SYNOPSIS

Jack and Diane, two teenage lesbians, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack’s tough skinned heart. But, when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire occasionally turns her into a werewolf.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Five years ago I met two girls holding hands on a New York sidewalk. One was carrying a skateboard and wearing a cowboy hat. The other had fuzzy blonde hair and a big smile. Their names were Jack & Diane. I moved abroad and lost touch with the girls. But when I returned to the States, I knew their story was the next film I wanted to make. I decided to imagine their voices and create my own world for them.

My focus in making JACK & DIANE is to carefully examine what happens when two young people fall in love for the first time. Diane is shy and innocent, with an inner raging passion. Jack is a tough skinned skateboard girl who is hiding a fragile heart. This collision of Diane and Jack’s unique personalities creates a vulnerable energy as they nervously lose themselves in each other.

Certain parts of the film expand into dreamlike and often violent imagery. I see these moments as a manifestation of Diane’s inner desire for love and acceptance. It is not until Jack also takes on these unusual transformations that she can understand how Diane feels and the two can finally unite their souls.

When I wrote my first narrative feature, SALT, I wanted to incorporate folklore into the story by adapting an Icelandic legend about a girl who turns into a seal. As I began writing JACK & DIANE, I felt a similar instinct to re-visit this theme. Making an American story, it seemed natural to investigate the idea that Diane would turn into a werewolf. What separates the film from the contemporary werewolf genre is that Diane’s werewolf manifestation represents her repressed inability to orgasm. It is an unconscious connection to her sexuality and a part of her love that has never been realized.

The shoot will be focused on creating an intimate atmosphere for the characters. It will be shot hand-held on 35mm with a small crew and will utilize mostly natural lighting.

I see JACK & DIANE as an investigation of love. It's unapologetically romantic. Love is the most instinctive way for us to understand other people regardless of cultural background, race, or sexuality. Everyone has the same desire to love and to be loved. For this reason, it is the single most important issue I want to focus on in my films. I find parts of myself in both characters. My reason for making the film is because I hope that others will also discover parts of themselves through Jack & Diane's love for each other.

sounds interesting. can't wait!