BLOOD AND MONKEY Directed By April Hirschman

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?

April: Blood and Monkey is a celebration of the life, loves, and creative impulse of the Mexican and Jewish artist Frida Kahlo.  It’s experimental format allows for various aspects of Kahlo’s life to be illuminated in miniature. As we see glimpses of her relationship with Diego Rivera as well as her female lovers we see a complex artist that focused intensely on self portraiture but even with this legacy her death left masses wondering if they would ever really understand her complex vision.

IE: How did you come up with the idea for the film?

A: April first became interested in Frida in high school.  BLOOD AND MONKEY came out of a gallery art show. The curator gave everyone a frame in which to put whatever art they liked. April used the frame inside her short movie about Frida Kahlo.

IE: How did you assemble your production team?

A:  I solicited all my friends.  It was a small team just makeup, DP, and director.

IE: How did you find your cast? 

A:  Through my belly dance school. I had my belly dance students act in the film and my girlfriend edit it.  This project was very informal and community oriented.

IE: How long did the film take?  (From conception to final edit)

A:  About four months.

IE: Tell us a little about your process of directing (writing) this film.

A:  I was a very new director when I did this.  My DP asked me to write a screenplay and I said “What’s that?”  This film felt very effortless to write.  I just jotted down some notes on images and we acted them out.

IE: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?

A:  When my DP abandoned us for another engagement and hair and make up had to take over the shooting. 

IE: Any particular moments from filming that stand out for you?

A:  There is a sequence where me and the actresses do a series of hand movements that are in sinc.  I forgot we weren’t shooting with sound so I could have simply told them what to do but instead I just did it and had them follow.  I think it added to the organicness of the sequence which is my favorite part of the movie.

IE: Tell us about the film’s festival experience so far?

A:    It won Best Short Film at SF  Video Fest in 2005

IE: What are you most looking forward to at the festival?

A:  Seeing amazing directors and actors and being to shy to talk to them.

IE: What has been your most interesting Q&A so far?  What was your favorite question?  How was the dialogue afterwards?

A:  Well my favorite comment was after my bisexual satire starring my younger sister.  It’s called Shady Bi and showed at frameline afterwards.  One man said “most people portray bisexuals as confused, I thought it was interesting that you portrayed them as sinister.”

IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

A:  Brokeback Mountain, The English Patient, The Two Sides of the Bed, Strictly Ballroom, But I’m a Cheerleader. 

IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?

A:   Making Blood and Monkey and seeing all the places one short film could take me.

 IE: What is next for you? 

A:  My sister Allegra and I are have co-directed a gay comedy called Shafted that is being edited.

IE: What is next for the film?

A:  I hope to hand it to many festival producers during frameline.

IE: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?

A:  Feed people really well and say thank you often.

IE: What question would you like to be asked about your film? 

A:  What was the inspiration for editorial choices?

IE: What is the Answer to that question?

A:  A poem I wrote about Frida.  Don’t worry I am not going to recite it!