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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/untitled-post-baby-project-by-lorna-street-dopson-feat-01.jpg” alt=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” title_text=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Sex, grief, farting in bed next to your partner. These are a few things our society may deem worthy of the title \u201cintimate\u201d. But childbirth?<\/p>\n
It happens thousands of times a day and the cousin or aunt greets the newborn with adoring comments and comparisons to dad and mom. Then what happens after\u2013that relationship between mother and child\u2013is often overlooked by the rest of us, and it\u2019s one of the most primal, challenging human experiences of intimacy.<\/p>\n
Imagine sharing the most vulnerable moments of that experience with the world.<\/p>\n
This is the basis of Lorna Street Dopson\u2019s fifteen-minute short film Untitled Post-Baby Project<\/a>, which was created and directed by Lorna Street Dopson<\/a> during the pandemic and won the prestigious 2020 Louisiana Film Prize<\/a>. Lorna is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana<\/a>, and a prolific presence in the Louisiana film scene. She is also a producer, script supervisor and actress in dozens of productions, including the recently released social media mockumentary Phony<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/untitled-post-baby-project-by-lorna-street-dopson-scr-2-res1.jpg” alt=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” title_text=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Untitled Post-Baby Project is an open, realistic depiction of a mother\u2019s postpartum experience depicting the most vulnerable struggles in the months after birth. Where a casual observer might see a cute baby, the film shows a woman\u2019s private battle with self-image, with domestic life, and with maintaining her self-worth through it all.<\/p>\n Untitled Post-Baby Project was the first film to ever win the Lousiana Film Prize<\/a> that was authored by a woman director. It also screened at the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival<\/a> and the New Orleans Film Festival<\/a>. We spoke to Lorna about shooting the film, her creative process, and what it was like to share such an intimate journey with the world.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Untitled Post-Baby Project had a very realistic, transparent tone of, \u201cHere I am, here\u2019s my experience \u2013 there\u2019s nothing hidden here.\u201d How much of the film did you methodically plot out as story, and how much of it is, \u201cthis is just me – this is basically a visual diary\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “It was all plotted out as story, but I pulled very much from personal experiences, and I wanted it to feel like you were watching someone\u2019s life unfold, like you were seeing inside their private space and they didn\u2019t know it (a bit of voyeurism, I guess). So while the story is very much my own, with a few tweaks here and there, I still needed and wanted a trajectory, I didn\u2019t necessarily want it to feel like there wasn\u2019t an ending. And my journey certainly didn\u2019t stop once we had a jogging stroller (laughing)”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n At what point did you realize that you wanted this experience to be a film. Was it pre-pregnancy, during the postpartum months?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Postpartum, for sure lol! That is my actual child in the film. Um, you know I didn\u2019t really realize it was something I wanted to talk about until my partner and I decided we\u2019d go ahead and shoot something for Film Prize that year. The more I thought about it, the more I realized maybe WHY some of my postpartum struggles had felt so heavy, and that was that no one really shines a light on how hard things can be. Yes, you hear that it\u2019s gonna be hard, but until you live it there\u2019s really no way to understand what that means. And at least for me, no one was talking about how you were expected to bounce back, or that the Zoloft wasn\u2019t gonna cure everything, or that you\u2019d sneeze and pee your pants FOR MONTHS (even years) after you give birth. It became this way for me to get things off my chest and also let all my mom friends know that if I was suffering, they probably were too, and if they wanted to talk, well so did I. I feel very much like we only see one side of the postpartum struggle, and it usually involves a mom with a messy bun and cute nails talking about how she adds protein to her breakfast shake in order to get through the day, but that\u2019s not what the struggle looks like! It looks like unwashed hair, piles of dirty laundry, and maybe not doing everything \u201cthe perfect mom\u201d would do (because we\u2019re tired, y\u2019all).”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/untitled-post-baby-project-by-lorna-street-dopson-scr-3-res.jpg” alt=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” title_text=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n What\u2019s your relationship with the cast? Is that your real family or did you simply kidnap a dad and child for the film?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Yes to kidnapping the dad; No, as I said before, the baby was mine (still is mine). Hunter McCugh<\/a> helped me with casting and found Jeremy Sande<\/a> and he was such a great fit. He was great with Orion (my son) who was almost 8 months old at the time. Jeremy has turned out to be a wonderful friend, and we try to get together when time allows.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n There are several moments in the film that could be considered \u201cvulnerable\u201d or \u201cbold\u201d to put out there for the world, whether that be the confessions about the pressure to be super mom or peeing during a run or any of the other scenes. What were your feelings about presenting those moments? Apprehension? Excitement? Catharsis?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I honestly thought that most people would think I was being dramatic. I was wrong, but I really worried that people would think I was vain, selfish, and \u2026 dramatic. The closet in particular gave me a lot of anxiety. I\u2019m not a huge person, and I worried that some people would think I was being petty, but the sensation of not being able to fit in my clothes, clothes that were, at times, such a reflection of who I was, was a real blow to my self-esteem. I think ultimately that\u2019s what resonated.<\/p>\n So much catharsis! The whole process was cathartic, and also therapeutic. I was really able to sort of look at all the things I\u2019d been talking to my own therapist about and really sort of wrap my brain around how unkind I had been to myself. As women I feel like we\u2019re just expected to know what to do, and we\u2019re expected to make all these sacrifices in the name of \u201cfamily\u201d and I think many of us don\u2019t fully grasp what that\u2019s going to be like, and many of us reject that implied responsibility. I\u2019m 2.5 years into motherhood and I\u2019m STILL tired. Moms and women deserve a lot more grace.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n When the film starts in, an ambient score kind of simmers to the surface and reminds me of Alex Ebert in All is Lost<\/a> or Jon Brion in Eternal Sunshine<\/a>. Did you score the film yourself, and when approaching the score, did you have a specific vision of what you wanted to support what was going on in the film? Is there anyone I can shout out for the understated but beautiful score?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “You can thank Jacob McSharma<\/a> for the wonderful music! So, this is gonna sound weird but I actually told him I wanted it to feel like you were watching an episode of The Office. I dunno if that\u2019s what he went with while composing, but he nailed it. He actually threw out what\u2019s in the film and gave me something totally different and I told him he got it the first time around! I\u2019m especially in love with the piece he composed for the closet sequence.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/untitled-post-baby-project-by-lorna-street-dopson-scr-4-res.jpg” alt=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” title_text=”untitled post-baby project by lorna street dopson” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You have an extensive list of film credits as an actress as well as behind-the-scenes work. I also saw you a few weeks ago in Phony<\/a>, which was super confusing but made me laugh out loud. Do you feel like your career has been building up to directing over time, or was this something created uniquely in the moment, like \u201cI\u2019m experiencing this significant journey right now \u2013 I should document this.\u201c?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “I think my career has been building up to this moment. \u201cPhony\u201d actually led to my first script sup job, and my subsequent move to New Orleans.<\/p>\n Though Post-Baby isn\u2019t my first short to direct, it certainly carries more weight and meaning than the others. It feels more special, and maybe that\u2019s because I literally made it with my family, and maybe it\u2019s because we shot during quarantine and our friends really came together for us, or maybe it\u2019s simply because the planets aligned. As much as I want to be an amazing actress with this awesome career, I think directing is where I was always meant to land\u2026 at least for now (laughs)”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You had such success with being the first female director to win at the Louisiana Film Festival. What were the emotions like finding out you just won this great award against fierce competition, along with that nice paycheck? Were you surprised, exhilarated, expecting it?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Well it\u2019s funny. I was sitting on my couch, watching the Livestream of the announcement like everybody else, and I sat there for a good 20 seconds after they said Post-Baby. The baby was asleep upstairs, Jimi was still at work, I\u2019m just alone\u2026 on my couch, with my dogs, and I was like, \u201chuh, how \u2018bout that.\u201d<\/p>\n I was SUPER surprised. Maybe it\u2019s because I won during quarantine and we couldn\u2019t have the in-person celebrating, but for a while it didn\u2019t feel like I\u2019d won, I didn\u2019t feel like I was \u201cin the club\u201d if that makes sense. But I have to remind myself that something like 40k people saw my film, more people than have ever attended Film Prize in person. That\u2019s pretty incredible.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Where can viewers watch \u2018Untitled Post-Baby Project\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Well, I guess I should make it viewable on YouTube. It\u2019s still set to private but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be submitting it to too many more festivals. There are also two versions: the 15-minute Film Prize cut, and then my 20-minute Director\u2019s cut. But yeah, at the moment they won\u2019t be able to find it, but I\u2019ll make sure to make it public (laughs)”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n What\u2019s next for you? Anything you want to talk about coming up?<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “We are shooting our next project in 2 weeks! I\u2019m super stressed, but thanks to that Film Prize money, it hurts a lot less (insert laugh-cry emoji haha). It\u2019s a monster movie, I wrote it about 5 years ago and I\u2019ve been \u201cprepping\u201d ever since, trying to get it on its feet. Here we go!”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n You were great in Untitled Post-Baby Project<\/a>. You were great in Phony<\/a>. Thanks so much for your time.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n “Thank you! I just want all the new moms out there to know it\u2019s okay to feel sad, or broken, or like you\u2019re doing everything on your own. I know they hear it all the time, but it really is hard and can feel so isolating at times. Y\u2019all are doing such amazing jobs, and your babies are so lucky y\u2019all are their moms!”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_text_align=”center” header_3_text_color=”#E02B20″ header_3_line_height=”1.3em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_text_align=”center” header_3_text_color=”#E02B20″ header_3_line_height=”1.3em” header_4_font=”||||on||||” header_4_text_color=”#E02B20″ header_4_line_height=”1.3em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_cta title=”SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER” button_url=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/newsletter\/” button_text=”SUBSCRIBE” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font_size=”24px” header_line_height=”1.4em” body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.5em” background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(0,0,0,0.69) 0%|rgba(0,0,0,0.41) 100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Enlight67-1.jpg” background_enable_pattern_style=”on” background_pattern_style=”diagonal-stripes-2″ background_pattern_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.15)” custom_margin=”||40px||false|false” custom_padding=”100px|35px|100px|35px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”100px|35px|100px|35px|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”80px|30px|80px|30px|true|true” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_font_size_tablet=”22px” header_font_size_phone=”21px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_radii=”on|15px|15px|15px|15px” border_radii_tablet=”on|15px|15px|15px|15px” border_radii_phone=”on|15px|15px|15px|15px” border_radii_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}” global_module=”7346″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n No spam, we promise! Just the latest on Louisiana filmmakers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_cta][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/fablehouse.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/fable-house-logo-shadow-2.png” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nWATCH UNTITLED POST-BABY PROJECT<\/h3>\n
UNTITLED POST-BABY PROJECT – LOUISIANA FILM PRIZE SCREENER<\/a><\/h4>\n
UNTITLED POST-BABY PROJECT – DIRECTOR’S CUT<\/a><\/h4>\n