Emily Goss – The TMG Interview and A Little House in Aberdeen Review
Article by Ray Schillaci
I get asked to review a lot of short films. Perhaps too many. There’s just so much out there by talented people, I can’t possibly review them all. But, once in a rare while I come across something that is so unique, so hard hitting I feel compelled to share the news. Emily Goss’ A Little House in Aberdeen is like nothing I have ever seen before. It is emotionally exhausting, powerful, intimate and some will find it controversial because of the subject matter – abortion.
As a male, I felt uncomfortable and intrusive watching this. Not that this was Ms. Goss’ intention. It’s the way she approached this hotbed of a subject. It also reinforced my feelings that a man has no right to force their opinion on a women’s choice.
Writer/director/actress Emily Goss does not present the matter with a heavy hand. Instead, she takes us with Britney, played by Goss, into the procedure with a stream of thought as well as a personal journey and we cannot help but take part in her feelings and support her in a choice that is not easy to make. We are observers, almost like the doctor and medical assistant in the room with her.
This triple threat of a talent (and, I do not state that lightly) is able to convey the reflections some may go through during such a procedure. The innocence, confusion, nervousness and the reflection on life while always being acutely aware of those in the OR. The camera is mostly on Britney which makes this film all the more intimate. We do get a glimpse of the doctor and the nurse, both women, we are constantly aware of their presence and their care.
Britney, a young woman I would guess in her late twenties, does everything she can to make herself and those around her comfortable during the procedure. She apologizes to the nurse and doctor the moment things start. She rambles nervously on and even catches herself, trying to be calm for those around her and for her own peace of mind. Britney reflects on everything from the person she met in the waiting room, to an old beau, her mother, and on women in general. Her thoughts are both fascinating, sad and with a dash of hope.
This may be one of the most impactful shorts I have seen in a long time. The camera work appears as if it was done in one shot. It’s almost as if the camera is telling her story, capturing every emotion as it carefully sweeps and glides to the pace of Britney’s dialogue, akin to a well choreographed dance movement. The sound design is just as carefully laid out. The merging of Britney’s story and the technical prowess that has gone into making this short is an experience you will not soon forget.
I had a chance to chat with Emily Goss and discuss her extraordinary short film.
Ray Schillaci: First question I have to ask, what prompted you to do this short (in the manner that you did) and what kind of research went into it?
Emily Goss: Early in the pandemic, the awesome casting director Erica Bream was helping actors stay creative with self-tape challenges. One challenge was to write a one-minute monologue that either started with the line “Oh, I’m sorry” or “Oh it’s you.” At the time I was reading A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult (highly recommend) which is about an abortion clinic in Mississippi. I decided to start with “Oh, I’m sorry” and slowly reveal over the course of the minute that the character was in the middle of an abortion. Out of 8,000 entries, my monologue was one of forty finalists. It was absolutely crazy. I’ve always wanted to direct and the challenge made me feel I had something interesting here.
When I decided to adapt the monologue into this film, I spoke to two abortion providers who work with Planned Parenthood, several Planned Parenthood staff members, and the corporate Vice President of Whole Woman’s Health. I also spoke to friends who have had abortions. This research helped me time out the film (a typical in-clinic abortion takes 5-10 minutes), write authentic dialogue for the character of the provider played by Laur Allen, get props, and so much more.
RS: Last year a Gallup poll showed that 80% of Americans support pro-choice in all or most cases. But, there is still a very loud voice from the 20% that call themselves pro-life (I tend to use the term pro-birth) and these people are able to overturn laws in several states. You would think in this day and age Roe vs. Wade would no longer be contested. But, it’s still a hot button subject.
EG: I use the terms pro-abortion and anti-abortion – because you’re right, words get twisted around in the abortion debate. Yes, all reputable polls indicate that a majority of Americans are in favor of abortion. I think that if more people knew what abortions actually entailed, even more people would support abortion rights and access. The procedure is extremely safe. Abortion pills are also extremely safe. I hope this film can demystify the in-clinic procedure and educate rather than alienate audiences.
RS: You mentioned you do not want to treat the subject matter as “extremely sensitive.” That you wanted to “normalize” it. Do you think using the word “normalize” could cause a furor or calling your short a “casual” abortion film? Do you think that these are the right words since the decision and what women go through can be such an extraordinary set of emotions?
EG: Yes, people can go through extraordinary sets of emotions when making the decision to have an abortion. I say “people” because women are not the only ones who have abortions – trans and nonbinary people have abortions too. And I would never say that all abortions are always “casual.” But some of them definitely are. We are used to a certain type of abortion film about certain types of abortions. I hope A Little House In Aberdeen can fill a gap in the narrative. No single film can be everything to everyone. We need more and more abortion stories because all kinds of people have abortions for all different reasons.
RS: I like the idea that from the very beginning you went in with no apology and preamble. That’s what makes this film so unique. What urged you to do the film in that style?
EG: Thank you! I really appreciate that comment because that’s an important aspect of this film for me. Technically speaking, the monologue format discourages exposition. But also, my favorite films are slice-of-life films. And, when I committed to making this new kind of abortion movie, it became crucial that we became as intimate as possible with this character without knowing how she got pregnant or why she decided to go through the procedure. I hope bearing witness to the stuff of her life – which is the stuff of all of our lives – will bring the audience close to her.
RS: Was it daunting to wear three hats (writer/director/actor)? What did you find most difficult?
EG: I realized that I’ve often thought like a writer, director, or producer, even though this was my first time officially wearing those hats. I’d say the most difficult part was being a director in the post-production phase. That was something that was truly new to me. But I had an incredible team for post – producer/editor Shayan Ebrahim, sound designer Nathan Lee, colorist Robert Crosby, and my DP David Y. Chung who weighed in as well.
RS: Was the film shot in one take or was it made to look like that?
EG: It was shot in one take! But here I want to shout out my fellow producer and editor Shayan Ebrahim again. There still was a significant amount of work to be done on the take before it became “the film.” Things like stabilization, digital pushes, and so on.
RS: How much rehearsal time did it take and how many takes were there?
EG: On set we were able to do it five times all the way through. Because of time constraints I was only able to watch the first take. We ended up choosing the final take. I don’t actually remember rehearsing it too much. From the writing process, I had the words all down. Laur Allen, my good friend and the actress who plays the abortion provider, ran it with me a couple days before the shoot.
RS: Did you have a technical professional on hand in regards to dialogue and sound design?
EG: Nathan Lee did our production sound and post production sound. He was the one-man sound band. And he’s fantastic. Something funny we dealt with on set was the noise made by the plastic medical grade pillowcase. The closest thing to an “oh shit” moment that I had, was after our first take when Nathan said the rustling of the pillowcase was going to be too loud. We decided we had to keep the pillowcase for authenticity, but if you watch the film again, see if you notice me trying not to move my head…
RS: Where do you go from here? What festivals have you entered? What has been the reaction (screenings or festivals)?
EG: I’m so excited to World Premiere with Cinequest, a festival that has meant so much to me over the years. Fargo Film Festival, Ashland International Film Festival, and a few others are also coming up. I can’t wait to talk to audiences about the film. I’m so curious about what the reaction will be.
RS: You have been very busy since I saw you in The House on Pine Street back in 2015. You’ve been in plenty of shorts, TV and features. Most notable may be Snapshots. What was your first reaction when you found out you would be working with the legendary Piper Laurie and Brooke Adams?
EG: Snapshots is a highlight for sure. I still get messages from people around the world who love that movie. I was beyond excited, not just to work with Piper and Brooke, but to work with the whole team and to tell that beautiful story. I’m so glad people are continuing to find it and watch it.
RS: Please tell us about any future projects.
EG: After A Little House In Aberdeen I helped produce and acted in a psychological thriller with a social justice theme – Healed. We were recently announced in Deadline and hopefully will be playing at festivals later this year! Healed is the debut feature from Thornbyrd Films, a new production company dedicated to telling queer women’s stories.
Thanks to Emily! You can catch A Little House in Aberdeen at the following film festivals; Cinequest, Fargo Film Festival, Ashland International Film Festival. You can get updated on other film festivals by following Emily and her film at the links:
https://twitter.com/little_aberdeen
https://www.instagram.com/littleaberdeenfilm/
and
https://www.facebook.com/littleaberdeenfilm/.
You may also catch Emily’s performances in Snapshots on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Peacock and VUDU. You can be thrilled by Emily’s performance in the very creepy The House on Pine Street, currently on Amazon Prime for rent or purchase, Tubi and VUDU. Emily is also in the 2021 horror film Shook, currently available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and for subscribers to Shudder. And, she is in the series An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts on Netflix.
Twitter: @emilygoss650
Instagram: emilygoss650
Visit Ray’s blog at themonsterinmyhead.com
