“Jack and Anna” By KseniA Ivanova
Based on true events from the early 1900s, “Jack and Anna” tells the story of a young couple whose happy life on their farm is suddenly shattered when Jack’s biggest secret is revealed: the fact that he is a woman named Helen. After the revelation, Helen is put on trial for cross-dressing and same-sex marriage.
Jack and Anna is a film that explores love and intimacy in the face of a rigid society that would reject the characters for who they are. The story explores the power of love and how it transcends traditional gender roles and relationships. The story of Jack and Anna is unique because it gives an honest and compassionate representation of the struggles faced by members of the LGBTQ community. They grapple with their fears of how to self-identify while at the same time fighting against those who do not accept them breaking from strict societal norms. Set in 1913, their choice to fight for their happiness is even more powerful because at that time the thought of a same-sex couple was unheard of.
Jack and Anna is a Columbia College Chicago MFA thesis film. The structure of the screenplay allowed our team to shoot most of the scenes within Illinois and Indiana. We had several historic locations including Gray Willows Farm, Fisher Farm and Old Lake Court House. Jack and Anna team is comprised of individuals with different cultural backgrounds; it represents diversity of artists from all around the world. 80% of the crew behind Jack and Anna are women. For everyone involved, Jack and Anna became more than just a short film.
Ksenia Ivanova - Director
Credits
Director // Ksenia Ivanova
Producers // Eva Herndon and Mika Santiaguel
Screenwriters // Savannah Oakes and Ksenia Ivanova
Director of Photography // Madelyn Momano
Starring
Kate Smith, Brookelyn Hébert, Joe Chapleau, Matthew Quattrocki,
Dan Flannery, Noah Lepawsky and Jim Hamilton
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