The Revelstoke-based Burrell co-wrote and directed the film, and stars as Cleo Brown, a mountain sports activities fanatic, aspiring filmmaker, and reluctant grownup.
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When: Till Jan. 19 at Cineplex Odeon in Tinseltown, Vancouver; on VOD Feb. 6
Katie Burrell’s debut characteristic, Weak Layers, is an indie comedy about three buddies struggling to outlive — and have an excellent time — in a Lake Tahoe ski resort.
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The Revelstoke-based Burrell co-wrote and directed the film, and stars as Cleo Brown, a mountain sports activities fanatic, aspiring filmmaker, and reluctant grownup. We talked to the 35-year-old Burrell about her position within the film, ski movies, and “the thankless machine that’s journey filmmaking.”
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Q: Is it truthful to say that your character Cleo is sort of a den mother to Lucy and Tina, her buddies within the film?
A: Yeah. I’m the den mother, I’m older. You realize, it’s enjoyable to get together in your twenties. After which as you get into your thirties it begins to develop into a bit of bit like cringe. And in addition the central joke of a coming-of-age story in a ski city is that the coming-of-age doesn’t occur till your thirties. I believe that what’s taking place for Cleo in relation to Tina and Lucy at this level in her artwork or her progress is that she begins to see how she doesn’t wish to be like them. I used to be interested by exploring that as a result of numerous instances in films feminine friendships need to be very neat and tidy.
Q: One of many plot factors is how tough the housing state of affairs is within the ski resort they stay in. Is {that a} factor in ski resort cities on the whole?
A: It’s main. Housing is so restricted in ski cities and numerous resorts. Throughout their working seasons there’s this huge inflow of employees, and there’s merely not sufficient housing. One thing that’s additionally occurred within the post-COVID world is that homes are being flipped and other people which are in these homes are getting kicked out. Within the case of those ladies, clearly they’re shitheads they usually throw an outrageous get together that will get them evicted, they usually absolutely need to be evicted. I do know plenty of tales of individuals in ski cities the place there are six individuals in a home they usually’re all attempting to only eke a dwelling.
Q: At one level your character, who’s making a ski movie, asks how a lot function a ski movie ought to have. Do you’ve a solution for that?
A: I’m teasing the trade with that joke. There was — and there continues to be — an actual pattern within the media and ski advertising and marketing that’s all about hero advertising and marketing. It’s very dramatic and intense and severe. However when you take a look at the ski comedies of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and also you take a look at a number of the Shane McConkey stuff that was so in style, they had been so playful. In the end snowboarding is meant to be a leisure exercise.
Dawn
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Q: Why is journey filmmaking a “thankless machine,” as Cleo refers to it within the film?
A: I believe that assertion resonates with lots of people who’ve labored on journey movies. It bought amusing on the Banff Mountain Movie Pageant and the Whistler Movie Pageant. It’s a thankless machine in that the budgets are actually difficult. You’re working with restricted sources and it’s tough work. You’re out within the mountains, you’re mountaineering, you’re carrying gear uphill, you’re making contingency plans for climate that may change straight away. There are such a lot of elements which are totally different than whenever you’re working in a studio or on a correctly resourced movie. The opposite piece of it’s that the crews are small, so that you’re doing a number of issues. And it’s harmful. If you happen to spend numerous time within the mountains and within the again nation you are feeling prefer it’s normalized, however you actually are in a really reactive setting. When issues go improper, they go actually improper.
Q: You moved to Vancouver and did standup right here for a couple of years. Are you out of that sport now?
A: What occurred was COVID. The final correct present I did was in February of 2020. And when COVID hit I went again to Revelstoke to complete making a documentary. I left Vancouver understanding that I wouldn’t do standup for some time. After which two years glided by and now none of my jokes are related to my life. A lot has modified. After I return to it, I’ll have to begin from scratch. I’ll must construct a brand new 5 minutes. Get a good 5. As soon as I’ve a good 5, go from there. It’s undoubtedly one thing I might wish to come again to. However I really feel like filmmaking, and directing and writing and appearing, is extra me.
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