Lady Lazarus (Short Film)

During a mental breakdown from postpartum depression, a mother abandons her baby and husband with plans to end her own life. On the way to her final destination she picks up a mysterious hitchhiker who helps her decide whether to live or die. Based on the feature film script, "Lady Lazarus."

  • Jamie Lou
    Director
  • Jamie Lou
    Writer
  • Jamie Lou
    Producer
  • Brianne Moncrief
    Key Cast
    "Eve (Mother)"
  • Stephanie Bentley
    Key Cast
    "Sylvia"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 17, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony FS7
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • MOM Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    August 14, 2020
    Best Story
  • Festigious International Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Indie Film & Best Director
  • IndieX Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Outstanding Achievement: Women Short, Director, Actress (Brianne Moncrief)
  • Indie Short Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Outstanding Achievement: Women Short, Sound Editing
Director Biography - Jamie Lou

Jamie Lou is an award-winning filmmaker. In 2019, her dramatic feature screenplay, "Lady Lazarus," was accepted in the second round at the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. "Lady Lazarus" also placed in the top 10% at the Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. She is a produced playwright at the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood for her one-act comedy, "Let’s Have a Baby." She is an award-winning web series creator whose work has received Official Selection at Raindance in London, The Albuquerque Film Festival, The Chicago Comedy Film Festival, The Feel Good Film Festival, Dances with Films, and The Broad Humor Film Festival. She has produced and directed 2 short films, one of which is an excerpt from the AFF Second Round feature screenplay, "Lady Lazarus"

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Director Statement

After my own personal struggles with postpartum depression, I realized that there are hardly any films on this subject told from a woman's point of view. I found this strange, considering 1 in 7 mothers may experience postpartum depression in the first year after giving birth. My goal with this short film is to call out the lies that postpartum depression tells new mothers, to help mothers feel seen, and to destigmatize this very common illness that nobody seems to be talking about.

This short film is a proof of concept for my feature film script, which has placed in the top 10% at the Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship, and in the top 18% (Second Round) at the Austin Film Festival. The feature script, Lady Lazarus, explores the suffering that is passed down from generation to generation of women.