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"HESS"

HESS
The year 2020 has created a dysphoria of emotions and experiences. This range of human expression has been challenging to manage overcome and triumph. Hess the stunning CinePoem drama created and directed by Lisa Simmons confronts these issues in usual and unusual pictorial images.

We enter her world which includes love, honor, tragedy and recovery. This short excursion journey, the director exposes the viewer to allow the raw senses that human spirit encounters to be felt in earnest. The active creation of daily activities allows the viewer to move into the scenes as if the character is us was us.

We all desire recognition and the exposure to human expression of love and compassion. Hess embodies the truth, the reality of life and love during dark moments that existence offers. The foremost triumph is the sharing of life’s emotions with each other to become more than a conqueror.

  • Lisa Simmons
    Director
  • Lisa Simmons
    Writer
  • Talaya Grimes
    Producer
  • Umit Gulsen
    Cinematographer
  • Natasha Jones
    Cast
  • Lisa Simmons
    Editor
  • Andrew Brooks
    Editor
  • Alicia Rodriguez
    Assistant Director and DIT
  • Serdar Zemmus
    1st Assistant Camera
  • M. Foxxx
    Gaffer and Key Grip
  • Jake Staley
    Assistant Camera and Grip
  • Chris Mariles
    Grip
  • Christian Druitt
    Grip
  • Alaa Zabara
    Grip
  • Keri KamiKazi Williams
    Key Makeup and Hair
  • Lisa Simmons
    Wardrobe
  • Lisa Simmons
    Prodution Designer
  • Keri KamiKazi Williams
    Prodution Designer
  • Keri KamiKazi Williams
    Covid-19 Compliance Officer
  • Keri KamiKazi Williams
    Wardrobe Preperation
  • Vincent Briscoe
    Mixing Engineer
  • Lisa Simmons
    Casting
  • Talaya Grimes
    Casting
  • Diana Vannesa Gomes Guzmar
    Production Assistant
  • J Alex Cooper
    Extras
  • Talaya Grimes
    Extras
  • Alan Lewis
    Extras
  • Stacey Lincoln
    Extras
  • Rachel Torgoff
    Extras
  • Rick Toye
    Extras
  • Ryann Waddy
    Extras
  • Alaa Zabara
    Extras
  • Emmanuel Kerry
    Special Thanks
  • Meagan Kerry
    Special Thanks
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Panasonic Varicam LT
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35.1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Howard University
Director Biography - Lisa Simmons

Lisa Simmons is a Director and Filmmaker from Washington D.C. and was also a longtime resident of London, England. The concept behind her films visually tells the story, while at the same time she seeks to create films that catch the intended viewer's eye and heart. She is a philosopher of aesthetics when it comes to cinematography.

Lisa studied as a dancer at the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. She moved to London to pursue her dance career and studied at The Place London School of Contemporary Dance. However, early in her studies an injury prevented further development and performance in her chosen artistic field.

Following her accident Lisa looked for other artistic areas that could stimulate her creatively. She returned to the Washington Metropolitan area after many years of living and working in London with no idea of what she would do in the white-collar city. By chance, a friend suggested she work with her on set as a production assistant. While working on that set and various other productions she caught the filmmaking bug and realized she could do the job if given the chance.
She decided to pursue a degree in film which turned from one into two degrees in film. Her previous thinking during her dance career was that she was the movement and now she was capturing movement. Lisa feels whole again, and says, “it is an amazing feeling to choreograph and direct movement and be able to capture it on film.” Capturing movement makes her feel like she is still dancing but instead of being in front of the camera dancing she is behind the camera capturing movement which is the dance to her.

Lisa holds a BFA in film and video. In December,2020, Lisa completed her graduate studies at Howard University receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Film. Her thesis film “HESS” received numerous post graduate accolades and in March 2021 was nominated for and received the prestigious Paul Robeson Student Awards for Best Director and Best Film. These awards speak to Lisa’s abilities as a Director and Filmmaker.

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Director Statement

Film is such a powerful tool to be able to communicate a past or future moment in time and be able to bring that into the present. My goal is to create films that have never been done.