Five Questions With... Lilian Mehrel & Mary Evangelista (WATER MELTS)

WATER MELTS is a blue-hearted rom-com about people who are going to lose someone they love. Nobody knows what to say, so they bicker, laugh/cry, and get married. It's a romantic comedy, after all.

This virtual reality experience is available in our Legacy Lounge in the Harborview Room - take a look at the teaser below, as well as our filmmaker Q&A, and try it out for yourself this week!

NFF: Please say a little about your inspiration for the film.

LILIAN & MARY: Each of us co-creators were handed similar cards - the person we love most was given a terminal diagnosis. We came together and realized the story we had to create: a story that didn't exist yet. A story about the struggle to enjoy the moment with your loved one when you have been told you will lose them. It's almost impossible to be light under urgent dark clouds, but we knew what it felt like to live for the smallest of golden moments. And how the most absurd comedic moments burst forth from these tightly wound circumstances. And how it's about love.

NFF: Why do you enjoy working in VR to express your vision?

LILIAN & MARY: We are storytellers first, but we love the challenge of telling a story in this medium. When the entire space is our canvas, how do we imbue scenes with feeling? WATER MELTS is unique in the 360 realm as a narrative-driven cinematic piece. It also stands out in its play with genre: a blue-hearted rom-com.

We embraced a minimalist naturalism with long takes (the way it might feel to be sitting near a couple on the beach, eavesdropping on their argument) -the dreamy theatrics of life. We wanted the audience to have breathing room to look around and take in the vastness of the beach, to choose to watch the characters or let their conversation wash over you as you follow an animation. The blank canvas beach environment allowed any Fellini-esque absurdity to stand out in contrast.

We also enjoyed playing with cinematic touches in editing, like creating a slow-motion 360 montage.

It also brings an old-school element to the new medium in a fresh way. We overlay classic hand-painted animation (created by Emmy-award-winning artist Maya Edelman) on the 3-dimensional live-action footage. The real and the unreal co-existing in this surreal emotional landscape - the way humor and heartbreak can live together too.

NFF: What do you find the biggest advantages and challenges of making a film in this way, vs. "traditional" filmmaking?

LILIAN & MARY: The biggest advantage is the minimalism, which forces us to sharpen our storytelling skills. Also by allowing us to give audiences a life-like experience, we were able to let the real (live-action) and the unreal (animation) co-exist in a surreal emotional landscape - the way humor and heartbreak can live together too. So we overlaid old-school hand-painted animation (created by Emmy-award-winning Broad City artist Maya Edelman) on the 3-dimensional live-action footage.

The biggest disadvantage is the difficulty in sharing the final work with wide audiences.

NFF: What are you working on currently, and/or where can we see more of your work?

LILIAN & MARY: We’re working on a new romantic-comedy-with-an-edge series. More about our work at www.lilianmehrel.com and www.maryevangelista.com.

NFF: Why are you excited to screen in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences might relate to or takeaway from the film?

LILIAN & MARY: We love the emphasis on screenwriting at Nantucket, and hope audiences will connect to our storytelling first and foremost. We also hope that those who see themselves in our characters and circumstances will feel seen. We would love to engage with audiences and invite anyone to share impressions with us - hashtag #WaterMelts and feel free to message us on Instagram (@lilianfilm @maryelista) - thank you!