“The Lives We Make” by Emmanuel Terrell & Jake Vriezelaar
Beyond the Short Official Premiere
Adrienne, a cynical twenty-something, reaches her existential tipping point during the chili luncheon of her boyfriend's little cousin's baptism. Suffocated by church basement platitudes and endless discussions of the future, eternal and otherwise, she is desperate for an escape. She sees an opportunity when an overenthusiastic congregant starts choking on a loaded chili hot dog, drawing everyone's attention. Hidden by the chaos, Adrienne makes a run for it, only to inadvertently cause yet another catastrophic event. Humiliated and breaking down, she retreats to the sanctuary. It's there that she encounters Mouse, the church's longtime janitor. Unfazed, he begins to talk to her as he cleans, revealing the possibility of purpose found in the mundane.
ABOUT THE FILM AND DIRECTOR DUO
“Poser is a director duo formed by two best friends (Jake Vriezelaar & Emmanuel Terrell) who met while studying film together in Indiana. It’s a collaboration that celebrates the freedom found in creating from a place of accepting limitations. The Lives We Make is an attempt to fossilize a current moment in Jake and Emmanuel’s friendship as they struggle with ideas of faith and commitment.
The film was shot in one of the oldest churches in Brooklyn during the sweltering July heat. Though everyone was sweating buckets, the crew of mainly close friends was able to support each other with great resilience and care.
In terms of style, a significant reference was Lady Bird, not only for its depiction of religious tradition but also for its vulnerable tone and attention to the mundane moments of growing up. Emmanuel and Jake wanted this piece to play out almost as a stream of consciousness through the dialogue. In fact, most of the ideas and lines came from hours-long phone conversations they both had early on in the process.”
-Emmanuel Terrell & Jake Vriezelaar (Poser)
CREDITS:
Directors// Emmanuel Terrell/ @emmanuelmoterrell & Jake Vriezelaar/ @jvriez
Poser/ @poser.filmworks
Written by Jake Vriezelaar/ @jvriez
Starring
Naomi Asa/ @naaomiasa, Eliud Garcia/ @eliudgarciaofficial
Alejandro Rey/ @skray26
With
David White, Matthew Upbin/ @matthew_on_set , Joshua Mark Sienkiewicz/ @joshua_wild_horse , Katie Broad/ @broadkatiebroad , Suzanne McCormick, John Safran & Agnes Pedicino
Producers// Em Wallace/ @emgwallace16 & Jake Vriezelaar/ @jvriez
EPs// Bill & Cathy Caldwell
Editor// Em Wallace/ @emgwallace16
DP// Jake Vriezelaar/ @jvriez
Camera Operator// Kevin Jacobsen/ @steadyhuman
1st AC// Summer Sierra/ @summerxsierra
2nd AC// James Gocke/ @james_gocke
Gaffer// Lukas Cardoni/ @lluk45
Key Grip// Michael Cherry/ @michael._.cherry
Costume Designer// Kassi Reyna/ @kassi.reyna
Production Designer// Luke Polihrom/ @lukepolihrom
1st AD// Austin Junaux/ @austinjunaux
Script Supervisor// Caleb Clarke/ @calebclarke
Craft Services// Lauren Klas/ @laurenklas
Prop Cake// A Tiny Kitchen/ @atinykitchennyc
Stills Photographer// AnnAnn Puttithanasorn/ @annannputtithanasorn
Production Sound Mixer// Jake Svagdis/ @jakesvagdis
Re-recording Mixer// Wren Stark Haven/ @wildshapesound
Sound Editor// Robin Zeijlon
Original Music by Ben Coleman/ @bentcoleman
Vocals by Farrah Hanna/ @_farrahhanna_
Colorist// Jake Vriezelaar/ @jvriez
Design// Fruma Studio/ @frumastudio
Lead Designer// Liam Brettenny
PAs// Jon Meharg/ @jkmeh, Tam Morales/ @tam.mov, Alex Peters/ @sappony_guy, Isabella Vizetta/ @isabellavizetta & Lexie Duval/ @lexieduval
Location Manager// Joseph Pedicino
Location// Church of Christ at Greenpoint
Camera Rental// Greenwood Cine/ @greenwoodcine
G&E Rental// Ferrum Films/ @ferrumfilms
Audio Rental// Gotham Sound/ @gothamsound
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