Synopsis
Avery brings her new boyfriend, Hector, to her mother’s art show. Hector is disturbed when he encounters a giant, fully nude portrait of Avery’s ex (Rico). The portrait looms over him – in fact, it grows larger each time he looks at it. Before he can ask questions, Avery pulls Hector away, introducing him to her mother Lorraine (the artist). Lorraine seems instantly enamored by Hector – almost salivating, as she muses over Avery’s new boyfriend. Back at Avery’s apartment, Hector can’t shake the discomfort he feels, and he tries to articulate why. It’s odd, isn’t it…that Avery’s mother painted a nude portrait of her ex? Avery – either genuinely naive, or doing a bit of gaslighting – reduces Hector’s discomfort to an issue of prudeness, an embarrassment around nudity. Fumbling to pinpoint his unease, Hector asks Avery if she’s still attracted to her ex, Rico. Avery instantly soothes Hector’s insecurities, reassuring him that “nobody turns me on like you do.” They hook up, and afterward, Avery takes Hector’s photo. One year later, at the same gallery, a sort of deja-vu plays out. In the very same place where Rico’s portrait once hung, there’s now a giant nude photo of Hector. There’s also a new boyfriend at Avery’s side.
Themes and Context
In the film landscape, Portrait belongs with psychological films that use dark comedy to illuminate social power dynamics (including works by Donald Glover, Jordan Peele, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Kristoffer Borgli). The film contributes something new by playing with an age-old artist-and-muse dynamic. Portrait harkens back to countless examples of “fine arts” “masters” (e.g. Klimt, Matisse, Rembrandt) who objectified and sexualized their models – painting them, sleeping with them, and making them into mistresses…before replacing them with a new model. Portrait twists this archetype, placing a matriarchal line in the artist’s seat. The 2022 feature film Tár also played with gender and the artist-muse power dynamic, but did so with drama. Portrait aims for an uncanny comedic undertone, achieved by exaggerated dialogue and the symbol of an ever-growing nude portrait.
Artistic Statement
Visually, we’ll achieve a dramatic, rich look, with careful lens selections, thoughtful design, practical effects, and practical lighting. The film takes place in just two locations, and we’ll borrow from cinematographer Robbie Ryan, whose use of wide lenses in confined spaces (e.g. Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favorite) exaggerates the room-to-human ratio, inducing a claustrophobic feeling. The portrait of Rico will be an actual painting, replicated in three sizes, to achieve the effect of the enlarging portrait (illustrating the ever-growing dread and discomfort Hector feels). Additionally, we’ll use a sloping ceiling as a practical effect to make the painting look progressively bigger. Also borrowing from Yorgos Lanthimos productions, our designer will work with a limited palette and mostly practical lighting to create a realistic/naturalistic backdrop for the disturbing, uncanny narrative that unfolds.
Key Personnel
Danny Corey | Cinematographer
Danny Corey is a cinematographer living and working in Los Angeles, California. His recent commercial clients include Carmax, Mountain Dew, Snapchat, and more. Danny’s narrative works have recently screened at festivals including Brooklyn Film Festival, Oregon Short Film Festival, and more.
Rafaela Sanchez | Co-Producer
Rafaela is a creative producer whose commercial clients include lumanu, tailored, rightful, bonafide, proactiv, judy, nowaday, alto, jack wolfskin, allurion, tailored, hilo gummies, refreshments (ipsy), volley, global citizen year, sheertex, henry rose, spyce, and wnba/deloitte. Her recent narrative works have been featured on Short of the Week, and played Academy Award Qualifying festivals including Atlanta Film Festival, LA Shorts, and more
Sean Valdivieso | Co-Producer
Sean Valdivieso is a co-founder of the production company Wax & Wane, whose commercial clients include Grammarly, PBS, Nike, Genius, Reebok, and Adidas. Sean’s narrative works have played at Academy Award Qualifying festivals including Palm Springs Shorts Fest and Atlanta Film Festival.
Grant Cutler | Sound Mixer / Designer
Grant Cutler is an interdisciplinary composer and artist, whose sound work has been featured by the Guggenheim’s CPA commission series, Baryshnikov Art Center, Wave Farm, Walker Art Center, Pioneer Works, HoloCenter, NPR, Pitchfork, BBC, WNYC, and many others. His award-winning scores have been exhibited at film festivals world-wide including Tribeca, Ashland Independent, Sound Unseen, and Pars International.
Elori Saxl | Composer
Elori Saxl is an award winning composer, whose work has been commissioned by PBS, the Guggenheim, The National Film Board of Canada, Burton, Patagonia, Google, Poler, Dove, the New Yorker, This American Life, Public Radio International, SMOMA, and more. Elori’s film score work has been nominated for two Emmys and been featured by the New Yorker, Vimeo Staff Picks, and more.
Alison Diviney | Production Design
Alison is a Production Designer and Art Department Coordinator whose work can be seen on Netflix movies, Apple TV series, HBO series, and many more. Recently, Alison was production designer for independent narrative short “The F-Word,” which premiered at Academy Award Qualifying Rhode Island Film Festival, and has been watched over 12 million times on The New Yorker.
Kaitlyn Stubbs | Painter
Kaitlyn earned her MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2012, and has shown paintings in four solo exhibitions, and dozens of group shows in New York City. She has taught at MoMa, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and currently teaches at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
Ryan Berger | Colorist
Ryan’s color work has been featured on dozens of narrative films, and his client work includes Philips Sonicare, Doordash, Bud Light, and Red Bull. Recently, Ryan colored a narrative feature film called “Gazer,” which premiered at Cannes 2024.
