North Shore Towers Courier n September 2016 13 Talking Pictures Films Showing on Tuesday, September 13 STUCK IN MUTE by Shane Muewissen—A young woman’s “Selective Mutism” disorder causes her to live in isolation. It’s not until making unlikely friends with a young boy that she begins to realize that every word counts. How did you find yourself getting into filmmaking? The ability to tell visual stories through film has always attracted me. As a young boy, I would spend hours using our camcorder to make experimental movies. Ever since then, It’s just stuck with me. What inspired you to make this film? In researching the idea of social anxiety, I discovered a condition called “Selective Mutism.” I was immediately drawn to the subject and was shocked that there were few films broaching the topic. Right then I knew I had to make a film that explored it. What do you hope to achieve with this film? This film has been a great opportunity to introduce people to what it’s like to live with Selective Mutism. Our audiences are mostly made up of people who have never heard of “Selective Mutism.” Simply introducing people to the condition is a great achievement. What’s next in your career? Currently, I’m working on screenwriting a feature film. I have a few stories and I’m exploring and look forward to processing one of them in the next couple of years. FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE by Tal Greenberg—Through the stories of three couples in different phases of their lives in the hospital on the same day, the film examines the boundary between love and dependence, between habit and choice, and asks, “In relationships, what is true love?” How did you find yourself getting into filmmaking? In elementary school I studied drama and acting. By the time I was 10, I was sure I was going to be the next Julia Roberts. My teacher didn’t think the same and made me feel as if I wasn’t good enough. Then I realized my heart, confidence and will were not strong enough to be an actress, so in high school I switched to filmmaking class. It was love at first sight. What inspired you to make this film? Coming out of a 4-year relationship made me wonder about the reasons people stay together. Do we choose to be with our partners or are we just used to being with them, and what’s the difference between love and dependence. After my grandma passed away from cancer, my grandfather told me about her last night at the hospice. In the middle of the night, she suddenly grabbed his hand and asked him to let her go. He nodded with tears in his eyes. The next morning, she passed away. I was amazed by this story and thought about my grandfather. After 50 years together, the love of his life left him alone. I wondered if his tears were because of my grandmother’s passing or because he is now left alone… Then by cosmic timing, I stumbled upon Yehuda Amichai’s beautiful poem, “People use each other…” That poem has completed my inspiration for the film. What do you hope to achieve with this film? To make people think of their life and the choices they make. Love comes in many shapes, and many shapes pretend to be love. What’s next in your career? After this film, I made another short film, called “Kapunka,” which is now participating in film festivals around the world. These days, I’m in a race to complete another short film, called “A Morning at the Museum.” In the meantime, I’m working on the script to my first feature film.
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