Hot Docs 2009 Interview: ‘Zombie Girl: The Movie’ Co-Director

One of my favourite films playing at this year’s Hot Docs is Zombie Girl: The Movie . It follows 12-year-old Emily Hagins over a two-year period while she shoots, directs and edits a feature-length zombie movie. When I was twelve I was watching lots of movies but wasn’t at the point where I wanted to make them. Emily is not your average pre-teen though. She knows a lot about movies (thanks to her parents not censoring her viewing habits) and has motivation most of us can only imagine. Zombie Girl: The Movie might be light fun amongst some of the heavier subjects at Hot Docs but it’s one of the most intriguing and worthwhile films you’ll see at the fest.

I was able to steal some time with Zombie Girl: The Movie co-director Aaron Marshall this week. A few emails back-and-forth, a revelation that we share the exact same birthday (a first for both of us) and we ended up with this exchange.

Whose idea was it to document Emily making Pathogen (her zombie movie)?

It was our idea. We approached Emily and her parents and asked if it would be okay. Thankfully, they said yes!

Did you know her before starting Zombie Girl?

No. We stumbled across a posting on the internet for Emily’s casting call for Pathogen that read, “Need 12-15-year-olds for a zombie movie directed by a 12-year-old girl.” That was all it took to hook us.

Was there anything you shot that Emily or her parents wanted removed?

There were plenty of times while filming where Emily would jokingly turn to the camera and say, “don’t put that in your movie!” So, of course, we were a little nervous about what she and her family would think upon watching it for the first time. After we screened it for them, though, they were very happy with how it turned out and said we shouldn’t change a thing. I can’t tell you how much of a relief that was!

Did you ever help with her production while filming her?

There were, of course, many times where we felt a temptation to step in and stop Emily from making a mistake. Or suggest a better way for her to try a shot. But we made an agreement amongst ourselves and with her family from the beginning, that we were there to observe Emily’s process and not to interfere. Some of the best lessons we learned when making films as teenagers, we learned from the mistakes we made, and to prevent Emily from making her own mistakes would have robbed her of the valuable experience she was getting. We tried our best to remain “flies on the wall” and not pollute Emily’s project with our own film knowledge.

When you saw Pathogen for the first time was it what you expected?

Having been there for nearly all of the production and post production process, there weren’t many surprises for us as we watched the final film in the theatre. But, the best part of the premiere for us was seeing the audience react to what we’d been watching for years. Seeing them jump at the scary parts and laugh at the funny parts was awesome to see and obviously very rewarding for Emily.

Were you making movies when you were twelve?

We weren’t making them at twelve, but by high school, I think we were all making short films with our friends, using whatever rudimentary video equipment we could get our hands on. Those were the days of hooking two VCRs together when you needed to make an edit, and holding title cards up in front of the camera for lack of a text generator. But it got the job done.

Something that was brought up in the film is the accessibility of video equipment turning everyone into a filmmaker. Do you see this as a good or bad thing?

It’s a great thing! If we’d had video cameras and edit equipment at twelve, maybe we would have started making movies earlier, too! And that applies to almost every field or craft — not just filmmaking. The earlier that kids can get access to the tools of a potential trade, the more time they’ll have to explore what they want to do with their lives, and ultimately be more inspired and skilled because of it.

Did you always want to be a filmmaker?

I, personally, grew up wanting to act. But, then — at some point in high school, I think — I realized that I was much better at directing movies than I was at starring in them. Luckily, that was about the time my parents bought a video camera, and I’ve been making movies ever since.

Are you surprised by the reception Zombie Girl has received?

When you spend almost four years working on a project, there’s always that little worry way in the back of your mind that this might never get out there and people may not get to share in a story you find so inspiring. So, if anything, there is a relief that the movie is being well-received and we’re very happy that audiences are now getting a chance to enjoy it as much as we do.

What’s next for you?

I’m developing a comedy script that I’ve written, with hopes to go into production as soon as all the financing is in place. Justin is preparing to take a film he co-produced called “Fire Proof Gloves” on the festival circuit. And Erik is working on a new indie narrative, while also producing “Between the Scenes,” a show about local film productions in Austin, Texas.

Hot Docs 2009 runs from April 30 – May 10. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.hotdocs.ca.

brian.mckechnie@citynews.ca

Images courtesy Zombie Girl: The Movie, LLC