We recently connected with Alexandra Spieth and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
From 2016-2019, I toured a one-woman show about the Steubenville Rape Case to colleges across America. The show included reading of the trial transcripts, interviews with the student body, and a campus talk-back. I was amazed to see first-hand how trauma affected the students. This experience inspired my debut horror-comedy feature, “Stag”, which I wrote and directed in 2021.
“Stag” is the story of an urban loner, Jenny, who must fight for a chance at redemption after she’s invited to her estranged BFF’s bachelorette party. “Stag” is a female-friendship saga that asks the question, “Can you overcome the past?” The filmic quality is luridly akin to “It Follows”, while the dialogue is similar to the modern banter in “Cabin in the Woods”. The film examines themes of loss, gaslighting, and betrayal. My film is for women of all ages, and especially college and high school students. It’s for the girl I was then, and the woman I am now.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hi! I’m Alexandra Spieth, a writer and director from Brooklyn. I started acting as a kid in Nashville, Tennessee, and went to the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. As soon as I graduated, I moved to NYC to pursue my dream of being on the Great White Way.
After college, I was struggling to find acting work, and I started writing my own material. Eventually, I created and wrote the series “Blank My Life” (which spans four seasons) and “86’d” (Executive Produced and funded by BRIC TV). Through the filmmaking process, I grew more interested in directing my own work.
After writing and producing projects for years, I discovered I loved being the creative lead of a project. Being the director finally allowed me to own my own work, and I’m excited to see where directing takes me. I make movies about gender, sex, religion, and ambition.
I’m beginning the festival circuit for my debut horror-comedy feature “Stag” in which is about an urban loner who must fight for a chance at redemption when she’s invited to her estranged BFF’s bachelorette party. The film examines themes of gaslighting and trauma in a hyper girly background. Our team boasts a female camera team and a majority female acting cast and producing team. We premiered at Brooklyn Film Festival and Female Eye Film Festival in mid-June. At the end of June, we will screen at Portland Horror Film Festival.
Currently, I’m writing a feature “Immaculate” about an atheist GameStop employee who discovers she will birth the second coming of Christ in the year 2027 A.D. Themes include faith, inclusion, and marijuana. I plan to film this movie in Nashville.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I have always had a problem with wanting to be perfect. Man, I wanted to be good at everything right away so bad! I was the overachiever right out of fifth grade class with my hand in the air first; I was Hermione from Harry Potter or Tracy Flick from Election or any of the kids who wanted to win the race before it started.
Until I wasn’t. Around three years ago, I realized how much my desire to be “perfect” had kept me from harnessing my power as a creator. I make directly political art. I can’t worry if I gained 10 pounds. I can’t worry if you like me. I can’t worry if you are offended. My job as a director is to be vocal about the future I want to build.
So, I’m not Hermione or Tracy Flick or any of those other people any more. I’m Alexandra Spieth.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
“On Writing” by Stephen King is the book I recommend to everyone. everywhere, at any time. It’s an incredibly useful, hilarious, and inspiring read. “Save the Cat”, a writer’s screenplay bible, is incredibly helpful. But the greatest asset to a filmmaker is the films which have come before, so I will list a few of my favorite movies in no particular order.
Clueless. The Florida Project. Moonlight. Get Out. Halloween. No Country for Old Men. Misery. The Shining. Children of Men. The Blair Witch Project. Passing. Carrie. The Birdcage. Shaun of the Dead. Fargo.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://alexandraspieth.com/
- Instagram: @mynameisalexs and @blankmylife
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.spieth.1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BlankMyLife
Image Credits
-Michael Kohlbrenner -Caroline Mariko Stuckey -Sub/Urban Photography
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