Unravelling the Layers of Trauma - Ex Memoria | Featured Filmmakers Series
Director Devany Greenwood is a storyteller, poet, actor, and filmmaker whose first short film, a proof of concept for her feature script Into The Thicket, has been having a successful run on the festival circuit. After premiering at an Oscar-qualifying festival it was nominated for a Best Female Director award, and won Best Fantasy Short of the Year at IndieX Film Festival in Los Angeles. But her next film project Ex Memoria a horror-drama film that explores sexual trauma, the fragmentation of memory, and the complexity of intimacy through the female gaze is currently in the midst of its crowd-funding campaign. I spoke to Devany about the film, how her experience shaped the story, and the importance of centring the camera lens on difficult topics.
Be advised this article contains discussion of Sexual Abuse and Trauma
After returning to her childhood home following her parents' death, Isabelle grapples with haunting hallucinations that uncover a history of sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Despite her desperate attempts to suppress the past, she ultimately loses grasp on reality and becomes entrapped by her traumatic memories. A poignant topic for the world’s current climate the film will have a dark atmosphere, working with colours and lighting to create feelings of oppression and isolation.
Director Devany Greenwood
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about why you specifically wanted to make this film?
“Most of my work is primarily rooted in poetics, exploring the feminine and unravelling the many layers of trauma. In keeping with that, Ex Memoria is a horror-drama film that explores sexual trauma, the fragmentation of memory, and the complexity of intimacy through the female gaze. Having struggled with Complex-PTSD, and the ripple effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), I was compelled to create a piece that leans into those darker corners of the soul. While the story itself is fictitious, the feelings at its core are very real. I have always been fascinated by how porous my own memory has become - for me, reminiscence and reality seamlessly coalesce into one until it is difficult to distinguish between them. At times, I worry that I will become wholly trapped inside of a memory.
Another aspect I set out to explore is the way sexual abuse (especially when it occurs at such a young age) can irrevocably poison the foundation for sexual growth and permanently alter our understanding of intimacy. While there is no shortage of films tackling PTSD and sexual abuse, I have yet to see a film that deeply explores the intersection of trauma and intimacy. Because my own childhood sexual abuse was a repressed memory for 21 years, I have felt the echoes of abuse without any cognizant understanding of them. The touch of a lover would make me flinch, and set my skin ablaze, and I wouldn’t know why. Then, I realized that my understanding of intimacy was completely skewed. For me, love could not be translated physically. I yearned for that tenderness, but the somatic memories would not allow it. In relationships, this creates deep isolation for both partners, and I feel it is equally important to highlight the loved one’s struggle.
My hope is that our film will serve as a cautionary tale that, while there are ways to move through the trauma and to process it healthily, it requires not only the strength to confront it but also the courage to let your partner in.”
Q: The film draws from your personal experience in what ways do you expect that to affect the filmmaking process?
“Much of filmmaking is drawn from personal experience, and it typically informs the film more deeply. For Ex Memoria, I expect that drawing on my own experience will deepen the visceral portrayal of the ripple effects of CSA and C-PTSD, create unique space for an authentic portrayal of each character’s emotional journey, and colour the nuance and beauty of the story in a way that might not otherwise be feasible. As the film tackles confronting and difficult subjects, we have partnered with Hire Survivors Hollywood to ensure the physical, mental, and emotional safety of all cast and crew, in addition to having an intimacy coordinator present on set.”
Hire Survivours Hollywood is an organisation that was founded to support victims of sexual abuse from career retaliation once going public with what they’ve experienced. The organisation encourages film industry practitioners to take their pledge not to discriminate against survivors and #silencebreakers in the hiring process and is working toward creating a more equitable and safer working environment for filmmakers.
Q: How did the partnership with Hire Survivor’s Hollywood come about and what are you hoping this partnership will achieve?
“The partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood came about because we were very conscious of both wanting to support the survivor community, and ensuring that our set is always professional, safe, and supportive. We reached out to HSH to enquire about partnering with them as consultants on the film, in addition to taking the HSH pledge, and it turned out that our goals very much aligned with the goals of HSH. We are hoping this partnership will break down the stigma around survivors sharing their stories and show that hiring survivors to tell our own stories is not only crucial to the process but also to how powerful the film itself can be. As a low-budget film, we also hope that we can be a leading example to other filmmakers that HSH is accessible to filmmakers at every budget level, and customizable to every production.”
Attached to the project currently is a series of other talented women filmmakers including award-winning cinematographer Naomi Amarger, design aficionado Production Designer Stephanie Jöens, and BAFTA member composer Joanna Karselis among many others.
Q: Was it a conscious decision to try and include mostly women in your crew or did you find that it just happened naturally?
“I never consciously seek out women, but I inherently gravitate towards them. The stories in my films are unapologetically feminine, and these types of stories need more women at the helm. That is a hill I am more than willing to die on. The female gaze is not just a concept. It is a very real, very tangible lens through which women’s stories are told, and including mostly women in my crew is imperative to telling these stories with the softness, nuance, and vulnerability inherent in the female gaze.”
Currently in pre-production, Ex Memoria plans to start shooting in October this year in LA once hitting its crowd-funding goals. The next steps include locking down locations, hiring the remaining crew, locking down the script and beginning rehearsals plus all the other bits that come along with planning a film production. The film’s crowdfunding campaign can be found on Seed and Spark with only 9 days left to donate (at the time of writing) the end goal sits at $10,000, which will mainly go to making sure the crew and cast get to be paid fairly for their work on the film. Consider donating to the project via the link below.