NATASHA & SAM

Natasha & Sam

Director: Tawny Foskett

Screenwriter: Tawny Foskett & Cast

Genre: Experimental-Narrative

Completed: July 2020

Length: 20-min, 49 sec

Filming Format: Red

Screening Format: DCP or .MOV

Synopsis:

An American and two Quebec girls learn the art of deception as they embark on a dance contract in Japan, where they also must work as hostesses.

This study of a feature, and experiment in collaboration and rehearsals, emerged as the director created her own version of a Sundance Director's Lab and used 'the obstacles as the road'.

FRANCE MAURICE as Natasha, JULIA THOMAS as Samantha

JUSTINE SALETTE and EMMA SALKELD as Brittney

"NATASHA & SAM"

Writer, Director, Producer TAWNY FOSKETT

Director of Photography ALEXANDRE NOUR DESJARDINS

Art Director HELEN PARK

Co-Producer and Co-Editor SIAM OBREGÓN

Composer FÉLIX TELLIER POULIOT

Re-Recording Mixer STÉPHANE CALCE

Director Statement

Natasha & Sam utilizes a façade-like visual appearance. It is filmed entirely in a studio, using minimal sets and props and the actors pretend smoke their cigarettes. It is influenced by the visual design of Dogville by Lars Von Trier, and also Vanya on 42nd Street, by Louis Malle. As with these films, it has sets similar to a play, which merely reference the real and ask the audience to suspend their disbelief.

This film also pulls from an idea witnessed in Luis Buñuel’s That Obscure Object of Desire, in which two actresses share the central role. In this incarnation of Natasha & Sam, two actors split the role of Brittney - the third main character.

This incarnation of Natasha & Sam is both its own short film, and also a proof-of-concept (though with a different visual style) to my feature of the same name.