Father and daughter's secret pact the subject of intense film by local writer
The film took just two days to make
A local actor and filmmaker is taking her intense short film about a secret family pact to the silver screen.
Moon Dog, produced and filmed in just two days, explores the complexity of family relationships. Writer and Windsorite Alice Snaden said that while she draws inspiration from relationships in her own life, the film is not based on any real situation.
"I'm very fascinated by what we inherit from our parents, what we owe to them as they are aging, the ways in which roles are reversed," said Snaden, adding it was made by an almost all-female crew.
Brainstorming for the film started about a year ago.
"It's such a thrill to hear you say, 'It was an idea and nine months later it's been made,'" said Snaden to Windsor Morning's Tony Doucette. "It's incredible how it all came together."
Without giving too much away, Snaden said the film is about a long-standing pact between a father and daughter. The daughter, played by Snaden in the film, promised her father he wouldn't end up in a nursing home — but her mother was never part of that promise. When the daughter finally comes home, she might be returning too late to avoid a drastic decision.
Snaden's parents acted as executive producers and her brother was one of only two men on the crew.
The film was selected for a mentorship program in February to help women advance in leadership roles in the industry. An Indiegogo campaign provided most of the funding.
"It wasn't that we were anti-men, by any means," said Snaden. "We wanted women to hold major leadership positions. It was not a traditional thing for women to hold certain roles, so it's really important to allow them in."
Although Snaden feels it would be possible to turn the short film into a feature-length movie, she said she likes the idea of a 12-minute film.
"I like a 12-minute film," said Snaden. "It kind of leaves you hanging, it fills you up and there's the end."
The film has been submitted to a number of short film festivals, including the National Screen Institute's Online Short Film Festival.