International Short Film Festival Beveren 2019 – Pink Me Blue
Imagine a world where everything you know is being questioned and old stereotypes are being broken. Pink Me Blue is playing with what we think we know, but maybe things could be different if we open our minds to a new world.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Natalie MacMahon
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Lately, there have been many discussions about gender roles and what men and women should or should not do. So I asked myself, how did we actually end up with all of these ideas about men and women? Why does a baby always get pink clothes when it is a girl and why do boys automatically get everything in blue? There are many unwritten rules in our society nowadays that we follow without really knowing why. I think rules are there to be broken or at least to be questioned. Why are things a certain way? The film is an exploration of a different world, where things are the opposite of what we know...or what we think we know...
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch it if you are in for an experience. Pink Me Blue takes you into a different world and invites you to dream - what things could be like if we were more open. Beauty standards are broken and the characters see other people for who they really are, without being deceived by other people's appearance. Pink Me Blue is also a fun watch, where live-action scenes are mixed with animation elements and of course there is a lot of pink and blue!
Pink Me Blue (photo credit: Amber Palmer)
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
For me personally, it is important to question so-called rules or standards and open people's minds to a different reality. I think anything is possible and that can also be seen in my films. I don't make films to represent a reality we already know but to take people out of their own reality for a little while and think about what else could be possible. Pink Me Blue doesn't criticize gender roles or beauty standards but shows us in an ironic kind of way that maybe what we have been taught is not the only right way. We should be open-minded and curious towards people at all times.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I knew that I wanted the colors pink and blue to play a significant role throughout the film and I knew pretty early that I wanted to experiment with animation for this film. It was the very first time that I worked on animated scenes in combination with live-action scenes and the way it came out is exactly the way I had it all in mind. I knew which scenes I wanted and gave my animator Ann Dunham as many references as possible. She captured it all perfectly and I couldn't be happier with the result.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has literally just been finished a few days ago! So not many people have had the chance to see it yet, but one of the very first festivals I submitted to selected the film already and I'm thrilled that we are going to celebrate our world premiere so soon- much sooner than expected!!!
Pink Me Blue (photo credit: Amber Palmer)
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The first festival selection for a new project is always exciting and shows you that you are on the right track. The few people who have seen it thought it was very unique and entertaining- a fun watch! I'm happy to hear that because I want the audience to feel entertained and to see something they haven't seen!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The film is brand new, so I mainly want to spread the word and find festivals to screen the film to help us reach a bigger audience and find future collaborators for my feature film!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Definitely film festival directors as this film is a great fit for festivals that want to show their audience something unique! I'm also interested in meeting journalists as there is so much left to say about this film and it discusses many current themes of our society like gender roles, beauty standards, age etc. Sales agents, distributors and buyers would be interesting as well to discuss different options for this film. I'm basically open to all requests and I'm very excited to share my latest film with you all!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like to invite people to question the world around them more and not accept things because somebody says this is just the way things are or because things have always been this way. There is always a different way to see, experience and feel things. We just have to be courageous enough to break out of the system and inspire other people to see a different world! A film can be a good start...
Pink Me Blue
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do we have to follow beauty standards to be successful in life?
Would you like to add anything else?
I like to thank all actors and crew for their wonderful work and of course wearemovingstories for the collaboration!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm working on a short Esperanto drama called Violent Noise (Perforta Bruo), which will be released soon as well. This summer I have released an Instagram series called Silent Disco, which will have a second season next year due to its success and I'm also writing on my feature film script Hot Scary Summer. My crew is working on many different projects and we will be working together again on my next project as well. All the actors are very busy with film and performance work. So you will hear a lot from all of us in the future!
Pink Me Blue poster (Designed by Ido Hirshberg)
Interview: October 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Pink Me Blue
Imagine a world where everything you know is being questioned and old stereotypes are being broken. Pink Me Blue is playing with what we think we know, but maybe things could be different if we open our minds to a new world.
Length: 8:57
Director: Natalie MacMahon
Producer: Natalie MacMahon
Writer: Natalie MacMahon
About the writer, director and producer:
NATALIE MACMAHON is known for experimenting with different genres and formats. She has directed numerous films, online series in the last couple of years and has had her work shown at festivals around the world. She has been writing stories since her early childhood and has been very successful with her most recent screenplays for A Universal Love Story, The Funeral Dancer or The Redhead. Natalia has also produced a huge variety of films, web series and music videos with her company MacMahon Media that have won awards at international film festivals.
Key cast: Oussama Cherief, Marko Montes, Natalie MacMahon, Loryn White, Sean Lee
Looking for: film festival directors, buyers, journalists
Facebook: Pink Me Blue
Twitter: @nataliemacmahon
Instagram: @nataliemacmahon
Hashtags used: #pinkmeblue #scifiromance #modernfairytale
Website: https://www.pinkmeblue.com
Other: Vimeo, YouTube, IMDb
Made in association with: MacMahon Media
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? International Short Film Festival Beveren - Nov.23rd 2019 - World Premiere; more to be announced very soon!
