Winter Weyland
Oy the poodles! This January has contained so many big feelings it’s hard to account for.
I came back to LA post-chronic-illness flare and tried to get my bearings, contending with an unshakeable fear that my body would betray to weakness again. By the 9th, I was flying to New York. Unlike my November trip, I could walk, take the subway, see my doctors, think clearly! I could show up, and with every long walk and community submersion, the feeling of remembering myself flitted back into my body. By the time I returned home two weeks later, it was with a classic east-coast head cold, and sights of moving on the close horizon.
With change looming ahead, I’ve set February as a rededication, final hurrah, or love letter, to the life I’ve been living. Currently that entails: continuing to write this freaking feature, furtively seeking full-time employment, knitting deep into the night, and seeing as many people as I can.
While in New York:
I went to TOFT in research for my next feature writing endeavor, and joyfully showed my mom one of my favorite NYC secrets.
I ran a writer’s retreat ! The attendees have heard me gush over them, but excuse me as I do so publicly: Thank you to all the Window Draft Writing Retreat - Year 1-ers !! For showing up with openness and intention! For vesting in themselves, in their peers’ work, and in writing community. It was a fiercely cool event to witness, let alone herald and participate in. I’m eagerly looking forward to the biweekly writing accountability sessions, and for the next retreat! For anyone who’s interested in future events, do let me know. There’ll be more-to-come in this sector :)
As for my personal experience in creating on retreat, golly it was so wonderful to focus on getting pages out and to receive such constructive crit! All the same, was I racked with insecurity in sharing my work for the first time? Absolutely. In spite of all my storytelling experience, I’m humbled by being a new writer. But that’s the weird part about making — it’s such an aggressively hopeful thing — to try and usher a future you’ve imagined into being.
And don’t we all need some hope right now! The world is churning in scary ways. But, I’m balmed by the number of folks I know who this week have attended protests, made donations to Minnesota, and are speaking out. Grateful for my craft communities who are consistently the first activists I hear from, and are perpetually providing inclusive ways of participating in resistance. Keep vesting in community! To shepherding in hope, impactful purpose, and cultivating the world we wish to live in.
For my New York crowd, shouting out some peers’ work screening this month!
The incredible sound designer I’m working with on THE FLINCH, Rodrigo Andrade, has a documentary playing this week: 2DIE4. It’s Brazil’s first IMAX film; a must-see if you’re a car racing fan. Keep your ears piqued for the audio!
Friend and longstanding collaborator, Jacob Mallin, has his cinematography feature film debut screening Feb 5th and 7th: THE WOMAN WHO COULD READ THE MINDS OF DOGS. I got to see an early cut of this film and am such a fan of it. Highly recommend catching it if you can!
Last Month I Saw/Read:
{{KEY}}:
All caps, bold: MOVIE
All caps, bold, asterisk: SHORT*
All caps: MINI SERIES or TV SERIES, Season _
Italics: Museum: Exhibit
Quotation marks: “Theatre”
Italics, quotation marks: “Book” by Author
RC, rough cut
←, rewatch or reread// jan
SMASH, Season 2
JAWS
MIRROR
EMILY IN PARIS, Season 5
PRISCILLA
FRANKENSTEIN
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 ←
A CINDERELLA STORY ←
FALLOUT: Season 1
“LIBERATION”
“John Procter Is The Villain”
PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION
A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY
ELEANOR THE GREAT
13 GOING ON 30 ←
SHALLOW HAL
PERCY JACKSON, Season 2
INDUSTRY, Season 1
INDUSTRY, Season 2
MARTY SUPREME
INDUSTRY, Season 3
THE MANTIS*
THE TRUMAN SHOW ←
DANIEL SLOSS: JIGSAW ←
HEATED RIVALRY
BO BURNHAM’S INSIDE ←
CONTACT
Earnestly, I could chat your ear off about most things I watched this month. I’ll aim to keep this section relatively brief, but please prod if you want to hear more thoughts about any of the above list!
My first screening of JAWS incredibly happened at The Academy amongst friends. I bruised Josh’s arm clutching it too tightly, and absolutely shrieked at the jump scares. It’s what everyone said: a perfect film. The cast of characters, clarity of plot, socioeconomics awareness, all really freaking rad. Plus, I knew the score going in — how delicately it’s used is worthy of study…if I can stand watching it again! (ah! scary!)
In search for comfort, nestled into some childhood films. Watching A CINDERELLA STORY while living in the San Fernando Valley is a special collapse of time for me. Conversely, 13 GOING ON 30 was like an expansion; that film, for all the obvious reasons, hits different in my late twenties than it did in my teen years. Nostalgic to feel the pulse of the world painted in early 00s movies, and melancholic to feel those rose-colored glasses diluting. Somehow splitting the difference: THE TRUMAN SHOW. Y’all, that film has aged like fine wine…I have a feeling I’ll be rewatching it a couple of times in the coming weeks.
Like everyone else, I’m here to preach HEATED RIVALRY. The ease and flow of the whole show, and how well it’s been adapted from Rachel Reid’s book, is such a testament to Jacob Tierney’s vision. Can also say, as a trained intimacy coordinator, wow oh wow, go Chala Hunter — exceptionally choreographed. And while everyone’s giving great performances, additional applause to Connor Storrie. I’m thrilled at the cultural moment this piece is having, and for the careers it’s actively launching.
And lastly, (controversially?) I had a ball watching a late night screening of MARTY SUPREME. I’ve been thinking a lot about what gives life gravity, and this movie is such an interesting posit. Odessa A’zion’s characterization is incredible: I could write a verbose rant in awe on it as juxtaposition to Midge in MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. And personally, I was relieved to not have a panic attack, as I did watching UNCUT GEMS. That experience this month was reserved for season three of INDUSTRY, which I regrettably probably have to stop watching. However, in a shocking turn, given my disfavor for thriller, gory content, I’m enthralled watching FALLOUT. Season 2 finale on Wednesday… I’m hype.
Upcoming Releases:
Guilty to say there aren’t any Feb releases I’m eyeing. I love a musician documentary/mockumentary, so aiming to catch THE MOMENT, but the 2025 list of movies I missed (especially Oscar noms & snubs!) seem to be my priority. What are you watching?
Sending big hugs to all who are reading this. Hope you’re staying warm, and safe, and are fighting the winter (and worldly) molasses. To creating, celebrating everything, and making the shadow work visible.