Sophie Max: The Whole Truth
“I wanted to make a film that raised people’s awareness and started conversations.” - An Interview With The Whole Truth Writer Sophie Max
“Mallory is a smart, lonely young police officer who must interview Jenny, a tough teenage girl, about her sexual abuse. As she struggles to get Jenny to confront her trauma, an unlikely bond forms between the two women. To help Jenny, Mallory must finally face the truth about her own past and find the strength to talk about it.”
This is a synopsis of The Whole Truth, a film which has been written and produced by Sophie Max and endorsed by the charity One in Four (www.oneinfour.org.uk). Directed by Yelita Ali, and starring Sophie Max as Mallory and Kaja Chan as Jenny, The Whole Truth is a film which tackles the topic of trauma head-on. In this interview, writer and producer Sophie Max talks us through what it's like to handle sensitive topics on-screen, as well as the importance of creating films which centre women and their experiences.
The concept of women relating to each other’s trauma is very present within this film. Is this something which you feel is important to showcase on screen?
SM: I think it is vitally important for women to be able to see onscreen narratives that centre community, female friendship and solidarity, instead of pitting women against each other. Firstly because female friendship is beautiful and powerful, but also because unfortunately, trauma is relatable to many women. In my experience, women can often relate to each other through a shared understanding of trauma. Empathising with each other is a powerful bond and through it we can empower each other to speak up. It is so important to me to showcase the power that women and survivors have when we come together. We live in a world where silence has been the status quo and where women have been taught to fear seeking consequences for their trauma and for gender based violence. I wanted to create a film that showed the strength that women can find in each other.
Was there anything in particular which sparked the idea for this film?
SM: The film was sparked by a combination of personal experience and research, which included talking to therapists and interviewing and shadowing prosecution lawyers trying child abuse cases. I was deeply affected by my experiences in court. I met some incredible people who were passionate about getting justice for the children they represented, while working within an often difficult legal system that is often re-traumatising for survivors and makes it increasingly difficult for them to get justice. I left the court fired up. I wanted to write a film which paid homage to the strength of survivors and the people that advocate for them. I wanted to empower survivors to tell their stories.
[Sophie Max as Mallory in The Whole Truth, 2020]
What drew you to creating this film centred around such a sensitive topic?
SM: In recent years there has been a huge and necessary conversation surfacing around sexual assault. However, I felt like child sexual assault was still ‘taboo’. I don’t know many, if any films which centre the childhood survivors, or which portray this topic without sensationalising or sexualising the abuse of children and teenagers. It is also very uncommon to see films about this which do not tell the story of, and in doing so make excuses for, the perpetrator. In my opinion, showing the abuser’s side of the story only adds to the narrative that it is possible to excuse sexual assault, when there are categorically no excuses. Grooming and child sexual abuse are far more common than any of us like to think and I wanted to make a film that raised people’s awareness and started conversations.
Leading on from this, talk me through the creative process of this film.
SM:I had the idea and started writing towards the end of 2018. It is very much a character driven story so I started writing Mallory and Jenny, without necessarily knowing how I would end their story yet. I was constantly rewriting and editing as I continued my research. The storyline changed a lot between the drafts- most notably, I decided after spending time in court that I needed the film to end with some hope for the characters. I didn’t want to create another narrative where there was no hope for the survivors. While that might have been my initial inclination, I consciously worked to show their hope, healing and growth. I knew that their relationship had to be a key source of change for both Mallory and Jenny. The other important decision I made was not to show the abuser on screen at all. I wanted survivors to have a voice where they weren’t questioned, second guessed, shamed and denied; where the perpetrator didn’t have his story told.
The first person to come on board was our incredible director, Yelita Ali. She shaped so much of the visual narrative and relationship between the characters. She has such a strong voice as a filmmaker and was truly a gift to work with. One of the creative and narrative decisions we made that I’m most proud of was the flashbacks. When you watch the film, they are incredibly visceral; we built them together to confront the audience with what it feels like to experience a trauma flashback. Then we cast Jenny and hired the rest of the crew. Everyone brought so much to the table and was so passionate about doing justice to the story. I must give special credit to our Jenny, Kaja Chan, who brought so much heart to her character and whom it was a joy to play opposite. Chantal Richardson, our 1st AD, who kept us on schedule like a superhero. Ash Lang Wen Li, our DoP, who was truly creative, innovative and an absolute genius with a camera; she somehow knew how to bring all of our visions to life. Reeta Varpama, our editor who worked magic with the cut and the colour grade. I could go on forever about everyone in our crew, they were all absolute wonders and I’m so proud of what we made together.
[Sophie Max, left, as Mallory and Kaja Chan, right, as Jenny]
Women are presented as very multi-faceted and emotionally complex in this film. Is this something which you think is missing in a lot of films?
SM:I have always been passionate about telling female-led stories through a female lens and creating complex, dynamic female characters. Women are often simplified in the media, but the reality is that all women are multi-faceted individuals. I just tried to create the most realistic characters I could. I think that often female trauma especially is portrayed in a stereotyped, sensationalised, or even romanticised way. The complexity, strength and hope surrounding women who have experienced trauma is often overlooked. That is why it is so important for me to tell these stories through a lens we can control. I worked with an incredible all-female crew on The Whole Truth. Everyone had an understanding and connection to the characters and everyone’s work contributed to creating an intimate and authentic telling of their story.
As a woman in film, do you think that it's important for women to create art about topics which disproportionately affect women?
SM: Every filmmaker should create art about whatever they want- everyone has a unique voice and it is that individuality which makes their work compelling. That said, I do support the idea that films about culture and issues should be made by people with an intimate understanding of them. Men have been allowed to make films about anything and everything for years- so women should be allowed the same. Honestly the more women in film, making whatever films they want to make- the better!
Personally, I am passionate about tackling difficult themes in bold, original and authentic ways. I am passionate about female-led stories and highlighting issues and perspectives that affect women. I want my work to spark conversations, to make these topics and the people affected by them visible. I believe that art does not only reflect society, but can influence it. Film has the ability to make audiences empathise with someone whose experience they may not have considered. This can create more understanding and tolerance, which the world definitely needs right now.
[Kaja Chan as Jenny during an interview scene in The Whole Truth, 2020]
Do you have any future plans for your films, do you have any new ideas in the works?
SM: The Whole Truth is premiering on October 17th in the LA Femme International Film Festival. I’m really looking forward to audiences watching it for the first time and for the rest of our film festival circuit. I have been writing a lot during lockdown, so I have plenty of new ideas and scripts that I hope to be able to make once things get closer to normality again! I also made a short film, (Dis)Connected, in lockdown, filmed entirely on Zoom. It is out on Youtube and I’m really happy that audiences can watch that too.
Furthering this, is covering ‘taboo’ or ‘difficult’ topics something which you would like to continue in the future?
SM: Definitely! I want to take those ‘taboo’ topics and cover them in a way that is honest and raw, but also empowering for people who have experienced these things. The only way we can remove the taboo from something is by discussing it and I hope that my work will continue sparking those discussions and making people empathise, until there is no shame surrounding those topics anymore.
The theme of women relating to each other’s trauma and, consequently, growing from this, is the main theme in this film. Do you think this is important for women to see in films?
SM: I do. I often write what I wish I had seen on screen growing up. I would have loved to have seen more dynamic female characters, more realistic depictions of trauma but also of the aftermath and growth beyond it. I think it is a popular narrative that trauma is the end of
the road or the end of happiness for women, but that is false. I think it is incredibly comforting to see women growing past their trauma, women healing, women having heartfelt friendships in films. I hope that my film empowers survivors and offers people who have experienced trauma some hope.
Book tickets to watch the film’s virtual premiere screening and Q&A on 17th October at 9pm UK time here: https://www.cya.live/event/5459
Follow the film on social media for updates on future screenings:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholetruthfilm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wholetruthfilm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholetruthfilm/
Follow Sophie for updates on future projects:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sophiemax_
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sophiemaxs
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sophiemaxs
Written by Susanna Demelas, Edited by Maddy Sinclair
