The new film from Emma Hillebrecht marks her first theatrical release with a one-night showing in Bernardsville, NJ open for the public to see. Following this success, the film is to be released online on Friday October 6th as Hillebrecht hopes to reach a wider audience. The Space Between Women explores the relationships between Felicia and the other women in her life.
Hillebrecht is a filmmaker to push boundaries. In this film she experiments with an entirely improvised script and the genre of “mumblecore”. Having never come across this genre before, I did a little research on the origins of mumblecore. It’s widely accepted that the term was coined in 2005. The following work was characterised by “minuscule budgets and low-to-non-existent production values” and “a wry and self-conscious interest in the everyday trials and tribulations of young Americans struggling to come to terms with the often dispiriting realities of adulthood.”[1]
While The Space Between Women is certainly an independent film made on a smaller budget, I would argue it’s production value is high in comparison to what might typically emerge from this genre. The film is very visually striking with bold, bright colours contrasting black and white sequences. The cinematography is also quirky and engaging at times. The use of improvisation to achieve a more realistic flow doesn’t make for a dull narrative and the pacing is consistently good throughout. Hillebrecht balances the mumblecore genre with her own creative flair. This stops the film falling into patterns of criticism associated with mumblecore. When it first emerged, the genre quickly became “synonymous with smug hipsterism, suggestive of endless, self-indulgent navel-gazing from characters who were almost invariably white, straight and middle-class.” While the protagonist, Felicia (portrayed by Emma Hillebrecht), does contemplate life, death, love and identity, this doesn’t stray into irritating naval-gazing. The exploration of trans identity at the heart of the film flourishes within the genre and adds a new voice to a discourse which had previously been dominated by straight, white, middle-class voices.
Throughout the film see Felicia’s relationships with others grow and fade, become extinguished and rekindled. Although this is a dialogue heavy film rather than a traditional action driven narrative, there is a significant amount of story, drama and emotion for audiences to engage with and enjoy. There is a certain joy in the sporadic, sometimes slightly awkward dialogue between all the characters. It feels very real as a result. We meet Felicia’s ex-girlfriend, Grace (Annika Helgeson) , who feels angry and confused about their relationship, her mother (Fiorella Sandoval) who is more concerned with church and religion than her daughter’s struggles, and a once famous YouTuber who Felicia had misplaced admiration for. Liz Albahary as pretend YouTuber Carina Canstar provides an amusingly satirical sequence surrounding the fakery of online personalities. During a Patreon call with Felicia, she exposes her true colours and announces she is giving up YouTube due to lack of attention. On the other side of the coin, Julia Rothstein as Mary brings a heart-warming conclusion to the film as a childhood friend of Felicia’s. They reminisce on weeks spent at camp making up silly songs and having fun.
Touchingly truthful and artistically bold: The Space Between Women is an exploration of both genre and identity, with each lending something unique to the other.
Watch the trailer below and keep an eye out for the full film coming this Friday!
[1] https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-mumblecore