EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: AMBER TAMBLYN

Amber Tamblyn is a young girl who loses her child-hood in "Stephanie Daley."


Growing up without baby

By John Esther

It took years for writer-director Hilary Brougher’s film, “Stephanie Daley” to reach the screen. The timing could not have been much better

Developed through the 2001 Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Directors Lab, “Stephanie Daley” is a story about a 16-year-old girl, Stephanie Daley (Amber Tamblyn), who discovers she is pregnant moments before discarding the new human member, and what ensues in the bloody afterbirth aftermath.

Faced with criminal charges, Stephanie’s defense is that she never knew she was in a family way. To determine the validity of her mental state, the state hires a psychologist, Lydie Crane (Tilda Swinton), who happens to be pregnant.

Juxtaposing the lives, loves and labors of Stephanie and Lydie, “Stephanie Daley” ingeniously interconnects extremely different attitudes about what it means to reproduce.

More importantly however, this film about youth, reproduction and the rights thereof, hits theaters within days after the United States Supreme Court upheld the Federal Abortion Ban.

A major blow to women’s health, this ban will likely produce an increase in Stephanie Daleys. If impregnated girls have nowhere to go, they will be inclined to hide. “Stephanie Daley” could spark some much need dialogue, action, and recourse.

In the middle of this cinematic political whirlpool is Tamblyn. Perhaps best known for the titular role in the TV show, Joan of Arcadia, Tamblyn previous credits include, The Ring, The Grudge 2, The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants. For this performance Tamblyn received an Indie Award nomination.

In an exclusive interview, we spoke with Tamblyn about Stephanie, Swinton and sexuality.

JEsther Entertaiment: Why did you want to make this film?

Amber Tamblyn: I wanted to make the film because I felt like it was an important film that needs to be seen a lot. I knew it was going to be very difficult as far as marketing goes. It took over a year to get sold. So that was difficult. It’s kind of funny that I was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award before the film actually came out. Tilda Swinton was a major reason. I was and am a huge fan of hers. And the writing was really good and the dialogue was strong.

JE: What did you learn from working with Tilda?

Tamblyn: Tilda was the first real acting teacher I’ve ever had. I’ve never said that before either. She was the first one because she showed me how to talk about the process. We came in a week early and we did a lot of rehearsal. I also discussed the birthing scene. I haven’t had a kid but she’s had twins. I talked to her about what that felt like and she was very incredible and we’ve stayed very close friends.

JE: What do you have in common with Stephanie Daley?

Tamblyn: Oh God, I think every woman has a little commonality with her, because she is sort of the ultimate naïve innocence we all go through at a certain age. Even men as well, I would gather. That sort of young, scared, partly uneducated person we all start out being and we have to learn our way. Except her story is much more tragic/horrific/scary than anybody else’s.

JE: Your most intense scene in the film is done without you making a sound. How did that challenge you as an actor?

Tamblyn: It was really difficult. But it was a great scene. One of the qualities of independent film is that there’s not time to spend three hours in between setting up shots; so there’s just you, the director and the cinematographer just getting it done. We shot through the crack in the bathroom stall, and a couple of angles inside, and we did it very fast. When you are in that kind of motion and rhythm it’s very easy to accomplish the art form side of it.

JE: In what ways have people changed toward you after making this film?

Tamblyn: This film has allowed me to be recognized as a serious actress, which feels great. People have been incredibly supportive of this film, which has had an incredibly hard time getting distribution.

JE: Do people see you differently?

Tamblyn: People have been deeply affected in the screenings. A lot of women come up and say it was hard for them to watch but they really loved it and the story was told. People are perplexed by it a little. They ask questions. What was the symbolism of the deer? Why did Lydie say thank you to me in the end? Men as well are very intrigued by the film.

JE: What do you want younger kids get out of watching this film?

Tamblyn: Oh my God. Somebody at [name of publication withheld] asked me, “Well you did Joan of Arcadia, and you did Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Do you feel that since this film is ‘strangely dark,’ you’re alienating any of your fans?” And I said, “God, who are my fans?” And she said, “You know, the teen base and all that kind of stuff.” And I said, “I would pray to God that teens see this film more than Joan of Arcadia or Sister of the Traveling Pants put together.” I hate using the word “important” because the film’s not an educational tool, but I think any parent, family member, anybody who’s young, should see the movie.

JE: While it took awhile to find distribution, you do have the gift of perfect timing with the recent decision by the US Supreme Court to ban abortion. How do you think this film will fit into the current debate and what will now be an intense battle for women’s reproduction rights and women’s health issues?

Tamblyn: I am for the right to choose, absolutely. I am also pro-life. I believe that it can come to a consensus to a ground where both parties agree. Yet at the end of the day I will always be for the woman’s right to choose. One of the sponsors of the film is Planned Parenthood. A lot of people call it “Planned Butcherhood.” I’ve heard terrible things: “Oh Amber Tamblyn supports Planned Butcherhood.” I have two friends that work for Planned Parenthood and the stories I’ve heard about how they’ve saved women’s lives, and give them the correct, full knowledge of what you can do with your own body and how you can prevent pregnancy in the first place by abstinence and birth control and all those options. They really are the most honest and best support for any kind of information about that stuff. I am for education.

JE: Do you imagine there will be an increase in neonaticides?

Tamblyn: Could be. Why not? That’s our country. It’s possible.

JE: What can you tell me about your role in the upcoming film, Normal Adolescent Behavior?

Tamblyn: It’s a film I’m really proud of. I would say it’s similar but it’s also talking about sexuality. It’s like “Carnal Knowledge for Teens.” It’s about this group of six best friends that all grew up together and they’re all in a monogamous relationship with each other. The sixsome. Three boys and three girls in high school all have sex together. They trade off. It’s not an orgy where they pile on top of each other having sex. It’s intimate because they are very close. It’s about love. It’s not about random hookups. Everyone in the school looks at it like a cult. Whereas everyone in our group looks at everyone else in the school like they’re sex fiends, and their blowjob parties. Which is actually very true for teenagers right now. My mom who’s a school psychologist was telling me that’s a big problem right now in high schools.

JE: What is a big problem in high school?

Tamblyn: The amounts of random sex that kids are having. One of the latest things is the influx of getting cold sores in the throat for girls. They literally have things called “blowjob parties.” This film is about looking at the laws that kids place on themselves at a young age and what they can do and can’t do and what’s moral and what’s not moral. How they learn about intimacy.

JE: Since you mother is psychologist, do you discuss the kinds of roles you take on?

Tamblyn: Sometimes. With Stephanie Daley we discussed a lot about that. She loves the film so much. She saw things in the film that Hilary didn’t mean to write. Both Lydie and Stephanie are at a party where they both feel uncomfortable and they go somewhere else to get fresh air and a guy comes in and tell them to trust them. Hilary was like, “Oh my God, I didn’t even know I wrote that.” My mom sees a lot of the unconscious.

JE: Lastly, what do you think about these interviews where you sit and talk about your work? Do you think it serves the work or should the work speak for itself?

Tamblyn: If you have a giant company that’s going to put $50 million dollars behind promoting it, it’s much easier to do. With little films like Stephanie Daley I do everything I can. It needs all the support it can get.

INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES 2007

A scene from "Outsourced."

India images from far and wide

By John Esther and Don Simpson

Now it its 5th reincarnation, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) promotes Indian culture with screenings of film and conducting events promoting Indian culture to the people of Los Angeles and others. Running April 17-22, the festival will screen films, hold parties and pay tribute to an Indian artist.

This year the Festival’s tribute will go to actor and writer, Deepti Naval. A significant presence in Indian cinema for nearly three decades, Naval has influenced many of her fellow countrypersons (and beyond) for her contributions on and off the screen. As part of the tribute, IFFLA will screen “Kamla,” “Panchvati” and Mirch Masala. In recent years, the films at IFFLA varied widely in their skills; you could catch some really good films and you could be trapped into some fairly bad ones.

In light of our early viewing this year, this year’s seems to be rather consistent on the positive side. All screenings will be held at ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood.

“Are You Alright Afghanistan?” (“Khoob Asti Afghanistan?”) -- Indian filmmaker Soumitra Ranade (“Jajantaram Mamantaram”) was raised in Kabul. Fascinated with the moving image since an early age, he unconsciously documented many key moments in Afghanistan’s turbulent history on his family’s 8mm camera. He relocated to India when he was sixteen but pleasant memories of his childhood in Afghanistan never subsided in his mind. Twenty-six years later, Ranade returned to Afghanistan. Upon first glance, he found a war-ravaged country, still coping with the looming post-9/11 U.S. military presence. Beneath the veil of destruction, Ranade discovered a side of Afghanistan unseen by Western eyes and the real reason he has always been mesmerized by Afghanistan – the innocent and incredibly resilient population. Supported predominantly by Ranade’s poetic voiceover narration, this documentary takes us on a hopeful journey through the past and present of a country whose population has yet to experience peace and freedom. – Don Simpson

“Are You There?” (“Kya Tum Ho”) -- An Internet chat room intertwines the lives of two lonely windows, Anita (Jyoti Dogra) and Bunty (Rajit Kapoor), and an Internet café owner, Amrit (Hemant Kher). The three primary characters utilize their virtual alter egos to embellish upon the depressing reality of their lower middle-class existence. They are in dire need of what they are convinced that only their digitized personas can achieve: love and attention. Director Anish Ahluwalia’s debut feature examines the isolation of the modern urban lifestyle, due primarily to the manner in which the Internet has affected interpersonal communication. Their relationship skills are reliant upon the crutch of their keyboards, which allows them to hide behind the comfort of typed half-truths. – Don Simpson

“Divided We Fall” -- On September 15, 2001 a Sikh man, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was murdered outside his Arizona convenience store. Why was a Sikh man targeted after 9/11? Well, Sikh’s wear turbans as part of their faith (nearly all turban-wearing people in the United States are Sikh). Osama bin Laden also wears a turban. Thus many close-minded and uninformed Americans made a naïve association, including the murderer of Sodhi. Sodhi’s murder and news of numerous other acts of violence against Sikhs propelled two young Sikh’s, Valarie Kaur Brar (an International Relations and Religious Studies undergrad at Stanford University) and her cousin, Sonny, to document the whirlwind of intolerance and hatred sweeping across the United States following 9/11. Their four-month trek took them across the U.S., from California to the World Trade Center site, and eventually to Punjab, India, where Sikhism began in 1469. Along their way, they interviewed Sikh, Muslim, Arab, Afghan, and South Asian Americans about their encounters with intolerance and hate. – Don Simpson

“Missed Call” – A little too self-indulgent and too reminiscent of Christopher Boe’s recent film, “Offscreen,” for my taste, directors Mridul Toosidass and Vinay Subramanian follows the hard times of a young filmmaker, Gaurav Sengupta (Ankur Vikal). An only child in a strict upper caste family, Gaurav moves from melancholy to madness to meaning with an arrogance that is frequently more annoying than empathetic. If only if everyone could just understand: Gaurav is an artist! While the moneymen and his mates get a few well-deserved blows, Gaurav, and thus the filmmakers, do not seem to be aware of Gaurav’s hypocritical, boorish stances on art and commerce. It would also help one like Gaurav more had he a political streak to support his pseudo subversive stance. Moreover, although the film is mostly in English, there are distracting English subtitles throughout the film. – John Esther

“Office Tigers”-- Joseph Sigelman is almost single-handedly changing modern Indian culture. Sigelman started Office Tiger to provide support to Western companies while Western nations were sleeping. Office Tiger now operates around the clock and its employees rarely sleep. The work environment at Office Tiger is as competitive and grueling as any Wall Street firm, introducing a new level of stress to its Indian employees. Work is their priority; family and relationships are sacrificed and left by the waste side. Time is money and everyone at Office Tiger is on the prowl to get more money so they are putting in the time. Combining the ambition and dedication of Indian culture with the excruciating work pace of the Western world seems like it could be a deadly combination. Presently, capitalism is working in full force throughout India and Office Tiger is playing a significant role in the booming economy. Liz Mermin’s “Office Tigers” is an intriguing and entertaining study of the employees of Office Tiger, from Sigelman on down the line. For now, Office Tiger is an anomaly but it won’t be much longer until the entire population of India is working under the stress of Western Capitalist culture. “Office Tigers” will exist as a key snapshot of one of the forerunners and innovators of that transition. – Don Simpson

“Outsourced” – Josh Hamilton play Todd “Toad” Hamilton, the sole survivor of a company’s department that has been outsourced to India where they can get use a cheaper workforce to sell their kitschy crap. Ignorant of India’s culture, Todd is sent over to Americanize the Indians (sound familiar?). Predictably enough, Todd will accomplish his goals, get the girl and find his soul. Directed by John Jeffcoat and co-written by Jeffcoat and George Wing, this film festival favorite wants to be tough on outsourcing but not rough enough to anger its audience into action. While the social-economic reality of outsourcing is faced, the film’s primary love story between Todd and Asha (Ayesha Dharker) -- in addition to the “completion” of a smaller love story within the film, which, in reality, is based more on finances than fondness -- are made to soften the blow of the social-economic reality that is destined to eradicate the middle class of the world. We may be getting poorer but we still have one another. Hold my hand while we wait in the unemployment line. – John Esther

Vanaja” -- Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) is the daughter of a poor fisherman. She is fed an adolescent fantasy by a local soothsayer who claims, among many other things, that she will become a great Kuchipudi dancer. Vanaja naively dreams that she can escape her lower class bindings (or at least alleviate her father of his crippling debt) by dancing. Instead of hopelessly watching her alcoholic father spiral into financial ruin, Vanaja decides to work for the local landlady who conveniently used to be a great Kuchipudi dancer. It doesn’t take long for Vanaja to convince the landlady to teach her the Kuchipudi craft, at which she instantly excels. Unfortunately for Vanaja, she cannot dance loose from her lower class status, which haunts and hinders her along the way. “Vanaja,” Rajnesh Domalpalli’s Columbia University graduate thesis film and feature-length debut, is destined to be a favorite at film festivals around the world. The intricate balance of genuine sentimentality with the bitter reality of the working class struggle translates internationally while the talented ensemble of nonprofessional actors allows “Vanaja” to achieve a higher level of realism. Most importantly, the morals of the tale are positive and strong, as are the female characters. – Don Simpson