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| Marcie Mayhorn |
As a film school alum, no cinema question phases me in the
slightest. “What’s your favorite Billy
Wilder film?” SOME LIKE IT HOT. “Who is
your favorite foreign director?” Easy – Pedro Almodovar. “What do you
want to be when you grow up?” Please – writer/director and probably a
producer, especially if I want to have my own production company.
I can shoot off answers to questions like these all day
long. But sometimes, questions come
along that require a little more thought.
One of the interns here at the office asked me one day what I’d like to
do in the future. Again, no hesitation
whatsoever: “I’d like to write and direct my own films, and essentially own my
own production company.” I didn’t even stutter. “Oh wow,” she replied, “well, what type of
stories do you want to write?” “I –…” I paused.
The immediate answer didn’t come to me.
So many options ran through my head: good stories, of course, but not
cheesy good, really feel-good stories, ones that make you feel your heart in
your throat. But not leave a theater
sobbing…
What type of stories do I want to write? I had to tell her I would get back to her
because I didn’t honestly know. Ever
since she asked me, I have thought long and hard about this. I finally realized I should examine a few of
my favorite films for this answer. The
one that truly stuck out in my mind was THE WIZARD OF OZ. Do I want to write a story about a rural girl
who gets whacked in the head and dreams she’s in a magical land? Not exactly.
So what is it about this film that makes it one of my favorites?
It was the first time I had really ever dissected a story,
really got into the cracks to see what makes it so appealing to me. And there, I discovered my answer: I used to
watch this film all the time as a child.
I would sing all of the songs, and make believe that I, too, could
travel somewhere magical. I used this
story as a basis for wanting to dream, for wanting to explore places that I
could only imagine, and maybe even go there someday. But like Dorothy, I remembered the importance
of home and how much family means to me.
I vividly remember watching this film the night before I left for
college and crying my eyes out, because I knew that my life was about to change.
And it hit me: those are the types of stories I
want to write. The ones that evoke
memories, that trigger that deep feeling and emotion within us that only we
know. I want to write stories that make
someone remember the importance of all the people in their life, and how taking
a risk can be worthwhile. I want to
write stories that make someone realize that it is perfectly alright to be
exactly the type of person that they are.
I’ll have to tell that intern that I finally know the answer
to her question! But for today, I also
challenge you to answer the question of: what kind of stories do you
want to tell?
-- Marcie Mayhorn, Austin Film Festival Office Manager
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