Bittersweet connection between a girl and her great grandmother reflected in Short Cut ‘Pen Pals’
This is one of seven stories in KCPR’s Short Cuts series, highlighting the Cal Poly student films debuting in the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival.
“Pen Pals” explores the slow process of communication with an older loved one through traditional letter-writing and discovering connection from afar, while finding similarity in their days as one of them nears the end of her life. The framework was inspired by a fond personal narrative of memories in early childhood, sending letters back-and-forth from Minnesota to California.
Initially receiving a prompt of ‘discovery’ from a screenwriting class, Teagan Dees wrote the narrative based on her first experience with death and grief as a child.
“It sounds more dramatic than it is, and the film is, but it’s my first experience with death kind of. But also, more about the relationship between me and my great-grandmother. We exchanged letters back-and-forth through the majority of when I could write, and when I was alive when she was alive,” said Dees, writer and co-director.
“Pen Pals” is one of the short films that has developed from Cal Poly course collaborations from ISLA 341 and ART 483. Although created in winter quarter, editing and preparation for the film festival occurred outside of the preliminary 10-week-course.
The student contributors to “Pen Pals” are writer & co-director Dees, co-director Taz Frufauf, production design and co-director of photography Julia Nunez, editor and co-director of photography Milly Ferreira, producer Ryan Agdassi, and music by Isa Dorfman. The contributing actors are Rosh Wright as Grandmother and Ekko Feeser as Lyla.
Penpals was filmed in San Luis Obispo at various local businesses including, Fred & Betty’s Thrift shop, Art Central, Louisa’s Place, Ekko and Rosh houses and O’Neill Green outside of Orfalea College of Business.
In the short film, Dees included a personal scene of her grandma rollerskating in the neighborhood.
“An ode to my great grandmother. She was rollerskating, I want to say, into her 70’s. She used to roller skate with my grandma and aunt, so I’m so overjoyed with how that part turned out,” Dees said. “Our actresses were willing to put on skates, kind of for the first time.”
“Pen Pals” is a short film exploring bittersweet reminiscing on childhood memories and appreciating the time that was shared, involving the impact of connection with older family generations.
“Pen Pals” will be shown on April 27 at Fremont Theater at 7 p.m. along with more contributing Short Cut films produced this year. Tickets can be found at slofilmfest.org
