A very moving drama by Jeremy Hersh. Superbly written, outstanding direction, and beautifully photographed. The only reason I give the film a 4.5 star instead of 5 is because of the lack of a soundtrack. Although it was moving and mesmerizing in its approach to the point of bringing a tear to my eyes at one point, an atmospheric soundtrack could have easily had me actually crying.
A relevant issue to address LGBTQ life in the 21st century as we move into the realm of marriage equality and parenting. And one that needs more attention.
All the acting was first-rate, but Jasmine Batchelor gave an amazing performance as Jess.
I literally loved the movie and highly recommend it to anyone.
The Surrogate will open in virtual theaters on June 12th
Jeremy Hersh is a filmmaker and playwright based in New York. His short film Actresses premiered at Sundance 2015 where Time Out New York named it one of their five favorite shorts of the festival. Actresses went on to screen at SXSW, BAMCinemafest, and The New Orleans Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best narrative short. Jeremy’s undergraduate thesis film Natives premiered at SXSW 2013 and went on to play numerous festivals including BFI Flare in London. Jeremy was a fellow of the 2015 Film Society of Lincoln Center Artist Academy.
Director’s Statement
I came of age being told that as a queer person, I was entitled to the same rights as straight people, including having biological children if I wanted to. I set out to write a film about a relationship between queer people and their chosen family who are confronted with the same types of difficult questions (ethical and otherwise) that all potential parents have to answer, questions that are becoming increasingly complicated due to recent advances in prenatal testing technology. I don’t have the answers to these questions, or a particular message I set out to convey, but I’m interested in the various points of view and conversations these questions provoke.
I make movies partly as a way of investigating my own blind spots, in order to hopefully identify them and learn from them. Like so many among us, the characters in The Surrogate pride themselves on being open-minded progressives who talk openly and freely about everything. The conflict in the film arises when they’re finally confronted with something they don’t know how to talk about. Ultimately, the characters have to confront the gap between ideals and practical realities.
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