‘I’ll See You There’ is a dramatic student short film, directed by Moris Zingman. It is about an impending doomsday of the world featuring characters Jess and James planning a romantic suicide pact by taking suicide pills while exploring the themes of faith, hope, and love. We caught up with Moris Zingman with an interview on this short film.
UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): How did you come up with this concept for the storyline?
Moris Zingman (MZ): I came up with the whole concept during the major lockdown in Los Angeles when many people felt that the world will never be the same again. The pandemic brought with it the nationwide panic and the aspect of unknown threat that I found particularly fascinating. It helped me to create an idea of an apocalyptic story in which the apocalypse is more of a psychological danger rather than a physical threat.
(UM): What are your thoughts on suicide used in this film?
(MZ): An element of suicide, which is a very sensitive subject, is shown in this story in order to highlight the fear of death that the majority of people in this world ultimately posses in one way or another. It is also an important tool for highlighting the love that Jessica has with James as it symbolizes the bond between them and their mutual fear of the apocalypse, similarly with the character of a psychologist in a film.
(UM): Have you received any controversial responses to those watching this film?
(MZ): Honestly speaking, I have only received a few controversial responses from people that have watched the film, with some stating the dark tone, depressive mood and ending to be uncomfortable aspects of the film, while the majority highlighted the same points to be of particular interest. While developing the story and making a film I always had in mind the idea that it might divide people and their thoughts on the story given the subject of the film, which did not stop me from making it and bringing the story that I deeply care about to screen.
(UM): What kind of emotions did you want the viewers to feel when watching this short film?
(MZ): I believe that it is not appropriate for me to have an expectation of particular emotions the audience will experience while watching this film, however, considering the fact that it is a drama story, I would want them to relate to it by also considering it like one. For me, the sole purpose of art is to produce an emotion, regardless of what actually it might be. Moreover, while creating my films I try to ask a question to a viewer with regards to “what he/she will do in this particular circumstances”, in this case especially in the ending of the film. This is the most important aspect of storytelling for me.
(UM): How did the cast members feel about this script?
(MZ): The cast members were extremely excited to work with this script as my main actors constantly brought in new ideas about their characters, their wardrobe and performance. All of them did an amazing job with the amount of preparation for the shoot and I can not be any more grateful to them for their work.
(UM): How long did the project take for you to complete?
(MZ): The whole production took place over the course of three nights in Los Angeles. We managed to spend this small amount of time due to the close distance between locations and efficient pre-production with my director of photography.
(UM): Can you explain the meaning behind James washing his head
under a sink?
(MZ): For me, the opening of the film immediately sets up and explains the psychology of the main character James for the audience. By washing his head in the sink he is trying to “wash away” the thoughts of an unstoppable disaster that is going to happen and distance himself from the horrors of the apocalypse. It also explains his actions later in the story, as he feels distant and much less emotionally drawn into the action in comparison with his girlfriend Jessica.
(UM): Given the sensitivity of the topic of suicide, have you considered adding a suicide line for those who may be triggered by the topic?
(MZ): Me and my producer were talking about that a lot and as soon as the film will be released for general public a suicide line will be added in the description fo the film to ensure that the sensitivity of such subject will not do any harm to the audience.
(UM): What other future projects are you working on?
(MZ): At the moment I am working on a short film Marie, set to be filmed in the end of February, which focuses on the relations between two sisters, as the older sister Marie works as a prostitute to support the family, which creates conflict between the two, as they dream of escaping the seedy environment they live in. It tackles the issue of materialistic values vs human values, family drama, jealousy and how actions that are considered ethical and righteous might do harm in a right perspective.
(UM): Which film festivals will be screening (or have screened) your
short film?
(MZ): My team is still in the process of sending my film to many festivals and therefore, I am not able to tell you exactly what festivals will screen it. Stay tuned!