This week’s Staff Pick Premiere, “The Slows,” explores a futuristic society divided between two cultures – tradition and technology. This striking directorial debut from Nicole Perlman, best known for having co-written Marvel Studios’ blockbusters Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, builds on her knack for grounding science fiction concepts with humanism and pathos.
In Perlman’s new world, the “enlightened” ruling class have transcended natural procreation and aging. Instead, they opt for genetically optimized babies and an accelerated growth program that makes them self-sufficient adults in mere minutes. Without sickness, hunger and war to manage, the ruling class indoctrinate themselves with ideas and placate their lives with technology. On the other spectrum, a select group of humans have exiled themselves in nature. With rustic lives, natural births, and no modern resources, their lives are a struggle. However, it’s their belief that the struggle and “slow” way of existing is what makes them human.
This difference between societies is stark and illustrative of Perlman’s purpose. Unable to view each other as positive or “human”, they become savages, worthy of only fear, pity, destruction or assimilation. Adapted from Gail Hareven’s 2009 New Yorker article, the film manages to modernize the metaphors and sharpen the subtext. With shades of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and George Orwell’s “1984,” Perlman makes this dystopian future her own with ideas of self-determination, the innocence of childhood, and most notably, what it means to be a woman and mother in this world.
Ahead of this week’s premiere, we reached out to writer-director Nicole Perlman to learn how this ambitious short film came together. Read on for excerpts from our conversation.
On making “The Slows”:
“I’m drawn to science fiction which challenges us to take a look at our societal “givens” from a different perspective. On a more personal note, when I read Gail Hareven’s short story in 2009, I had just begun to think about whether or not I wanted children. The feeling of being so ambivalent about a massively binary life choice made me wonder why there weren’t more films related to this question. There is still such intense stigma attached to a woman’s ambivalence around child-bearing. I thought science fiction would be able to probe some of those provocative emotional and philosophical questions in a way that helped open up the conversation.”
On the film’s themes and ideas:
“Colonialism, anti-vaxxers, red state-blue state moral divides, what are we willing to sacrifice in the name of “progress,” and the idea of what is considered “natural,” and how the Left and Right both have their own versions of purity culture, are all issues I like to explore through a sci-fi lens. Science Fiction has always been a way to talk about social issues. A futuristic or alien setting helps us sidestep our knee-jerk biases and allow us to play the “what-if” game without feeling like we have betrayed our core values.”
On challenges faced:
“We had non-stop rain and 4:30pm sunsets, for one thing! We also only had four days in which to build a refugee camp in the woods, shoot a stunt, a sex scene, a birth with a real baby, wrangle lots of extras and children, plus figure out some fairly complex compositing for the last shot of the Acceleration. But my cast and crew were so amazing that it felt like the best four days of my life.”
On working with actors for the first time:
“It taught me a lot about writing, and what can remain unsaid. What a gift to have such talented actors as Annet Mahendru and Breeda Wool bringing these characters to life!”
On transitioning from a writer to writer/director:
“I went to NYU for filmmaking as well as dramatic writing. Since my screenwriting career began I hadn’t had the chance to pick up a camera again. Then in 2017, Cinereach accepted me into their Directing Fellowship.”
On the differences of writing a script to direct:
“I felt I was free to dig into nuances and emotions without having to worry about convincing anyone else of their universality. Mostly, I found myself envisioning every scenic detail in my mind before I wrote it. Whereas when I’m writing for others I tend to think more of the script more as a pure blueprint, dynamic and quick-on-its-feet. When writing to direct, I take the time to picture every last detail as I’m writing. Even if that detail never ends up on the page, it helps make the film real for me.”
On advice to aspiring filmmakers/writers:
“Find a community of like-minded filmmakers and writers. Share your scripts and get feedback you trust, as well as give and receive emotional support. If you can’t find a community, then make one.”
What’s next? Any upcoming projects?
“On the directing side, I just set up a feature film to adapt and direct. We haven’t made the trades announcement yet so I have to keep it under wraps a little longer! On the producing front, KNOWN UNIVERSE has a whole slate of studio projects we’re excited about, including a “Lord of the Flies” reboot for Warner Brothers, with Luca Guadagnino attached to direct.”
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