Scopaesthesia

Scopaesthesia was my thesis film for the Film and Television Master of Arts program at Sacred Heart University. Initially I wanted to make a noir, that would require an unusual location and a lot of production, and that was the plan until my producer decided that she had too much on her plate with another film and was leaving the project. I panicked. Production is not my strength, so I scoured my works from years prior looking for anything that could be both interesting and doable, production-wise. I stumbled across a tiny little piece of microfiction I had written in undergrad. It was only 10 sentences long.

I remain very proud of this film. I turned an awful situation into something that capitalized on my strengths, and I came away with what I think is a really great film. All in all, this film cost my partner and I around $1,500, though you wouldn’t know it. It is also worth noting that this film is the last time my family home was captured in this state- it burned down the year after production. It’s since been rebuilt, but it’s an interesting fact nonetheless.

Written, directed & edited by Alicia Knittel, shot by Brendan Engle, starring Carly Belko and Richard Liverano.

For a full list of festivals this film was featured in, please click here.