Filmmakers from Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Official Selection "Smile Little Ladybug"
AFC Episode 369
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Intro:
Hey, and welcome to episode 369 of the show. This week we have Laura Asherman and Andrea Zoppo from short film Smile Little Ladybug, which played recently at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. And talk about making a documentary from both sides of the camera, the world of clowning, and much more. Hope you enjoy the interview and I'll see you in the intermission.
Chuck:
All right. Welcome, Andrea. Laura, thanks for coming on the show. Why don't you guys introduce yourselves real quick so we can get some names and voices going? And just a little bit about your role in the film.
Laura:
Okay, I'll go first. My name is Laura Asherman, and I am the director of Smile Little Ladybug.
Andrea:
Yay. My name is Andrea Zoppo, otherwise known as Miss Ladybug. And I am in the film Smile Little Ladybug.
Laura:
I think we can say you're the star.
Andrea:
I'm a star. Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much, Laura, for making me a star.
Chuck:
Well, tell us a little bit about the story of Smile Little Ladybug.
Laura:
All right. Well, it's really a story about Andrea and her grandfather. And it's a short film. It's 16 minutes long. It's a documentary, and it's about Andrea today, who is a wonderful children's educator, gardener, Queen and clown, how her grandfather Herbert Home, was a big inspiration for her and Andrea. Yeah. Feel free to add into that.
Andrea:
Wowie zowie, thank you for the kind words. Yes. It's about my relationship with my grandfather in the ways that it helped direct and be a guidepost for my mission in life. My mom was also a clown. And so it's sort of this beautiful juxtaposition between what we can do with some of these heavy subjects and intergenerational stories, specifically around the Holocaust. And so this beautiful film that Laura made kind of shares that in a very short and concise way. I think it's only like 1516 minutes. And you hear the story of my grandfather and my family being able to escape the Holocaust and then seeing what me and my mom, how we were inspired by the messages around our faith and Judaism, specifically the message of takuno, which means to help repair the world and how we translate that into our lives through clowning. Oh, my gosh.
Chuck:
Laura, how did you stumble upon this story?
Laura:
Well, I actually remember the moment very well because I was typing with my good friend Michelle, and she already knew Andrea, and we were kind of brainstorming documentary ideas. And, oh, I forgot to mention, Michelle is the producer of the film. And Michelle talked about Andrea and her Wacky family, which was made up of clowns and great characters, and that her grandfather was a Holocaust survivor who at the time was still alive. And of course, that piqued my interest and I immediately wanted to meet Andrea and hear more firsthand about her family and her clowning and, of course, her grandfather. And when we set up a meeting, that was probably two years before we actually started making the film, maybe a year, but it was a significant amount of time before we were able to start shooting and raise a little bit of money to get started. But I immediately thought that Andrea just an incredible person and totally warm and unusual in the best way possible. So my documentary brain just went spinning, and I tried to apply for tons of grants and see how we could make this.
Chuck:
Andrea talking a little bit about was this your first starring role and what was the experience like?
Andrea:
Definitely my first, I guess, starring role in a film, for sure. I've gotten to be a part of some little things about nature and gardening and food and different things. It was wild. You know, I think having some film crew follow you around is always kind of like wild, surreal experience. And Laura and Michelle visited the different places that I clown around and teach at. That was really interesting, especially if I show up and people are like, who are these people with the cameras? Oh, my goodness. And I'm like, oh, it's nothing. They're just hanging out. Don't worry. I think what was interesting for me is specifically having this lens to share, but also a lens on me, myself and my family helped me connect even deeper to my own story. When people find your story interesting and they elevate your voice, it makes you feel like you're special and that you take more time to reflect on the different things that brought you here. Given that with the Holocaust and the circumstances around my grandfather, there's very specific circumstances on how I'm even alive today and getting to do the work I get to do in this country. So it helped me reflect and ask questions and even learn more about those special circumstances and connect me more in a deeper level with my family and specifically my grandfather, even after he passed. So I'm so grateful to Laura and the opportunity to share the story.
Laura:
Thank you, Andrea. And I have to say, making a film about a person is really hard because you have to do it so carefully. And when you're working, especially with intergenerational stories, every family has some baggage. So you have to find this balance of getting intimate with the family and really seeing their vulnerabilities and also not doing damage by making the film. And sometimes different family members are going to have different opinions about this or not really know if they can trust us, the film crew, because who are we? They've never heard of us. So I'm so grateful that you let us in, Andrea, because I'm sure along the way you were probably questioning or your family was questioning it's. Like, do these people really have a good intent? Are they going to tell our story with dignity and honesty? And hopefully that's what we were able to accomplish. But we couldn't have done that without their support and their agreement in this mutual relationship that took several years to foster and several more years to make the film.
Andrea:
That's so true. It really opened my eyes to how we have our inner we all have our own relationships with our family members, and they differ and specifically intergenerational. My relationship with my grandfather is very different than my mom's relationship with her father. And I think that this film and this experience and the process of it helped me better understand that. And I think a lot of people can relate with that, like being a parent and being a grandparent are very different things. And I think my mom, as a clown didn't feel as supported by her father. She was like, maybe felt like, oh, my dad's not proud of me because I'm a clown. But then I felt like my grandfather was so proud of me and loved that I did Clown.
Laura:
Yeah. And even including your mom in the film and she is in the film, she has a couple of short scenes. We really went back and forth so much in the editing process of how much to include because she mentioned some of those things in her interview that she didn't always feel the support and love of her father. And then when he remarried his new wife. And that was something that was really interesting because your mom is this fascinating, super unusual person for her. She clearly comes from a darker place when she does this thing, which is putting on a mask and being fun and silly in front of children. So it's kind of like her relationship to comedy is very complex, and we wanted to explore that. But also we didn't want to make this a feature length film or take away from the central message, which was more about your grandfather and how you gleaned so much of your inspiration from him. So that was just something that we went back and forth on so much in the editing process.
Chuck:
Well, I'm really curious about something you said, Laura, about gaining that trust. Andrea, from your perspective, how did Laura and everybody gain your trust? Was it something in particular or just the passage of time, maybe talk a little bit about that?
Andrea:
I think it was a lot of time. I think it takes time to build relationships. And I think people don't realize that these are passion projects. And if you are an artist, this is something that you care about and you're making an art form. And I don't think a lot of people know what that process is. I think when they hear, like, film and what's the story, maybe they think they're being exploited or something. What are they getting out of this? Do you know what I mean? Yeah. And so I kept trying to explain. I'm like, nobody's getting anything out of anybody. Nobody's trying to make a buck off of you or your story. It's not like that. It's an art project, and we're all making art together, and our lives are art, and these are artists, and their lives are art and they're showcasing these beautiful stories. And so I think it just took time for them to understand the process of what it is to make indie films and what it is to make art. And I was so pleased. I didn't share a lot with my family and only until recently, when the film is out in the film festival world. My mom asked to watch the film, and I was nervous. Like, I was really nervous about it. And I never know I never know what she's going to think about something. She's always a surprise. And she saw the film and she enjoyed it, and I was just elated. It just took so much. She enjoyed it and she thought it was good and wanted to share it. So I just thought, wow, I was stressed out for no reason. But yeah, I think that it does take time and understanding. I mean, a lot of people don't understand maybe the process of these type of filmmaking. Only the big, big films are money makers, I imagine.
Laura:
And one thing I want to add to that, I have this memory, Andrea, of when I was staying over at your house last year and in between filming, and we were just sitting there and talking, and it was kind of this revelation moment for me and you, maybe to an extent where we kind of talked about the fact that you are cast as the star in a story that I am telling about you, but it's your story, but I'm the one creating it. And there's so much more to your story and to your family. And this is just one angle looking into that scene through my lens. And I think that's something that's really important in documentary as a genre, that this is not the whole truth. The director's fingerprint for whoever is making that film is going to be all over the film, even if it's presented as an objective story that does not exist in documentary. So this was really my art project about my understanding of Andrea.
Intermission:
Hey, and welcome to the Intermission. This is Chuck breaking in with some quick announcements. Next Monday, film bar. Monday will be a Trackside Tavern indicator remember to head there for food and drinks and fun, not necessarily networking. Leave those business cards at home. This Saturday, I'll be at Kennesaw State University's Geek Week for their alcohol conference. I'm hosting a panel on getting into the world of podcasting. So if you have any questions about that, I've got some really great guests that are going to talk about their shows and how they broke in and give tips and tricks and all that kind of stuff. Plus, come for the whole conference, there's going to be cosplay competition, all sorts of cool stuff. You can find a QR code on our socials where you can register. And coming up in May 10, specifically, my script, Eight Bit Bloodsport, will be read live in person in front of a live studio audience at Roll Call Theater. It's going to be a lot of fun. I've somehow roped a crazy, insane amount of talent into reading the script, so you don't want to miss it. I'll wait for Roll Call to announce everything before I tell you who's in it, but it's nuts. It's kind of crazy. Some of your favorite shows will be represented on stage reading the script, so hope to see you there. It's May 10, it's Tuesday, so come on out and can't wait to see you. And finally, I need to tell you about our sponsors, Element Certified Public Accountants and Consultants. If you're looking to make a life change, get in some different work. Are you really good at math and numbers and money and that kind of thing? Something I'm clearly not good at because I can barely talk about it. Well, Element and its sister company, Storyboard Financial Services, are hiring production accountants. If you're looking for entry level clerks and production accountants, assistance and keys. Full time positions include health benefits, retirement benefits and immediate room for growth. If you're interested, please contact Element by visiting Element Cpas.com. Now, if you're unfamiliar with Element, they provide production accounting, tax services for filmmakers, tax credit audits, individual and corporate tax return preparation, loan out, company creation, all sorts of stuff. Vital services for every filmmaker out there. So save the drama for the set. Let Element take the burden of tax and accounting off your back, especially if you haven't done your taxes yet. It's very close to being that time, so get it done. Visit them at Element Cpas.com. Whether you need money help or you would like to provide money help as a job, Elementcpas.com Element fluent in your language. All right, I hope you're enjoying the interview with Lauren and Andrea. It's great talking to them. If you haven't yet, make sure you head over to Patreon.com Afcindiefilm, where you can find their Patreon exclusive and get it a week early. Get it for as low as one dollars a month. There's other options, including a shout out on the show. Thanks to Ken Merit for getting that one. There's literally hours of content over there you're missing if you haven't been over there. So go check it out. Patreon.com/afcindiefilm. All right. I'm going to get you back to show, make sure you're still working on your stuff, writing, directing, acting, whatever it is you're doing, even if you're still holed up in your room, whatever you got going on, the only way to keep moving forward is to keep working on stuff. Eventually you're going to get there. Persistence is key. All right. See you next week.
Chuck:
Yeah. On that note, talk a little bit about choosing what to because I've talked to so many documentary makers, and they always talk about just the sheer amount of footage that they have and trying to decide, like you said, the little bit of reality to portray. So talk a little bit about that and maybe was there some stuff that you hated to cut but you knew that it just didn't fit?
Laura:
You know, I know what those filmmakers are talking about. I've been in that situation a lot. And while, of course, we filmed dozens of hours for a film that was 16 minutes long with this project, we were really limited by the pandemic because about 90% of our production happened during the pandemic where we were unsure of how much we could be around each other. I was actually living elsewhere and commuting to Atlanta. Once a month or so, almost all of Andrea's in person shows were canceled. So if anything, we were kind of desperately trying to get more footage to see where this could go. But yes, of course, we had to kill our Darling. And I think the area that I wanted to explore more than most and ultimately decided it wasn't going to really be necessary for this film was looking into Barbara, Andrea's mom's journey and character.
Andrea:
Oh, yeah, that would have been just that fascinating. But yeah, to add to what Laura just said, I think we started filming in November or December prep pandemic. And because of that, the lighting is more drab, like the weather is more drab going. I do a lot of outdoor clowning and performing and fun stuff. And it wasn't the right palette, so to speak, to really showcase. I think we first saw some of the first cuts, me and my close, my close people, they just were like, this needs more Sunshine. But it really was literally like it needed more Sunshine because the Holocaust and my grandfather's story is a very emotional story, and I bring a lot of light to the work with the work I do. So, like showcasing that light. And then that we started it before the pandemic, and then the filming started before the pandemic, and then we're filming and then the pandemic hits. I think that was a real big challenge. And then also I think Laura can speak about the decision on whether or not to include the Pandemic in the documentary.
Laura:
That was challenging because we had footage before the Pandemic without masks. And we were wondering, do we even address it in such a short amount of time in the real world? And I think ultimately we chose not to because it was a short film and there was footage from before Masks, and that would have just taken it into a whole another direction, which could totally warrant a film. But we really with the short amount of time in trying to tell parallel storylines, we just decided not to go into the pandemic. And I'm kind of glad because there's so much sadness all around us. We open the newspaper, we look online, we look on Twitter or Instagram. It's all just so much bad news. And what drew me to Andrea is her life and is this positive, warm outlook and this kind of hopeful attribute in which she teaches children how to make the world a better place. And I really wanted to capture that and that happiness. And even though Herbert's story has some really sad parts, we didn't want to dwell on how messed up the world is right now.
Andrea:
Oh, yeah. Ultimately, my grandfather, his message is definitely super positive. It's action focused. What are we going to do? How do we make this a better world? And, like, let's do it. That's what we need to do.
Chuck:
Well, we say that this is your first starring role, but really, whenever you're doing a show, you are the star of that show to the audience that's there maybe talk a little bit about that. Comparing the two art forms, did you see anything similar in doing this film versus your shows as a clown?
Andrea:
That's a great question. Because of my upbringing, I kind of feel like I was sort of pushed onto a stage, if that makes sense. I felt like that was a path that I was put on, so to speak. I mean, as a young person, I would go with my mom as her clown assistant or magician helper, carrying rabbits and different things, even dressing up like fuzzy characters. I'm not sure if we were supposed to dress up like these particular well known pop culture characters. I think Winnie the Pooh is safe to say because that's an older one. But I was Winnie the Poo and many other beloved children fuzzy characters. And so that was sort of my high school time. And so performing on stage with children and how that developed in me has always been a really intimate relationship with my audience. And so when I am on stage I really look into the eyes of the people in the audience, and it's a really strong connection for me. I can see and read a lot from the energy that we exchange. So it is a completely different experience than being on a film. Film is. There isn't really that exchange. Actually, I don't see the exchange at all. It's more of this kind of void you're looking into. And I find it much more challenging to look into, avoid and perform and look into the sparkles in people's eyes. And that being said, the pandemic was exceptionally challenging, even though I was offered online teaching opportunities and online thing. It's not the same, of course, as having that live audience engagement and connection. It really does feel more of a collaboration, even though, as you said, I'm the star on stage. I feel like it's a relationship that I'm working with, and I will pivot very quickly if I don't see the sparkle. That's why it's so important that you come out to now that we're having some in person screenings, that we have one where you can be there and see people reacting to the film. Because I have to say, as an independent filmmaker, that is the biggest reward that you get from it is watching people react to your employee.
Chuck:
I don't think I've heard anything more apt when you said it's difficult to look into the void and be creative. And I'm a screenwriter, so I'm sitting at home most of the time literally doing that, and that's so, like on the nose. Give me a shiver. So, man. All right, thank you for that new quote for my life. But that's very true. It's very true. There's that instant gratification where maybe you tell a joke or something and somebody instantly laughs. That is just like, yes, here we go.
Andrea:
It's so nice. It's fuel it's. So fuel it's like, yeah, it keeps you going. Be careful chucking the void out there.
Chuck:
Plus, you mentioned about your mom and the family lineage. My buddy Raymond Carr, you might know Raymond. Yeah. His parents were clowns, and he just talks about his interesting life growing up. And of course, he became a pretty famous puppeteer working on huge shows and stuff. So it's not quite the same, but still feels at least next to it, perpendicular, whatever it is, parallel. There we go. So, yeah, there's just something to be said about growing up in that crazy life and saying, well, actually, that's a good question. Growing up, I imagine other kids were like, you must have the craziest life. But to you it was probably just like, well, I'm carrying rabbits and stuff on stage. This is just what we're supposed to do, right?
Andrea:
Oh, gosh, it was hard, I think now, like, in the last ten years, for sure, and even maybe 1520 years, circus arts and clowning. Clowning has a bad rap on its own with just the scary movies and all that. But, I mean, clowning is such got a rich, beautiful history. It's really worth taking some time to look into the history of clowning. But as far as the circus arch and that sort of stuff, I think only recently has it become sort of cool, quote, unquote cool. Like, oh, wow, you can juggle or something. That's cool. But that wasn't cool when I was growing up. It was not cool. It wasn't cool being the clown daughter. I probably went through my all black stage in third or fourth grade. I kind of was a little bit I guess I don't know what you call it, but I just was a little bit questioning. You question reality question. When Laura was mentioning the masks that we wear, like how we put on a happy face and all that, and I kind of, like process a lot of that early on. Like hypocrisy. Yes. Luckily, I did it early on. It helped me get through it. That's good.
Chuck:
Yeah. That's great. We'll tell everybody where to find information about the film and so we can keep up with all these screening dates so we can go check it out and websites and your own personal stuff you want to throw out there.
Laura:
Oh, yeah. Okay. So the film's website is www.smileliteladybug.com. Pretty easy to remember. And there we have all of our upcoming screenings and festivals. And we definitely are looking forward to doing something in Atlanta again after awesome screening at the Atlantic Jewish film festival. But we want to do something in person. So we'll keep you posted that way. And you can check me out on Instagram at foragefilm.
Andrea:
I'm on Instagram. Follow Ladybug. Follow Ladybug. And I have a website of follow ladybug.com. The most exciting thing we're doing right now is we're doing these, like, silly, fun, giant eco puppet shows and I'm about to bring out my old stage a giant shoe and we're going to have, like, little puppets popping out of the shoe and telling you fun facts about the world and the environment and yeah, so follow Ladybug. You can find me.
Chuck:
You had me at puppet. Well, I really appreciate you all coming on and tell me about this and good luck with this film and all your future projects.
Laura:
Thank you so much.
Andrea:
Thank you. You too, Chuck out there in the void.