“All About E”, is a film directed by Louise Wadley and starring Aussie star Mandahla Rose, about an exciting crime caper with a Lesbian twist. Rose portrays a beautiful DJ privy to any girl in one of the hottest clubs in Sidney. However she is so closeted because of her Lebanese parents that she has broken up with the love of her life.
Suddenly she finds a bag full of cash and she and her best friend find themselves on the run, and back in the arms of her x girlfriend. The movie is flooded with intrigue and emotion.
The film has already gotten amazing reviews from AfterEllen.com, Screen Daily, Edge Media Network, and many others as well as being the winner of the Jury award, Best International Women’s Feature North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and will debut December 1st.
It’s not often Get Out Magazine is able to interview someone in Australia, however the director and star of the movie were willing to brave the 16 hour time difference….
Mandahla Rose
How did you prepare for your role, did you have to learn how to DJ?
I did! I have a DJ friend and I asked her if she would be happy to teach me how to spin the decks. I had so much fun and Kerry said that I was a natural. Who knows, maybe I will become a DJ.
From the trailer it looks like you had a lot of fun filming the movie, was there a part you enjoyed shooting best?
I had an absolute blast being in this movie! It’s difficult to say exactly which part I enjoyed the most because the truth of it is that I enjoyed every single bit of it. From shooting in 50degree Celsius weather to driving a tractor, holding a rifle, chasing after a plane, teaching myself to play the clarinet!
Is the character in any way similar to your real life story?
I think that with any performance to be believable, there needs to be an alignment between the character and myself. So yes there are definitely similarities between E and myself.
What is next for you in 2016 and beyond?
I have just been granted an O-1 visa which allows me to work in the states! And I have also just been cast as the lead in a series called La Douleur Exquise. So hopefully, 2016 and beyond means that I will be a very busy actor.
Can you give our readers a small bio of yourself?
I’m an actor hailing from Adelaide, South Australia. My most recent credits include Wolf Creek 2, A Month Of Sunday’s alongside Anthony Lapaglia, Oranges and Sunshine, Wastelander Panda and of course All About E. I am off to LA and NY early December to begin shooting my new project.
How was it working with Louise?
My performance would not have been what it was if it wasn’t for the guidance and coaching of Louise. She has a gentleness about her when it came to her direction and I guess a lot of that had to do with the fact that this is Louise’s story. So, I thoroughly enjoyed working with Louise and I have grown as an actor because of her.
Louise
Was there a particular instance in your life that inspired the story line of the movie?
Definitely – I did a little bit of DJ’ing for some tiny clubs back in the day when I lived in London. But it was also the time when legendary clubs like The Fridge in Brixton and Heaven created these incredible other worlds where people could escape their hum drum life for the night. I was fascinated with the way the top DJ’s would take these huge crowds of seemingly disparate people on a collective emotional journey.
I wanted to do a story about someone who had that power, who seemed so in control but who was out of control in the rest of her life.
Is this your very first film?
It’s my first drama feature – I’ve made shorts and feature length documentaries before.
Did you have a favorite portion of the film?
There are so many. Probably everything in the country is my favorite with one scene where E wanders lost in thought in the soft purple light of dusk that is a stand out favorite. I just love what the composer has done here with the melody taking us deep into E’s soul as she walks in the landscape.
What was the most difficult part of directing the movie
Trying to wrangle a high budget movie into a low budget time frame. I think we had 34 speaking parts, 42 locations, 2 fight scenes, a gun, a plane, an action sequence, children and a dog. This is not low budget film making. I still can’t quite believe we did it.
What is gay life like in Australia?
Like anywhere else – varied; wonderful, complicated, difficult. One thing to note is that we are still waiting for Marriage Equality. The U.S. Is ahead of us on that. When it comes I do believe it will help change hearts and minds.
Do you have any new projects on the horizon?
Lots! I have a web series I’m writing and I’m developing several feature and TV scripts. I can’t wait to get to my next project.
Is there a message that you wish to get out there via the movie?
That All About E is Australia now! Australia is made up of many different kinds of people. It’s a universal message of love and acceptance. Love who you are and find your own way and whether you are from an Anglo or immigrant background, gay or straight, from the city or the country there is more that connects us than divides us.
Looking back on the process of the project, is there anything that you would change or do differently?
Maybe wait till I got more funding or won the lottery so it wasn’t so tough and we could have had 7 weeks so my beautiful partner Jay Rutovitz the producer was less stressed and my wonderful actors could have had more takes and cut less script but then again we might never have made the film as it already took so long to raise the money. So all in all, no I’m very happy with what we have.
