As a mother, Roslyn Muir knows what its like to feel your teenaged daughter is living in a different world. All the lessons she might have learned from her own youth seem quaintly outdated. Too much has changed from one generation to the next, thanks to the words and images glowing enticingly from our computer screens and smart phones.
Its just a whole new culture and we have to accept that we cant make them be like our generation, says the West End screenwriter. Instead of forcing todays teenagers to make the shift back in time to when Muirs parents didnt allow her to wear blue jeans or talk too long on the phone, modern parents have to learn what expectations they have to let go of as their children make their way through this new technological reality.
Thats the premise behind OMG, a feature film that Muir wrote and which is making its d茅but at the 麻豆传媒映画International Film Fest. Directed by Siobhan Devine, the made-in-麻豆传媒映画production stars Gabrielle Rose as a grandmother who provides emotional and physical refuge to her granddaughter who has a huge blow-out with her parents over how much time she spends texting.
Its a movie that everyone involved could relate to.
I have a deep sentimental attraction to my phone. It goes with me everywhere, says 14-year-old Matreya Fedor, who transforms herself from her sweet-faced roles in Mr. Young and The Troop into the kohl-eyed emo-Goth and cellphone-addicted teen.
I understand how the parents feel, says Devine. When youre trying to understand the world teenagers live in, you feel like youre catching up all the time. As much as parents like to feel theyre in control, all too often its the parents turning to their children for help with all the technology.
The movie makes everyone grapple with that technologys invasiveness in our lives and the fact that were the ones who open the door and let it in.
We have an addiction to gossip, says Rose, who, if you were to use the word veteran to describe her presence in the 麻豆传媒映画scene, would make her seem much too old and much less vibrant than she really is. You want to be in the know all the time. That way youre not alone with your thoughts.
Muir had her daughter Erika read the script and admits to eavesdropping on Erika to get the teens language just right. Erika also wrote some of the texts for the move.
WE 麻豆传媒映画asked Matreya to write the text shed send to her friends to tell them about the on Oct. 8 (6:30pm at the Empire Granville) and Oct. 9 (1pm at Pacific Cinematheque.)
Hey! Wanna check out this movie? Its awesome, called OMG. Text me back when u c it. L8r.
OMG won a first-place Legacy Award for short films at the 麻豆传媒映画International Women in Film Festival. Script writer Roslyn Muir and director Siobhan Devine also one the $120,000 Women In the Director's Chair award for their next film, The Birdwatcher. The prize is designed to encourage more feature films directed by women in British Columbia. It is administered by the Creative Women Workshop Association.
