that they really don’t want to go, for nearly the film’s entire runtime. I see “Morituriosis” as my nihilistic show stopper. And it should come as no surprise that — mentally, I was in a reasonably good place when I wrote it. I wrote it at a time right after a pivotal moment in my life; a moment when I made a personal breakthrough. It was at a time when I was finally able to make some kind of peace with myself as a person. 

The reason I bring up my screenplay “Morituriosis,” is because I was able to use the memories of all of my horrible life experiences with substance abuse, all leading up to one major horrible life experience I had, that would become the sole inspiration for the main theme in “Morituriosis” — without actually having to neglect my mental health. And it’s because my mental health was finally in a good place, and I was properly medicated for ADD — I was focused, and therefore able to coherently tell the dark story I was wanting to tell. But I wasn’t intoxicated when I wrote it. Because I didn’t need to be.

ROFFEKE: Screenwriting: What has your screenwriting journey been like? What came first: the screenwriting or the acting/editing/directing? How do your skills as an actor, editor and director influence and enrich your screenwriting? 

JESSE DORIAN: The screenwriting came first. I completed my first screenplay over 20 years ago. I was 15  years-old. Because screenwriting was what I had consistently worked at, even though it wasn’t what I was most passionate about — that has always been acting — screenwriting is gradually what I became the most skilled at. 

Unfortunately, I went most of my life being too afraid to take acting as seriously as I had always wanted to. Plus, I’ve also always been aware of how easy it is to fail as an actor who can’t write. It’s sorta like failing as a singer that can’t write — it’s too easy. 

I actually starred-in a feature film that I also wrote and directed back in 2011 that was never technically released. Currently, there is a two-hour rough cut of the film though. Long story short, that’s when I realized exactly how much I truly loved acting, and much preferred it to screenwriting and directing. Sadly though, I haven’t attempted to professionally act in anything else since.  But that’s all about to change. 

The return to acting is going to become my top priority within 2023-2024.

Synopsis of "Sven"

"A 6-foot tall humanoid-primate from the Amazon rainforest, called a "chilamasman," the last of its species - an an intense, deeply troubled, mentally unstable American adult male are both held captive by a U.S. government-funded program performing a psychological experiment, forcing the two of them to live together inside a single, maximum security containment habitat - and replica - of a modern day condominium apartment."

Check out Jesse Dorian's Linktree HERE