Filmmaker Rachel Walden joins us on Close-Up Culture to talk about her short film, Lemon Tree.
At a Halloween carnival, a young father steals a magician’s rabbit to impress his ten year old son. The thrill of the petty theft quickly dissolves into reality when the young boy is tasked with getting himself, his father, and his new pet home safe.
What inspired you to create Lemon Tree?
The short is inspired by a road trip my maternal grandfather took as a child with his family. In the original story, the souvenir of the trip was a baby fruit tree my grandfather picked out at a Stuckey’s. Somewhere along the drive, his father (who was a drinker) switched places with one of his children and slept in the backseat while the kids got the family home. When they finally arrived, my great-grandfather staggered out of the back seat, leaving his son to find the little fruit tree he had so proudly rescued reduced to a smashed, crumpled stock.
I thought there was powerful symbolism in this visual, particularly in how it relates to a familial dynamic where addiction is present. I adapted the story with this theme in mind, combined with some of my own life experiences of growing up with a father with similar afflictions. I was interested in exploring that parent-child role reversal and working against the stereotype of what an alcoholic parent “looks like.” In my experience, addicts are extremely charming and exciting individuals; the life of the party…until they aren’t. In addition to my grandfather’s road trip, revisiting the relationship with my late father was at the core of my inspiration for and motivation to make “Lemon Tree”.
We love the carnival setting, why did you choose Halloween in particular?
I wanted to set the film around a holiday because of the expectations they hold for children, and the challenges they present for addicts. Halloween is such an important holiday for kids, my favorite as a child. My intention with the carnival sequence was to begin the film at the top of the rollercoaster…where hopes for the day are high. Ultimately, we end at a much different place…perhaps at the end of a ride you don’t want to go on again. I thought the spookiness of Halloween might also help inform a sense of anxiety around how the events of the film might conclude. This is another feeling that often holds true to a child in this family dynamic. You’re always worried things might turn south, something that’s particularly heartbreaking on a holiday.
Your young actor Gordon Rocks is spectacular, what was about him that led you to cast him in the role?
At first, his headshot. His physical features, particularly the shape of his ears, were incredibly similar to Charlie Robinson’s, whom I had already cast as the father. It was kind of uncanny. Then when I received Gordon’s self-tape, I was just blown away. He had this quiet confidence where he seemed to know more about a situation than a child of his age normally would- a personality trait I believe is more common in those who experience trauma at a younger age; well-suited for his character in “Lemon Tree.” Because the whole film is told from his character’s perspective with very little dialogue, I knew I needed someone who was reserved but observant. Gordon is both those things and more. He added a lot to the character and made him into someone more interesting than I ever could have written.
Tell us about Gummy Films, when was this company created and what inspired its fantastic name?
I started Gummy Films with my partners Luca Balserand Pauline Chalamet in 2019 during the making of Luca’s feature film “What Doesn’t Float”. When we were shooting the film, we quickly realized we really aligned in the way we wanted to approach filmmaking. From there, we formed Gummy as a film collective. That collective ended up extending out to other filmmakers who worked on “What Doesn’t Float”, or people we met through the scene. Eventually, directors started hiring us to make their movies but also their music videos and commercials. So now we’re a production company – it just snowballed into this larger thing that has become our full-time jobs. We’re very lucky.
“Gummy Films” comes from Luca’s former music project, which was called Gummy. The name was inspired by his intention to create earworm music – the kind of thing that gets stuck in your head and leaves you wanting more. We thought the same could apply to the films we make – ones you want to watch over and over again. We are also a very director-forward company, so our projects differ in style based on who is behind them. That makes for an eclectic slate that feels in spirit with a name like “Gummy”. We’re not a rigid production company or studio that has a “brand” or specific “look” that must be applied to everything we make. We believe in auteur filmmakers and helping them realize their visions, whatever they may be.
Congratulations on your film having qualified to be considered for an Academy Award, what does this mean to you?
I am very proud of this film, but I never expected this level of reception; it’s overwhelming in the best way. I have been working exclusively as a producer for the past few years, which I very much enjoy, but was never my intention in the industry. I have always wanted to write and direct, and “Lemon Tree” is my first short since my MFA thesis film in 2017. To finally have that opportunity again and have such a positive reaction to the film is incredibly motivating for my transition back to directing. I’ve needed this push for a while, so to have this sort of “permission” to pursue directing as my focus again is a win for me.
The dysfunctional relationship dynamic between the father and son is interesting, yet you certainly portray a bond between them. What directing style do you use to bring out such brilliant dynamics?
The relationship between the father and son in this film is largely based on my own with my father, so I had a lot of direct references to pull from. I know the dynamic well because I lived it. It was important to me to show both sides of that bond and not express the stereotypical “dysfunctional dad” type, so I’m glad to know that their connection came across in addition to their dysfunction.
I didn’t work from a traditional script for the film, only an outline, so we did a lot of rehearsal on set to find the right beats in the arc of their relationship. I wanted the style of the film to live in the world of dramatic realism; nearly all the dialogue in the film is improvised and everyone aside from Gordon is a “non-actor.” This allowed for a lot of freedom and collaboration in how we approached each scene. Some moments, like the scene where Charlie gives Gordon the Altoids tin of rocks, were completely invented by the actors. Charlie brought the prop with him and asked me if he could try something for the scene. Neither Gordon nor I knew what was in the tin and it resulted in quite a tender moment that helps secure our understanding of the bond between the two, despite the father’s flaws. I owe many of the great subtleties of these performances to my actors in that sense. They are all beautifully inventive.
How did you get into filmmaking?
I studied film and television in my 5th grade class at the Paideia School. It’ pretty amazing in hindsight that we were offered this opportunity at such a young age, especially because Atlanta was not a key player in the filmmaking industry at that time. We all wrote little scripts and shot shorts or “commercials” that were later shown at an end-of-year film festival for the parents. I got so into it that my dad’s father gave me a camcorder for Christmas. During the holiday break, my best friend and I went off and made our own horror film. We showed the film at the festival and got in a bit of heat from how graphic it was. I got a sort of a thrill from that and continued to film little skits throughout the rest of elementary / middle school before later studying directing more seriously high school, college, and graduate school. I don’t believe you have to go to film school to get into filmmaking, but for me I owe a lot to the teachers in my life for introducing me to the medium and later encouraging me to pursue it as a career path.
How do you collaborate with your cinematographer to achieve the desired visual style for your films?
I’m very lucky to know and work with my cinematographer, Hunter Zimny. He has incredible visual instincts, but also an impressive understanding for story and performance. We spoke as much about the characters as we did about our visual references for the film. Early on, we made the decision to only show Gordon’s perspective on screen. If the father left the son in the car, we stayed in the car. If Gordon couldn’t hear conversation, neither could the audience. This allowed for our visual language to be linked directly with the son’s experience and learn the events of the film as they happen to him. So much of the movie is about the child observing his father’s behavior and piecing together his own understanding of the situation. We wanted viewers to be in the same seat.
What is next for you?
I’m currently developing “Lemon Tree” into a feature script and hope to have some movement on that next year. I’ve also been writing a southern gothic about growing up in Atlanta, though the producer in me thinks it might be a bit more difficult to make. I don’t know which will come first, but I am more eager than ever to make my next film.
If Rachel ever sees this, Hi from Jim (Allston)
Keep going and never stop!