A Queer Short Film in Paris: Behind a Group of Friends’ First Production
When it comes to creating a film, what are the first things you think of?
I’m going to guess and say it goes something like arts degrees, sets, professional actors, studios, industry experience, fancy equipment, and let’s not forget money (and quite a bit of it).
What might not come to mind is a few friends navigating living in Paris and their idea that hey, making a movie based on this experience of intense vulnerability, humility, growth, and self-exploration could be pretty cool.
And that, my friends, is how l’Apprenante was born, and how I, Cordelia Hare, with no film-related experience whatsoever, became a producer on it.
Furthermore, L’Aprennante, which translates from French into The Learner, is a short film written and directed by Angelique Axelrode and starring Tatiana Ringsby. The entire project was executed in a matter of weeks as the clock was ticking until Angi’s flight back to the United States. Somehow, that only motivated us.
With such an exciting project underway, Tatchi joined in on the fun and made the trip to Paris all the way from Hawaii to be our star. We shot the film over two days using mixed digital media footage and 16 mm film. Our cinematographer, Oriane Brunello, played a crucial role in the film creation process.
Now, hopefully, you are wondering what our film is about. So, to provide some context, here is our synopsis:
L’Apprenante, which is also the name of our protagonist, is about an American college student in the process of “finding herself abroad” in Paris. She takes French classes to immerse herself in the culture, even though her accent is tragique.
During one class, she struggles to recount her weekend where she goes to a Parisian party and meets La Femme; a girl she is immediately drawn to. Thus, as L’Apprenante navigates the discomfort of learning a new language, she also navigates the discomfort of discovering her own queerness.
Her inability to get out of her head inhibits her not only from improving her French, but also from being vulnerable with La Femme.
Will she ever be able to commit to the accent and make a move? Impossible n’est pas français.
Below you will find interviews with both our behind-the-scenes and on-screen stars, Angi and Tatchi. They discuss everything from navigating change, to queerness, to the importance of socially responsible media, and of course, filmmaking.
We hope this will provide a little bit of inspiration for anyone looking to get their creative juices flowing or anyone just looking for a fun and entertaining read — which is totally allowed too!
Angi - Writer + Director
L’Apprenante explores the intersection between coming-of-age and coming out, both of which are likened to the experience of learning a new language. How much did your personal experiences inform the writing of this short?
L’Apprenante is basically about my experience being a “baby gay” and how awkward and vulnerable I felt during this queer stage of development. It felt like trying to learn a new language, one as intimidating as French, without any written instruction. I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing, being “too straight”, or, god forbid, being rejected, that I couldn’t get out of my head. It was like trying to immerse yourself in language class but refusing to commit to the accent for fear of embarrassment. Long story short: it doesn’t work. There is no growth without vulnerability. That seemed to be my biggest lesson of 2022 when I wrote the short. I was living with a family friend in Paris at the time and felt like I was rediscovering myself- yes, I am admitting to the “abroad changed me” cliché. But living abroad really did push me out of my comfort zone; I never would have decided to take French classes if I wasn’t living in Paris and wanting to hide my American identity. Stumbling over my words in class with fellow expats and blushing after pronouncing “de rien” totally incorrectly made me feel like the self-conscious “baby gay” I used to be. It took me back to my humble beginnings, and I realized that girl who used to “gay panic” all the time still lives inside me. So, I wrote this film for her and am currently developing the concept into a feature length film.
How important is it to you to create socially responsible media? That is, do you believe it is the express duty of artists to create socially responsible material?
Incorporating social impact into my work is extremely important to me. “Media” to me is just a fancy word for communication because that’s all it is at the end of the day- people communicating with each other in different forms. Of course, that’s powerful because we are socially oriented creatures, and I think most people would agree that we should be socially responsible in the ways we communicate with one another. The narratives we tell ourselves and put out into the world are the same narratives that shape our world. Artists should be aware of the messages they’re transmitting and evolve with their work overtime. As we learn and grow as people and as a society, I think it’s critical that we remain open to hearing new messages and lessons that will help our stories build a better world.
But I usually like to focus on whether the creation process of the film was socially responsible versus judging the content of the film itself (the former is much more objective than the latter). I think by focusing on how things are being made, we can define things more easily and set guidelines for creating material that has a positive impact.
Should creators be expected to be the characters they write about?
I expect creators to be self-aware enough to understand the ways in which their own perspective limits their ability to portray characters that inhabit different identities than themselves. Representation in front of the screen is not liberation, especially if there’s no diversity behind the scenes.
Did any films inform your work? Or Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
I watched a lot of French films to prepare for this short and because I was living in Paris. I love French New Wave Cinema - particularly Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard and Cleo from 5 to 7 by Agnès Varda. I just love Agnès Varda so much. She’s such an icon and never took herself too seriously. But I love this era of filmmaking because they were really focused on pushing boundaries rather than the marketability of their stories. Another one of my favorite filmmakers who challenged traditional storytelling is Maya Deren. I remember learning about her in a 16 mm filmmaking class which ignited my love for film. Céline Sciamma, Mati Diop and Claire Denis are also filmmaker idols of mine. Outside of French cinema, Pariah by Dee Rees, Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu, Call Me by Your Name by Luca Guadagnino are some of my favorite queer, coming of age films.
I look up to any indigenous filmmaker reclaiming their voice through their stories. I am really interested in seeing more indigenous directors/writers/producers telling authentic stories from our perspectives and how we can “indigenize” filmmaking.
What’s your favorite part about making films?
I love how collaborative filmmaking is. It’s like playing make believe with your pals but you get paid for it (hopefully more of that coming soon). Like I made this film with the help of creative, beautiful, amazing friends and learned so much about myself and other people throughout the process. I specifically love working with performers. I trained as a dancer for 16 years and admire how vulnerable performing is. Working with Tatchi and Cami on L’Apprenante was so fun because they had such different backgrounds- Tatchi is a trained actor and brought a lot of nuance and playfulness to the role that really helped elevate the short. Cami is not a trained actor but brought such a natural and nonchalant energy to the role. It was really fun to see their energies flow together on set.
Tatchi - Actor
When and how did you get involved in acting?
I’ve been acting since I was in elementary school. Each grade would put on an annual play. The couple months that we rehearsed each year are my fondest memories of school. I’ve been acting ever since.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
I look up to an array of artists in the industry but the one who inspires me most is Meryl Streep. The vulnerability and depth she brings to each character she plays is unmatched.
What do you feel connected you to the character of L’Apprenante?
I think what connects me most to L’Apprenante is our shared curiosity. L’Apprenante has a desire to experience new things that may be frightening at first but ultimately lead her toward personal growth and self-discovery. I live my life very similarly.
Given the popular debates surrounding queer representation in cinema, how important do you think it is for queer actors to play queer characters?
I think it’s incredibly important to have accurate and honest depictions of queer folk and queer relationships on screen. I personally don’t think the actor needs to be queer themself in order to give an honest portrayal of queerness. However, that being said, I think we should prioritize queer and unlabeled actors over straight actors when casting queer characters.
How important is it to you to create socially responsible media? That is, do you believe it is the express duty of artists to create socially responsible material?
What I believe to be socially responsible may not be what someone else would define it as. To the best of my ability, I’ll continue to create what feels true to me. I don’t expect everything I do to be digestible by everyone. As artists it is our job to empathetically express human experience.
How did the media you consumed growing up inform your perception of identity?
Growing up I found the range of identities portrayed in cinema to be incredibly limited and It definitely confused me. There were identities I didn’t even know existed until my late teens when I joined tiktok. I thank the algorithm for aligning me with queer content creators sharing their similar experiences. That's when I first felt normal and began accepting myself. I see myself a lot more in the media these days and am excited to continue to exist publicly and help others like me to feel seen.
What’s your favorite part about making films?
My favorite part about making films is collaborating with others to bring important and meaningful stories to life. My main drive is always telling stories with empathy and truth. I love getting creative and exploring the art that is being human.
What has your experience been with casting as an openly queer actor?
My experience of being an openly queer actor has brought me nothing but growth-provoking experiences thus far. I’ve been given the opportunity to play different queer identities and am beyond excited to play more in the future.
What’s next?
I'm excited for what’s to come. Alongside auditions and looking for my next role, I continue to create lifestyle, beauty and fashion content on social media, model and make art.
Working on L’Apprenante proved to me that with great people, great ideas, and great levels of creativity (to figure out the logistics), anything is possible.
We hope that by hearing our story you will realize that you do not need to be a seasoned professional to create. Everyone has something to say that’s worth listening to and getting your creativity out there doesn’t need to have so many barriers to entry.
Take a chance because usually the worst-case scenario is you’re back where you started with some added wisdom.