To Have & To Hold Film Spotlight
Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film To Have & To Hold written by Ali Keller and directed by Daniel Gaymon.
What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?
This short is called to have & to hold. It was inspired by what the script was inspired by really. So many of my friends had left the city. And I was meeting all these new people on zoom and they were all over the world. And I wanted to believe that one day I’d be able to give them a hug or a high five again (or for the first time).
Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.
I originally wrote it because I was completing the NYU Tisch/Yellowbrick program, but I ended up submitting something else for that instead. It was inspired by how I felt in the pandemic. I live alone and I love being alone, so the transition into quarantine wasn’t all that hard for me. But then, when friends started to leave, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see them again, I was heartbroken. So, I wrote something that would help me believe that I would. That bonds can’t be broken by distance – they might morph or function differently, but they can’t break.
Plus, I have a ton of work with tragic endings and I wanted to challenge myself and prove to myself that I would write something hopeful.
Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?
Not in particular. It was really inspired by what was going on for me at the time and watching sunrises from my apartment.
What is the goal of the film for you?
My goal is for people to see the film. We had an INCREDIBLE group of people working on this. They are all exceptionally talented and wonderful people and I want everyone to know and love them as much as I do. I would also love it, if that somehow led us to funding a project where I could bring all of them back together to work on something else.
What has the journey been like getting the film into production?
The lead actress, Lisa Purrone, actually reached out to me to see if there was anything of mine that she might be a good fit for and if I’d want to make it with her. I’ve known Lisa for years and she’s incredible so I said yes, immediately and sent her an insane amount of scripts and she was drawn to this one. Then we built the team and started putting things together. We started with Daniel Gaymon, who’s an incredible director and writer and Broadway actor. We were extremely lucky to get him. And then casting Keshav Moodliar, who we knew from In Defense of Civil Society, who is amazing and was also somehow free to do this project. And then the rest of the team just fell into place.
We were supposed to shoot to have & to hold in the summer of 2021, but the week leading up to it, I looked around and thought there are so many big decisions to make and people will be scrambling to get everything done if we power through. So, I spoke with Lisa and we decided to push. It was sad, but what I had learned from other shoots was sometimes it’s better to wait and give people a little more time and support. Sometimes that’s better than making something right now because you want to.
And right after we made that decision, we won grant money to really do it right. And it was a blast. And our post-production team was on an insanely short timeline, but we had as many meetings as we could before we shot. And they are incredible heroes and made something beautiful in like two weeks.
One thing you learned from this project?
You can’t force a project to happen. It’s got its own life and timeline and if you fight with it, you’re in for a rude awakening and stressful experience. But if you do it right, it’s amazing.
How can folks find you and your film online?
My website is AliKellerPlaywright.com – you can basically check in on everything there. Or you can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
@alikeller47 (Instagram)
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-keller-b9b72635/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ali.keller.315
@tohaveandtohold_film (Instagram)
Film facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToHaveAndToHoldShortFilm
Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?
Watch the credits of to have & to hold – write down everyone’s names and then hire them when you’re looking for artists.
Or more globally – choose your team wisely and communicate with them. Great people make the experience great. And it’s not about talented or not, or good person vs. bad person. It’s about how you work and if they will work well with you and that you’re all on the same page. And finding people you communicate well with. Communication is key at every level.
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