What’s Left Is Unspoken
Now in its fifth year, the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival continues to entertain and inspire moviegoers with a carefully curated selection of compelling, well-crafted films from around world. Live, socially distanced screenings will take place at the Ridgefield Theater Barn (37 Halpin Ln, Ridgefield) during the five-day festival (October 14-18), but this year, film devotees will also have the opportunity to enjoy festival offerings virtually, from the comfort of their own homes.
In addition to six features, the festival has programmed seven different strands of film shorts. One such strand is PSYCH Night, a perennial favorite of RIFF audiences, features films that are alternately thrilling, creepy, suspenseful, campy, and scary. Unspoken, a short by Ridgefielder Alessandro Girolami is included on this years’ roster. RIFF Festival Director Megan Smith-Harris spoke with Girolami about his new film.
MSH: You are the writer, director, and producer of UNSPOKEN. How did you come up with the idea and why did you think this film needed to be made?
AG: I was going through a horror/suspense binge shortly before I came up with the basic concept of a young boy being chased in the woods by a masked figure. I was always a fan of those kinds of movies, yet I had never written one. Additionally, I love coming-of-age films and my desire was to merge the two genres together in a Stephen King style story. I wanted to make this film because kids can experience fear like adults, and are constantly battling demons and guilt. My overall message here was to say that no matter what you’re struggling with, you can pull through it like the protagonist in Unspoken.
MSH: Secrecy plays a key role in the film. Describe why you wanted to explore this theme?
AG: We all have something we are afraid of telling people. Someone dear to me once told me that stories may come simply by watching people around us and imagine what their lives might be like. I do that from time to time, and I would think about what their secrets may be and how their fears may be represented. That gave me the idea of manifesting the protagonist’s secret as a creature.
MSH: Your lead character is a young boy who experiences a personal trauma that brings about his selective mutism, hence the title, “Unspoken.” What kind of research did you do when creating this script?
AG: I researched selective mutism and I found it is quite common among adolescents. Many psychological websites have shown research among those who are especially anxious, with a fair number being left mute after witnessing a horrifying incident or personal trauma. That is specifically called traumatic mutism and I thought a gripping narrative could be written about it.
MSH: You explored the use of special effects in this film and worked remotely with a VFX supervisor in Mexico. How did that come about? Were there any challenges to working at such a distance? Were there any benefits?
AG: I worked through my network to get in contact with VFX specialists. A colleague referred me to Ana Mainero. I saw her VFX reel and it had similar dissolving effects and creature design elements that I was looking for. I emailed her explaining the project and she quickly realized and understood the features I wanted. Surprisingly, there were no challenges working at such a distance. Ana was very professional and timely, and along with my cinematographer Mike, we were able to achieve excellent results.
MSH: Having seen your previous film, Off The Rails, I can’t help but notice that you have a gift for casting and directing young talent. Can you share more about this process with us?
AG: It’s always hard to find the right character for any part, particularly when it comes to child actors. I would ask the kids some questions during the audition such as what inspired them to apply for the part, things such as their favorite movie or book to find commonalities with subjects and characters that I came to appreciate growing up. Also, making sure their parents liked the project. It’s really important that they have understanding parents and for me to have a good working relationship with them.
MSH: How did you spend your time over the last seven months?
Where to begin?! I was living in Brooklyn and I had a full-time job at “House Hunters International.” When the pandemic hit, I was furloughed like so many others in my field and my landlord decided to also increase my rent. So I move back in with my parents in Ridgefield. I relieved my stress by running like crazy on the treadmill. I spent a lot of time reading short stories, watching movies, playing with After Effects, and taking an online post-graduate NYU program on the film and TV industry. I dedicate a lot of time to screenwriting. So that when things get back to some kind of normalcy, I will be ready to go again.
MSH: What were your biggest challenges in making UNSPOKEN?
AG: The biggest challenges were the visual effects and acting. I think Daniel was able to truly express the struggle the character was going through, and his facial expressions were key to my film because the story is told visually rather than through dialog. Ana did a beautiful job interpreting my thoughts for the visual effects and Daniel was a pleasure to direct.
Another challenge, as for any project, is always funding. Particularly for emerging filmmakers such as myself, it is practically impossible to get investors. So I had to finance the entire film myself.
MSH: What was your greatest reward?
AG: The greatest reward was simply watching this movie come to life. I wanted to make a film under 10 minutes with themes I could relate to and with locations that were interesting and accessible. A small part of the film took place in my room at my parents’ house and our dog Whiskey was around sniffing the camera gear and comforting my lead actor when he needed to go to an emotional place. Having him was definitely a bonus!
MSH: What is your next project?
AG: I am writing a short mystery film called Inhabit. But this time the protagonist is an adult instead of a child and it’s a story about an actor trapped inside a theatre as he auditions for an imaginary part. At the same time, I am also writing a feature film called Flower City, a loose adaptation of my previous work Off the Rails.
MSH: Anything you’d like to add?
I am beaming with excitement for the premiere of Unspoken at the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival. It couldn’t have had a better location for its premiere. I look forward to the event and meet colleagues in the area.
Unspoken screens as part of the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival’s PSCYH Night on Friday, October 16 @ 9:15 pm.
Other shorts included in that program include 1971, Abe’s Story, Bakemono, Bottleneck, Canal, Chocker, DeadMe, Our Boy, Per Tutta La Vita, Shift, and The Ooze.
For more information or to buy tickets for a live screening or virtual passes please visit RIFFCT.org
