Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name Blood and Glory (short)
Genre: Drama
Date: November 2019
Director: Satinder Kaur
Producer: YJ Meira & Women in Media
Writer: Satinder Kaur
Cinematographer: Brennan Full, Vatsala Gole
Production Company: Women in Media, USA
Budget: $50,000
Financing: Made in a competition through the Women in Media Camaraderie initiative. They gave us all the resources for the film.
Shooting Format: Digital/ Black Magic/ Anamorphic
Screening Format: Digital
World Premiere: Tribeca Film Festival
Awards: 2+
– Grand Prize (Women in Media Camaraderie Initiative).
– Best Narrative Short & Audience Award (Imagine This Women’s Int’l Film Festival)
Website
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Satinder Kaur (SK): Blood and Glory is a drama about the friendship between two homeless veterans living on the streets of LA. Jackie () is a dreamer and a hustler who is trying to get her life back on track. She also takes care of her battle buddy Rosa, who suffers from debilitating PTSD. The day that Jackie finally gets a job interview, she wakes up with a super heavy period. Without money for pads or tampons, Jackie has to figure out how to get through the day without letting her bloodstain her clothes or her dignity.
The official trailer for Blood and Glory written and directed by Satinder Kaur
I wrote this story because I’m a combat veteran myself. I joined the Army when I was 18, and deployed to Iraq when I was 21. Transitioning back to civilian life was difficult, but I was lucky to have a community and resources. Here in LA, we’ve seen a steady rise in the number of women who end up homeless after they leave the military. One day, while volunteering on Skid Row, I saw a veteran walking down the street and she had a large period stain on her back. I was shocked and disheartened. That image buried itself in the filaments of my brain. It was then that I realized that when you’re homeless or living below the poverty line, lack of access to feminine hygiene products can really chip away at your dignity. Yet, there aren’t many stories about these experiences. So I wrote Blood and Glory to explore this intersectionality of invisibility through film.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing, and sales?
Satinder Kaur (SK): We premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. After that, we’ve played at various festivals around the globe, including Heartland Indy Shorts and the upcoming HollyShorts. We won the Grand Prize in competition at Women in Media Camaraderie initiative. We also won the Best Narrative Short Award and the Audience Award at Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival.
Give the full Official Synopsis for your film?
SK: Logline – Two homeless, female veterans’ friendship is tested when they confront adversity, discrimination, and even mother nature itself in their attempt to find work and survive the day.
Long Synopsis: Blood and Glory is a drama about the friendship between two homeless veterans living on the streets of LA. Jackie is a dreamer and a hustler who is trying to get her life back on track. She also takes care of her battle buddy Rosa, who suffers from debilitating PTSD. The day that Jackie finally gets a job interview, she wakes up with a super heavy period. Without money for pads or tampons, Jackie has to figure out how to get through the day without letting her bloodstain her clothes or her dignity.
Development & Financing?
SK: I wrote the story after seeing a homeless female veteran walking down the street with a period stain on her back. That image devastated me. So I wrote the script and workshopped it in a writers workshop at the USVAA (US Veterans Artists Alliance). I eventually submitted the script to Women in Media CAMERAderie initiative and was elated to learn we were among the three final projects selected to receive resources and mentorship to make the film.
Production?
SK: The film was shot as part of a competition and we filmed it over three days in July of 2019 in Los Angeles. Post production took place August through October 2019. Our sound mix and color were donated by NBC/Universal Post. We received mentorship by industry professionals along every step of the way — Colin Trevorrow, Germaine Franco, Ben Coccio, Victoria Rose Sampson, Allison Vanore and Quyen Tran.
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
SK: When we got the call from Tribeca about our film, we were ecstatic. As we made preparations for New York, Covid became a reality and the festival was postponed. It was a strange reality. After that every festival we’ve played at has been virtual. On one hand, virtual screenings allow for a larger audience to see your film, which has been a blessing. But we do miss the personal interactions and connections that happen on the ground. After Tribeca, we had a lot of festival programmers reach out to us directly.
The Release?
SK: We’re still in the festival run currently.
Advice from the Filmmaker?
SK: Write what moves you! Don’t think about what the industry is looking for. Value your point of view, and write/create from that place authenticity.
Watch behind the scenes; enter the making of Blood and Glory
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