Past Filmmakers

Jen Ashlock
Natasha 13:06

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

I had been looking for a documentary idea because I thought it would be fun to make a film.  So I did the things that I usually do but with an eye out for people or issues that were exciting to me.  At a benefit show for a local film festival I bought a homemade Natasha cassette tape. I had missed their set. The next week I drove around and listened to that tape and it got me thinking: just who were these gals? And why were they singing about Noam Chomsky?  I contacted the gals in the band and luckily they were into the idea, too.  Without the generosity of Andy, Julia, and Anne, the film could never have been made.

2. How long did the production process take?

It took the summer before last to do all of the interviews and to capture the band practicing and performing.  It took about a month to edit.  In total, it took about 10 months from start to finish but there was a lot of waiting around in between because I was teaching, working on my dissertation, or waiting to raise the funds to get the footage developed and transferred.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

Near the end of the editing process, I found out that all of my Final Cut Pro files had been accidentally deleted from the public computer I was using at UNC. I just went home and cried. I suppose that the film is better for it though because the clips from the interviews that I remembered were probably stuck in my memory for a reason.  It was a challenge to fund the film even though it was relatively inexpensive to make (about $250).  The film to video transfer was the biggest cost.  It was a challenge to find and learn the equipment but UNC has a lot of resources and wonderful staff in the Multimedia Resources Center many of whom are work study students.  My friends were very generous, hooking me up with other people's equipment and teaching me things, too, even when they didn't have much time.

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?

It's hard to choose but I think my most vivid memory is meeting up with Anne, Julia, and Andy for the first time at Carolina Friends School.  It was a dreary day but they led me to “the Hut” where they always practiced.  It is a small, wooden building where the school's music classes are held and also where Natasha was born.  I was a little nervous but they seemed so happy playing their music.  They really put me at ease.  Plus, they rocked.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

For the people that have ever thought about starting a band or learning an instrument but haven't yet done so, I hope that they would think about why that hasn't yet happened.  Chances are it's not due to a lack of inspiration or emotional or moral deficiency.  There's probably a systematic reason that other people experience, too.  Talk to your friends about it.  Connect the dots.  The story of Natasha shouldn't be as unique as it is.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

Some of the band's lyrics are funny to people and it makes me happy to know that more folks are being exposed to their music.  Some people smile or chuckle knowingly when they read the woman's t-shirt near the end of the film.  For the version that is shown on UNC-TV, a word will be blocked out but perhaps you'll be able to guess what it really says.  People who identify as gay or queer or lesbian or bi or trans aren't merely the embodiment of a category.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

Learn how to use a video or super 8 camera but don't worry about what you shoot the first time.  Just go out there and film the clouds or your dog or whatever.  Don't be timid.  Just do it.  You'll learn from your experiences and whether or not they're constructed as mistakes is a whole different and separate conversation that is probably not relevant.

8. Please tell us about your next film.

I can't decide.  Something that connects the idea of social class to religiosity would be good.  That sounds fancy but I just mean something simple like flight attendants or something.  It's got to be short because I don't have much money.  Short is fun though.

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in North Carolina?

Industry usually implies capitalism – labor and money being exchanged.  If I could make my way into that money and labor equation, hey, that would be great.  There are many things and ideas that aren't profitable, though, because the demand is too low.  These days, many support the idea that availability should be determined by demand.  But what stories are we less likely to hear about if this is the case?  There's got to be some middle ground.  So if you like One Tree Hill, great.  But consider supporting your local PBS station and community access station(s), too.  They need your help.