Private Project

Can You See Me

Claire and Rich meet in a cafe. The two have a bit in common- Claire is an actor (she prefers the term actor over actress) and Rich is a cinematographer. Rich claims he can help Claire with her career- and he does. He gives her some advice, takes a look at her reel. He’s been in the industry for years. Claire feels comfortable in front of this person who seems nice, and sure of himself. When it comes time to go to Rich’s apartment to take some new headshots, Claire isn’t sure. Hearing a no when he wanted a yes, Rich decides to push things too far. In this film, we take a look at how abuse of power can occur, and how society reacts when they see this happen before their eyes.

  • Alex Cherney
    Director
  • Sarah Markowitz
    Writer
  • Alex Cherney
    Producer
  • Andrew Markowitz
    Producer
  • Sarah Markowitz
    Key Cast
    "Claire"
    VIP (Israeli tv), Working (Israeli movie)
  • Robert Lincoln
    Key Cast
    "Rich"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 45 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alex Cherney

Alex Cherney is an award winning filmmaker from New York. He has directed & produced 5 features and 4 shorts, writing all but one of them. Additionally, he has produced and directed promotional videos for NBC, History Channel, Lifetime Movies, Blue Apron, Harman/Kardon, and has filmed for Eli Manning & John Legend. In film Alex focuses on socially relevant stories that give minority groups a voice. He has explored many film genres, and his latest feature 'Santamaria' was just released on Amazon Prime.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

For 'Can You See Me', my long time friend Sarah and I collaborated on telling a story that we felt urgently needed to be told— the subtle ways in which men use their power over women and the societal silence that goes along with it. This type of harassment can occur anywhere, but often times takes place in urban settings, like New York, where young hopefuls from all over the world come to try and make it, and bring with them eagerness to receive help. When manipulative people sense this earnestness, they can abuse their power and hope that because of their clout, they can get away with anything. We have seen this type of behavior in the media recently with the acts of Harvey Weinstein and the countless men who’s wrongdoings are finally being addressed.

We based this story on experiences from Sarah and her industry friend's lives. Sarah wrote an incredible script which we then edited together. Albeit the fact that our society has come a long way when it comes to gender equality, these situations still happen, and they simply can’t anymore. It’s time for all of us to work together to not only admit that this behavior happens, but to also start to make real change. This film is only seconds long but it illustrates an instance that could cause damage for a lifetime. We thank for your watching and considering our film for your festival.