In her first narrative feature, ventriloquist Nina Conti plays a woman in a monkey costume, engaging in profound conversations with a character named Roy, played by co-writer Shenoah Allen. The film follows their journey through the desert after a suicide attempt. Both Conti and Allen emphasize the improvisational nature of their script development, which led to authentic dialogue that feels spontaneous. They reflect on the idea of ventriloquism tied to filmmaking, highlighting how their characters helped articulate emotions and narratives they wanted to convey.
We lived in this world for so long, and we developed a lot of the scenes and the script through improvising together.
Yes, in a way we were providing voices for the characters, or they were doing the work for us.
Right from the beginning, Shenoah would come around to my house early in the morning. We'd go to a cafe around the corner called Chez Nous.
We really entered this land of make-believe every day.
Collection
[
|
...
]