Crossroads Between Two Worlds

A short film by Joe Nankin
Interview via emails, March 2016

"Deep Blue" is a coming-of-age story about a young woman at a crossroads. Written and directed by Joe Nankin, a Los Angeles native living in Oakland, the short film explores identity shift and the journey to find oneself. A portrait of sorts, we wake up in Eva's world for a single day and join her as she carves her own path between two worlds. The film's logline reads:

A young Mennonite woman harbors a secret romance on the eve of her baptism. Engulfed by questions of spiritual belonging, carnal love, and identity, Eva gropes for an emotional foothold. Where will she find herself?

Where did the inspiration for this project come from?

An encounter in Labrador, Canada and my relationship to my family.

What's something you've learned in the process of making this short film?

I learned, again and even more, how integral communication is to filmmaking. The stronger your communication skills are, the more you can bring out of your collaborators.

How does it feel to be on the verge of sharing a project which you've worked on for so long?

I'm curious. The film has been in my head for (what feels like) a very long time and I'm beyond judgement of it. I think a project completes itself in the interpretations of others, so I'm interested to see how this one finalizes. I'm also proud of the talent that has been given to the project- I'm eager to share that.

This month, Joe begins his own transition in the form of a move returning to his hometown of LA. Joe has been a huge supporter of Group Study for the past couple years, a gently important figure at our living room critiques in Oakland, and the forthcoming book would not have been possible without him. We're going to miss him, but we're excited about what next comes his way. Thanks for sharing Joe, thanks for listening and asking questions, and thanks for helping us figure out our own identity just a little bit more.