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DICHOTOMY

Jane struggles to embrace her femininity as a butch lesbian. She shaves her head, which propels her on a humorous and twisted journey of self discovery. In the process, she has a debate with herself in the bathroom mirror as her demonic feminine side tries to suppress her innate masculinity. Eventually she finds peace and freedom in androgyny and discovers humanity is independent of sexual identity.

  • Yannis Zafeiriou
    Director
    Yannis Zafeiriou is an award winning filmmaker, born and raised in Athens, Greece. Following his university education in the UK and the US, he now lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his unique and passionate storytelling style which often infuses a little sense of humour, fantasy, science-fiction and the supernatural into the ordinary lives of the characters. He strives to create intense, emotionally engaging stories in various genres and narratives, often utilizing new technologies in novel, creative ways to draw the audience into the story. His extensive portfolio includes short films, commercials, documentaries, music videos and web series. He is currently exploring several feature film ideas which are in various stages of development. Yannis has a thing about penguins, but it is strictly platonic.
  • Noelle Messier
    Writer
    Noelle began writing in NYC to express her sexual identity. Her first short story, Virgin Lesbian Straight Up was published in The Lesbian News and a book called Inspiration For LGBT Students And Their Allies. Looking for a change in scene and in the weather, the next stop was Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles Noelle published her second article in the Lesbian News, Stripping. She then combined her two short stories into a script for a short film and got her first taste for screenwriting. Noelle used her experience in the veterinary world to write a television drama pilot script about a lesbian veterinarian called, DVM that became a top finalist in two screenwriting contests and a horror feature script about escaped killer lab mice called, Lab Mouse Revenge that was a quarter finalist in The Blood List Screenwriting Contest. Noelle has written a romantic comedy feature about sexual identity and identity theft, called I.D., also a screenplay contest finalist. Noelle wrote, starred, and produced the short film, Dichotomy, inspired by I.D. Her sexually suggestive, comedy, film noir pilot about a lesbian detective, Donna Manicotti, Dyke Detective, was a semi-finalist in the Stage32 TV Writers Contest and has been optioned twice. She has also written the comedy feature, The Breakup Test.
  • Noelle Messier
    Producer
    Originally from the East Coast, Noelle Messier is an actress, voice actor, writer, and producer living in Hollywood, California. She also has degrees in veterinary technology and television production but is most at home on stage or on screen inhabiting, writing, or bringing to life colorful and entertaining characters and thought provoking ideas. Noelle began writing in NYC to express her sexual identity. Her first short story, Virgin Lesbian Straight Up was published in The Lesbian News and a book called Inspiration For LGBT Students And Their Allies. Looking for a change in scene and in the weather, the next stop was Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, Noelle published her second article in the Lesbian News, Stripping. She then combined her two short stories into a script for a short film and got her first taste for screenwriting. Noelle starred as the truck stop prostitute, Heather in the dark and dramatic, independent film, Black Tar Road. When Amber Dawn Lee decided to produce the movie herself, Noelle came on board as an associate producer to help out. The movie is now available on Amazon Prime Video. Noelle has written a romantic comedy feature about sexual identity and identity theft, called I.D., also a screenplay contest finalist. Noelle wrote, starred, and produced the short film, Dichotomy, inspired by I.D. Her sexually suggestive, comedy, film noir pilot about a lesbian detective, Donna Manicotti, Dyke Detective, was a semi-finalist in the Stage32 TV Writers Contest and has been optioned twice. Noelle used her experience in the veterinary world to write a television drama pilot script about a lesbian veterinarian called, DVM that became a top finalist in two screenwriting contests and a horror feature script about escaped killer lab mice called, Lab Mouse Revenge that was a quarter finalist in The Blood List Screenwriting Contest. She has also written the comedy feature, The Breakup Test. Noelle can be seen co-starring on television shows on NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, The Family Channel, Comedy Central, and on the web. Noelle studied Meisner Technique at the William Esper Studio in NYC and Television Production at Emerson College. She is a proud member of SAG, AFTRA, and Actors Equity and is represented by Gary Ousdahl of Advanced Management in Los Angeles. Noelle loves philosophical discussions on the meaning of life, yoga, hiking, weight lifting, horseback riding, long walks on the beach at sunset, and exploring life.
  • Noelle Messier
    Key Cast
    Noelle starred as the truck stop prostitute, Heather in the dark and dramatic, independent film, Black Tar Road. She also played the supporting role of Mrs. Greasby, a middle school gym coach / drill sergeant in the indie comedy, Piehead, and is featured in the Cher music video, Woman’s World, and the Turbo Tax commercial, The Year of The You. Noelle can also be seen co-starring on television shows on NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, The Family Channel, Comedy Central, and on the web. Noelle co-starred as a butch police officer on Dr. Ken, the lesbian Russian hockey player, Tammy on an episode of Workaholics and as the A.D. on Law and Order Los Angeles. Noelle made it into the top 10 performers in the acting competition, reality show, Hellbent For Hollywood. Noelle played the leading role of Olga in a world premier translation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters called Three Sisters Or Perestroika, adapted and directed by Pavel Cerny. Some of Noelle’s favorite stage performances include “Cod” in Slaughter City with the Son Of Semele Ensemble and “Mary” in Baggage Claim at The Hudson Guild Theatre, in Los Angeles; “Rita” in A Girl’s Guide to Chaos at Nick’s Comedy Stop and “Emilia” in Othello with The Mass Bay Theater, in Boston; “Sally” in Pack of Lies at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts; “Ronnie” in Domino Courts with the New American Stage Company in NYC; and sketch/comedy/improvisation at Walt Disney World, in Florida and in The Miss Lesbian Princess Pageant at the ACME Comedy Theater in Los Angeles. Noelle studied Meisner Technique at the William Esper Studio in NYC and is a proud member of SAG, AFTRA, and Actors Equity. Noelle is represented by Gary Ousdahl of Advanced Management in Los Angeles.
  • Mark Deliman
    Key Cast
  • Josh Allen Goldman
    Associate Producer
  • Jeff Galyan
    Director of Photography
  • Lisa Prior
    Production Designer
  • Christopher Jordan
    First Assistant Camera
  • John Chang
    Gaffer
  • Victoria Carrillo
    Production Sound Mixer
  • Nels Christensen
    Sound Designer
  • Jeff Galyan
    Colorist
  • Charlene Velasquez
    Hair and Make-Up
  • Leigh Shindo
    Hair Wrangler
  • Eric Ramirez
    Carpenter
  • Sérgio Galvão
    Chef
  • Leigh Shindo
    Craft Services
  • Mark Deliman
    Set Photographers
  • Joshua Gilstrap
    Set Photographers
  • Francia McNally
    Original Music Composer
  • Louis Perez
    Production Assistants
  • Gregory Baldo
    Production Assistants
  • Julio Reyes
    Production Assistants
  • Jen McGlone
    Production Assistants
  • Brian Stack
    Production Assistants
  • Nick Somers / NVISIONATE STUDIOS
    Special Thanks To
  • Yannis Zafeiriou
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, drama
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 28, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED Epic (Dragon)
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    February 25, 2018
    LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
    WINNER BEST LGBTQ SHORT FILM
  • Broad Humor Film Festival
    Venice, CA
    United States
    September 1, 2018
    Venice Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Pride Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    May 8, 2018
    Chicago Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Brisbane Queer Film Festival
    Brisbane
    Australia
    March 17, 2018
    Australia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • NewFest: New York's LGBT Film Festival
    New York, NY
    United States
    October 23, 2017
    East Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival
    Palm Springs, CA
    United States
    September 23, 2017
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Yannis Zafeiriou

Yannis Zafeiriou is an award winning filmmaker, born and raised in Athens, Greece. Following his university education in the UK and the US, he now lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his unique and passionate storytelling style which often infuses a little sense of humour, fantasy, science-fiction and the supernatural into the ordinary lives of the characters. He strives to create intense, emotionally engaging stories in various genres and narratives, often utilizing new technologies in novel, creative ways to draw the audience into the story. His extensive portfolio includes short films, commercials, documentaries, music videos and web series. He is currently exploring several feature film ideas which are in various stages of development. Yannis has a thing for penguins, but it is strictly platonic.

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Director Statement

When Noelle pitched me DICHOTOMY for the first time, I had just shaved my head only an hour before. As soon as she saw me, Noelle burst out laughing. I assumed she was laughing at my bold hair-styling decision, which is something I am very used to. Turns out she was merely amused by the clear sign given to her by the universe that I was meant to be the one to direct her own on-screen head-shaving story. Sometimes I still wonder if she would have trusted me with her script as wholeheartedly as she did, had I arrived with my hair intact on that fateful day.

That coincidence notwithstanding, I clearly remember sitting in that Thai restaurant on a sunny LA afternoon and experiencing a roller coaster of emotions as I read through all of her beautiful words. My eyes welled up and I instantly knew I wanted to be a part of this labour of love.

Noelle and I joined our mutual creative sensibilities in joyful collaboration and managed to bring together a team of wonderful professionals to help us film this story in a bold, visually striking way. Every person in our cast and crew immediately understood and easily empathized with this deeply personal narrative about a brave, sensitive woman in search of her own true identity.

The apparent, yet contradictory queer themes of the film -reconciling the ideas of femininity and androgyny- are not isolated to the LGBTQ+ experience; they represent a metaphor for the duality inside every underdog as we all struggle to find the delicate balance between our own self-acceptance and the social pressures of conforming.

The film begins with Jane making the decision to shed a part of her visual identity that is used by society as a permanent marker of instant external classification. As she shaves her head, it feels delicately painful, tender yet cruel, almost as if she is forced to give up one of her own limbs in her pursuit of happiness. Instant regret is followed by self-deprecation and soon Jane playfully (and often painfully) explores the boundaries between emotion and rationale, privacy and exposure, imagination and reality, until finally the fight between her inner and her outer selves comes to a close. What started as a stand-off between two opposing or contrasting notions, now branches into two equal parts. The two become one, and Jane arrives at the end of the film as a new version of herself, one determined to thrive, forever free, against all odds. She was indeed born to be the woman she is.

I tried to approach this film from the same emotionally honest place that Noelle wrote it. By using a simple visual language I hope I have clearly communicated that same emotion I felt on the day I first read her script. I thrive on happy endings, so I hope DICHOTOMY will also inspire all underdogs to passionately and fearlessly fight for their own freedom.