An Interview with Gioya Tuma-Waku About ‘Pink Lemonade’

'Pink Lemonade' Talk

We recently caught up with the talented and creative Gioya Tama-Waku about her work on 'Pink Lemonade' and the experiences she had while making  it. Here is what she had to say:

 

Tell us about Pink Lemonade and how the idea first came about:

 

So originally it just started out as a scene that my co-writer and I discussed and put on paper and once that scene was written, I decided that it made the most sense as a short film. I’m really interested in making films that are character driven and explore the human psych as well as female lead and centered topics -Pink Lemonade was just a really great start to that.

 

What type of inspirations did you draw from?

I saw a scene done from Rabbit Hole while I was in theatre school and that sat at the back of my mind for a while. I also love Shameless and the opening credits for the first few seasons where it was just one angle of the bathroom and you watch all these characters come and interact in that space. That was a big influence in how I chose to film and tell the story of Pink Lemonade.

 

What was the selection process for finding the actors and crew?

The selection process for both the crew and actors was mainly working with people I had worked with before. I like the idea of having a film family because you know how everyone works and you’re in tune with each other. We are also rooting for each other, so we work well to get successful together. It was definitely all the people I knew.

 

What was the most challenging experience making this?

The challenging part was definitely directing it while also acting in it because I had to direct the other actor without being able to see how the scene translates on the screen because I was acting in it to as opposed to other directors who are can watch how the scene is played on a screen -and in that way I couldn’t see if my choices translated to my vision either since we didn’t always have time to do a playback afterwards. This project was definitely about doing most of the work beforehand.

 

It was also my first time directing and I haven’t had a mentor or anything, I’ve just picked up one or two things from being on set and learned on the job. It is definitely a part of the industry that I would like to pursue more of as well.

 

What was one of the biggest highlights for you?

The biggest highlights of this project was getting recognized and nominated by a few film festivals for best actress or best performance in the project -as well as it getting into some festivals and walking the red carpet at a festival as a filmmaker for it.

 

What made this particular project different from anything else?

As an actress you’re always waiting on someone else to cast something but because we are also creative beings which is why a lot of actors, including A-listers, end up writing, directing and producing their own projects -Pink Lemonade was that for me. It’s different from other projects because it’s my baby. Not only did I act in it but I also directed for the first time, co-wrote and produced it -thus getting the full filmmaking experience.

 

Pink Lemonade has also bee selected for various film festivals. Tell us about that:

It was an official selection for the Indie Night Film Festival 2019, an official selection for the Indie Short Fest 2019 and an official selection for the Marina Del Rey Film Festival which screened in October. It also got a couple of nominations: I was nominated for Best Actress at the Olympus Film Festival, I won honorable mention for Best Actress in an Indie Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards and I was a finalist for Best Performance of the Fest for the Actor’s Awards in Los Angeles this year.

 

What would you like the audience to take away with them after seeing Pink Lemonade?

I think it’ s important for people to understand how intricate human relationships are and how as people we communicate differently. Most importantly between the sexes because of the difference in world views and when something huge or tragic happens to someone, communication can be the main reason that relationships break down. So it would be wonderful for people to take a step back and think about how they communicate with those around them and communicate with the world in general.