INTERVIEW WITH CECELIA CONDIT,
DIRECTOR OF "LITTLE SPIRITS"

By Rooftop Films on 12/03/2008

Little Spirits (Cecelia Condit | 8:34)


In Little Spirits, two little girls explore beyond Grandmother's limits, coming face to face with their own emerging animal natures.


Q&A

Rooftop Films: Tell us about your film. What was your inspiration?

Cecelia Condit: I was inspired to do a piece about close friends and betrayal. When I starting filming and putting these very big grownup emotions onto these two little girls, it became easier for me to see that resentment is a very useless thing.

RF: Is there anything you'd like to share about the film that might not be immediately apparent (your conception of the film, backstory, production methods, etc.)?

CC: These two girls are the very best of friends. I started shooting them with only an outline in mind. I don't find myself terribly confined by using scripts anymore. I want the freedom to explore. However, clearly the freedom from a script takes more time - not a good idea when shooting children who are impatient.

RF: How did you find your young actors? How did they interpret the story?

CC: Annie, the little girl who is left in the woods, was in the previous 2004 video that I did called "All About a Girl." She is my son's best friend's little sister. Madeleine is in real life - Annie's best friend. Madeleine felt sad that I had her being so mean to Annie in the story. She apologized over and over again.

RF: The landscape in your film was beautiful and diverse. Where did you shoot?

CC: I shot the "Little Spirits" in city and county parks near my home here in Milwaukee.

RF: Are you a full-time filmmaker? If not, what else are you up to?

CC: I teach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and am Director of the Graduate Program there. But I do find time to work.

RF: What is your current/next project?

CC: I just finished a video called "Annie Lloyd" which is a documentation of the last few years of my mother's life and a portrayal of the courage and wisdom of old age. In it, I act out my mother's favorite memories and loves. I found that I like performing and I plan to try it again in my next video.

RF: If you've been to a Rooftop show, how was the experience?

CC: I never have been to a Rooftop show, but I love the image of the screening from the website. It is really beautiful.

RF: What excites you about having your short film on Rooftop Films at IFC.com?

CC: It is nice to share work with people and it is a different experience for me.

RF: Do you have any questions for the viewers? They'll post comments.

CC: I have no particular questions, but comments? Yes, that would be nice.