Staff Pick Premiere: "Charlotte" by Zach Dorn |
In this episode of Staff Pick Premiere, forgotten folk singer Lena Black discovers her fifty-year-old song "Charlotte" has been remade to become a pop-hit. Set in the aftermath of the release, filmmaker Zach Dorn explores how the effect of the song will be felt by Lena and her daughter Diane as well as her 11-year-old grandson, Eli.
In her letter to the artist, Lena writes: "There is a far more serious aspect to forgetting in the first place, which is being confused." The subject matter is echoed throughout the entirety of the film as recent triumphs reveal past wounds. Through scattered conversations - including the letter of Lena to Diane, Eli's telephone call and Lena's cassette tape Dorn paints a moving scene of a family beginning to connect through music.
In response to questions about his distinct style in the film, Dorn revealed: "I loved the conceit that we explore these bonds without ever watching the families get together. Through the use of isolated monologues, I wanted the audience to experience as if the characters had created their own interpretation of the same tune. It is true that there are generational physical, emotional and geographical differences, but, I would like to believe that some element of their concerns will ultimately result in the same music."
The song is a favorite for those who have experienced their families drift apart, but "Charlotte" is different from any other family drama that we've seen on the . Through hand-crafted puppets as well as stop-motion animation Dorn takes us inside their memories, lives and thoughts for a profoundly emotionally charged journey.
Ahead of the release the release, we spoke with Dorn to learn more about the inspiration behind his design, process, and the process. Read on to hear more about "Charlotte. "
The film's primary source of inspiration:
"In 2019 I created a puppet show about the world's biggest sponge as well as the popular TV series Gilmore Girls. While shopping for small craft supplies from the faux flower section at Michael's, I was able to hear Carly's rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" could be heard over the sound system. The song is extremely upbeat a great bubbly pop song that is a bit odd considering Joni Mitchell's original version is complex and mournful. It was a wonderful feeling since I loved the Carly Rae cover so much. To me, the most well-known version, while more fake, was full of the emotional complexity of the emotional complexities that Joni Mitchell's cover was. I felt conflicted and embarrassed by this idea, but I was constantly thinking about Carly Rae Jepsen as well as Joni Mitchell's renditions of "Both Sides Now" while they conversed. This conversation was later to become the lyrics to "Charlotte ."
In making the script
"I was thinking of the original rendition of "Charlotte" as a radio show, a sort of Joe Frank voyeuristic drama, which was played out in miniature settings that did not employ puppets. I composed the story from the viewpoints of eight characters, who had an intimate or professional relationship that was built around the song "Charlotte." When I took the time to get acquainted with them, Diane as well as Eli were the two I thought were the most interesting, which is why I kept these characters around, alongside Lena and pop star T.Y.M. Once I understood this , and could understand the story I spent much of my hours trying to find the most effective way to weave their stories connect."
on the collaboration in music:
"When I was writing "Charlotte," I always was thinking of the music producer Jenna Caravello in mind. When I wrote the song I also sent Jenna's fictional Rolling Stone interviews featuring Lena Black and some of faux-diary entries. On the basis of this, Jenna wrote the folk tune.
Jenna's song was sent to Zhenya Golikova who I had met on the internet. In 2020, Zhenya covered these voice memo tunes that I composed to a friend, funny and humorous songs about marshmallows and kittens and also missing someone in another country And then Zhenya transformed my songs into stunning ballads. The work she has done has this Magnetic Fields feel, as if that the songs were written under water by wild marine mammal.. I sent her Jenna's song and she got the pop version one week later. . "
In the talk-show segment:
"So many female folk musicians in the 60s and 70s were not given the respect they deserve. People like Vashti Bunyan Karen Dalton, Linda Perrhacs along with The Roches and The Roches were either ignored or relegated to categories such as "freak folk" and weren't treated in the same way as their male counterparts. There's an fascinating paradox in which folk music is associated with modernist ideals but is being involved in a specific kind of unspoken sexual sexism.
When I thought of these artists, I could help but imagine Lena at this strange moment in her career. To stay current, she'd have to participate in the 70s Laurel Canyon lifestyle, party with the right kind of individuals, take the appropriate drugs - all within a society created and conducted by males. In my opinion, she'd want to do that. Perhaps because she had a baby and perhaps she was able to see Through It All. I'm not sure. Maybe it was her grief - which was spread across the course of her entire career. What will happen to the anger of her? What will happen to the anger? out with her daughter? As I thought about these questions, I tried to put together Lena's interaction with Sam to help build her bond with her daughter. "
On developing his unique visual style:
"In my early 20s , I was a professional puppeteer. I did not do good at the art. I'm missing the 8th layer of my brain. It's a fact that it has led to an utter absence of spatial awareness. It was a pity that the idea of creating or manipulating something that was three-dimensional wasn't practical. In the end, I came upon Toy Theater, a type of puppetry that was used in two dimensions in the late 19th century in England. I began to build miniature dioramas from matt board and acrylic, as pop-up book covers. I used digital cameras that live-projected within them, as I told tales of my dog's owner or landlord.
I am obsessed with the small details of things like the barcode on the bag of Doritos, or the look of an McDonald's Happily Meal box. Due to the fact that my brain isn't functioning and my inability to draw clear lines or form objects in a way that is realistic. So, I have this style that is a mix-up of things that are becoming disintegrated and obsessive.
To create the characters, I collaborated with stop motion animators Oliver Levine and Lily Windsor for a more sinister and textural look that was fitting for the film's hand-painted globe. Since I made the film in the midst when the Lockdown was taking place, the team had to work across the country, Lily from Chicago, sending small boxes of llamas as well as Oliver dropping off head-sculptures at my door at Burbank . ">
What's next?
"Currently, I am independently developing a short film about The CGI Livia Soprano from the third season of The Sopranos, as well as the genetic disorder known as BRCA2. I was raised in an Italian American family filled with various eccentricities and personalities However, when I was in my twentys, BRCA2 affected the family connections because of the premature deaths of people in the family.
In the year 2020, I saw The Sopranos for the first time. Every show made me feel I had a conversation with my family again. Now, I am making an film of this event where I recreate home videos in stop-motion . I will then look at Livia Soprano's performances posthumously with regard to my own personal memories of grief . "
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