Punkin Pie is available on ‘Vimeo on Demand’

With October being Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, the new indie film “Punkin Pie” has released on Vimeo On Demand! Get familiar with New York Film Academy graduate and one of Variety Magazine’s “110 Students to Watch” Director Allen Redwing, Producer Peijun Zou and the stars, Ebony Obsidian, Erin Sanderson, and Chris Hutchinson as we dive into their minds! Watch the film at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/punkinpie

What was the inspiration behind writing such an explicit story Allen Redwing?

Allen: “Life sometimes kicks you in the face, steps on your broken, bloody teeth and with faith, determination, and hope you still have to find the will to smile. This is in part my own story.”

How was it being on set day after day with such heavy energy consistently in the air?

Allen: “Extremely satisfying but extremely exhausting. A hypnotizing reality check as a Director. For me, reflection is key. I try to find quiet moments to reflect on what could have been done more comprehensively, creatively, and try to be more conscious of where I need to grow as a Director for both my crew and cast.

Peijun: “Everyday after shooting I would ask Allen, “are you happy with what we got for today? Is it good for the story?” As the Producer of the film, it was my priority to make sure we were doing everything as the Director envisioned because he was the one who wrote this powerful heart stopping story. I was also concerned with making sure everyone was as comfortable as possible.”

Ebony: “Suffocating. You have to let everything in, use all of your senses. And when you feel like shutting it out, becoming numb, you can’t. It was an overwhelming, inescapable, experience. And to know for a fact that young women like my character Katrina exist, hurts. It hurt on set and it hurts now.”

Erin: “I can distinctly remember our AD, Kouei, always taking me by the hand and being so willing to accommodate me in any way, as well as moments where myself, Ebony, and Christopher stay clustered on the floor, holding each other and crying in between takes. Those means of support, as well as others, truly helped me get through this process.”

Chris: “I felt drained and angry but grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a production that wants to shed light on things that DO happen behind the scenes every day. I hope we did a good job at that.”

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. We all know it exists, but what don’t we know about the topic that’s brought to light in “Punkin Pie?”

Allen: “Domestic Abuse really is not shared as graphically as it exists in real life. Advocacy on the subject is quite possibly watered down in mainstream media at best or at worst only played out in celebrity gossip. I mean, Rihanna, Ray Rice, Rodney King type stories (different analogies in the same vein) are real examples of both the power and ignorance of domestic type abuse.”

Peijun: “As a Chinese woman living in the United States, I realized how serious domestic abuse is in this country after producing “Punkin Pie.” Not everyone is giving it enough attention. I researched, and found, that Domestic Abuse pages only have around 26,000 followers on Facebook compared to celebrities whose pages have millions. That’s nothing in comparison. I began writing to some people on social media to help spread the word.”

Ebony: “Once you get to a certain depth of discussion about Domestic Abuse, it gets really, uncomfortable. No one wants to talk about it. But it’s only way down there that the truth about it can be found. It’s disgusting, embarrassing, scarring. Especially when paired with multiple layers of abuse, like sexual abuse and child abuse. Familial relationships being affected, blurred lines.”

Erin: “The one topic that many of our supporters have been the most vocal about is the sexual abuse that Katrina suffers at the hands of her mother, Elaine. Elaine’s tortured, desperate character will evoke sympathy and outrage with the choices that she makes throughout the story. Kudos to Allen J. Redwing for developing such layered characters, addressing the “Why’s” and “How’s”; and not just writing a story that simply scratches the surface of Domestic Violence.”

Chris: “The story is terrible but I know people that have gone through similar and worse things in their lives at the hands of their own family.”

This is a very violent story, that can be seen by viewing the trailer alone. Apart from the violence, what is another important component you want people to be aware of?

Allen: “Great question. Violence is only a symptom of a deeper issue. Generational abuse underscored by violence is the main theme. Additionally, I’d like for people to try and fathom the degrees of forgiveness needed to even come to grips with such dysfunctional relationship problems that exist in families all over the world.”

Ebony: “So much of Domestic Abuse is psychological. Nobody breaks down another human being for absolutely no reason. Something is deeply, deeply, wrong. Inexcusable actions still, but terribly wrong. Many victims exist in these type of relationships. And this problem is like Cancer, it doesn’t discriminate against age, gender, or race.”

Erin: “The psychological aspect of abuse is SUCH an important component to “Punkin Pie,” and can sometimes be as damaging as the physical. I hope that, by watching this film, the viewer will be able to acquire an understanding of who these characters are and why they are in this predicament.”

Chris: “It is important for people to know that this is not just a story, it is a reflection of many vulnerable people’s responsibility. Organizations that exist for victims of Domestic Violence are important, they need our support.”

Surprisingly, “Punkin Pie” is a short film. How could you possibly tell a story like this in the 38 minutes it consists of?

Allen: “That’s the tough part. A script that was originally 11 minutes became 18 minutes, which then evolved into 48 minutes, but was cut to 38 minutes. Quite honestly, my true desire was to shoot a feature film and keep it extremely gut wrenching, honest, and arc both the narrative and characters more. Win some, lose some…”

Ebony: “I’ve asked myself that question a million and one times. I truly believe Allen kept the most potent parts “Punkin Pie,” though. Many moments that gave further insight into characters as individuals didn’t make the final cut. But what we ended up with was a very compact, dense, story which is much like how these situations are in real life.”

Erin: “Again…hats off to Allen Redwing for writing such a powerful piece in short-story format, because “Punkin Pie” could very-well have been a feature film. I’ve had quite a few people exclaim that they want more, and that is a testament to Allen’s creative genius. He told this story in a very smart way, without over or under-doing it, and, now, our supporters want a part 2!”

Chris: “I had to approach the role of JD from a psychological perspective. The background that Allen gave helped me to play the different layers of the character, which is even more important on short films.”

What is the craziest thing people have said after watching the movie?

Allen: “Oh my God, that’s a tough one. “WTF…I can’t breathe,” “Jesus, I don’t know if I should have watched this…this early in the day, but I couldn’t stop watching,” “I want to throat punch JD,” “I wanted to kill him in his sleep.” Take your pick. We have more.”

Peijun: “Twisted weird dark drama. I can’t imagine a Dad forcing a Mother to sexually abuse her own daughter to entertain himself…” -Hengshen Liu

Ebony: “You want to go down the list! I’ve heard everything from “It was SO dark, and twisted,” to “Did she just eat her daughter out or am I just trippin.” I get screen shots every day from my friends, or sometimes people I don’t even know, with no comment, just a photo. And it’s usually of Katrina’s Mama between her legs.”

Erin: “Oh, that’s a no-brainer: “Am I tripping, or did she eat her daughter out, while being whipped and raped by her husband?”

Chris: “People who have seen the film have made reference to the violence. Some hate JD, which is expected. When you play a bad guy people often forget you’re an actor playing a role and end up hating you too.”

What do you hope to accomplish by sharing this story with the world?

Allen: “First, that people will be more aware that situations like this exist in families all over the world, not just in the White, Black, or Hispanic community. Secondly, I’d like to be remembered as one of the most shocking and/or suspenseful film Directors in cinematic history. Bar none.”

Peijun: “My hope is to make everybody know and care about this serious topic. And if you know someone going through it, don’t talk about it, DO something!”

Ebony: “I genuinely would hope that people walk away from watching this film feeling disturbed, and then do something about it. Because the likelihood that they know someone who has, is, or will go through something similar to our story is almost 100% guaranteed.”

Erin: “I would love for this film to speak to our viewers and to help those who are, have been, or even know someone who has been affected by Domestic Abuse or Child Abuse. We must shed light on difficult subjects like these in order to heal from and prevent more incidents like these from occurring. If we can touch just one person in that way, everything we have gone through to create this film will be justified.”

Chris: “I hope that the film inspires people to be strong enough to tell their own stories of Domestic Violence so that victims known they are not alone and can seek help before it becomes a matter of life or death.”

What do you think? Watch “Punkin Pie”

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