In a season of movies being hailed or impaled for claims of political agendas, writer/director Lawrence “LAW” Watford’s latest film SHADOW ACTING is being praised for having “honesty” as its only agenda..
There’s a lot bubbling below the surface of this 17 minute drama! On the surface, Shadow Acting is a story about an acting student and her zealous acting coach who pulls her emotional triggers to get an authentic performance from her. But it’s the subtext underneath, from the subtle looks to the saturated blue and red colors of the set and wardrobe, that captures a tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
“It’s often the things we don’t say that scream the loudest. It’s a truism that fuels great acting and great storytelling because it’s authentically human behavior” says the director.
LAW seems to have an affinity for creating socially relevant dramas, but while his previous projects explored the highly charged political subject of race, Shadow Acting turns its attention to another front of the culture wars —the gender war.
“Love, especially in hetero romantic relationships, has become the 4th to rail of politics as we consider new ideas about gender roles, masculinity vs. femininity and evolving ideas about patriarchy and feminism. I just wanted to engage in that conversation as honestly and artistically as I could on film” says the writer/director.
The director chose the title Shadow Acting as a nod to the work of psychoanalyst Carl Jung. It reflects the deeper psychological insecurities at work in our relationships; many of them steeped in our struggle with the social, cultural and traditional ideas we’ve been taught about what it means to be a man or a woman in society. It’s a complex idea, but one that’s so universal it actually feels simple on screen, because it’s real and familiar.
“I had all of these thoughts, theories and biases swirling in my head, but instead of focusing on monologuing to the audience about them, I simply wanted to share how they’re expressed in real life, not in cemented red or blue hues, but more purple. I wanted to let the audience connect with that on a visceral level.”
While connecting with the audience is his primary goal, LAW believes that his film takes on a new significance with the WGA and SAG on strike, with rumblings that IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) will follow. “The strikes present an opportunity for a resurgence in independent filmmaking because independent filmmakers (like myself) are the only ones with access to guild talent right now. So making quality independent films—even small ones with limited resources— is important because it reminds the industry that great cinema can readily be created outside the studio system.”
Shadow Acting can be viewed upon request by email to: info@divinewritepictures.com and visit www.divinewritepictures.com for more information.