EP. 1480: Filmmaker/Actor Annie Young (serpentine)

serpentine, 19min., USA Directed by Annie Young, Madeline Mack After leaving an abusive relationship, a woman seeks refuge with a trauma treatment facility that promises healing. But as she learns more about their treatment methods, she starts to realize that the organization’s motivations may be far more sinister than they seem. Get to know the filmmaker Annie Young: What motivated you to make this film? In my 20s, I was in a deeply toxic relationship with someone who spent most of his childhood in a cult. After I managed to leave the relationship, I started to see the parallels between the way I was treated and the ways in which cult leaders attract and keep their followers. I started to take a deep dive into learning about various different cults, consuming as much information I could find. The film was made as an attempt to understand my own experiences, and how easy it is for a vulnerable person to find themself in a situation not dissimilar to this one. There’s much judgment placed on those who experience emotional abuse and psychological manipulation, as if it’s easy to identify in real time, so I was curious how I could portray that feeling to an audience and perhaps elicit some of those emotions in themselves. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? Feedback can always be intimidating to receive, but is so essential for creative growth. I was pleased to hear the feedback received, and I look forward to applying it to the feature-length version. Subscribe to the podcast: https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod