Experiencing Interruptions?

Yellow

Inspired by "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "Yellow" is a film that explores being trapped in the mind of a woman suffering from mental illness due to isolation during a global pandemic. As she moves from corner to corner, the barriers of her quarantine, she experiences the different waves of sentiments of the youth in positions like herself. She experiences rage, envy of those who escape her conditions, and fear of losing the best time in her life. Her torment only concludes when she takes control, accepts her emotions, and frees herself from her own entrapment.

  • Isabella O'Brien
    Director
  • Samantha Smart
    Writer
  • Samantha Smart
    Producer
  • Liz Mina
    Key Cast
    "Lily"
  • Christopher Siefert
    Director of Photography
  • Emilio Zertuche
    Editor
  • Emily Vail
    1st Assistant Director
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 20, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    2,375 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - California State University Northridge
Director Biography - Isabella O'Brien

Isabella O’Brien was born in the Philippines and later moved to the United States, where she grew up in the San Joaquin Valley. Early on she was made aware of the systemic racism and economic crises that riddled her diverse community. Growing up in a rural town forced her to make her own opportunities and learn the ropes of filmmaking and visual media on her own. These obstacles inspired her to tell the stories of her upbringing and fellow peers, which were not represented in the media. In the Fall of 2021, Isabella will be entering her junior year at CSUN. She is majoring in CTVA Film Production with an emphasis in Producing. Isabella has involved herself in various campus organizations, including but not limited to, Associated Students Senate, Alliance for Women in Entertainment, and CSUN Housing’s AAPI Advocates Affinity Group. After completing her undergraduate degree, Isabella intends to utilize a career in the film and television industry as a writer, director, and producer to create easier ports of access for people from marginalized communities to pursue art professionally.

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Director Statement

Samantha wrote "Yellow" during one of the most difficult years of my life thus far, one that was spent in my own yellow room (literally). I still don’t think I can thank her enough for it. It was hard coming to terms with just how much I identified with the story it was inspired by and what it eventually became. We wanted to create a film that represented how suffocating the vastness of our minds can become, while honing in on the emotional turmoil a single space can cause. "Yellow" is an ode to those who’ve battled to escape their worst enemies in a time of uninvited solitude, and to those who continue to do so. I couldn’t be more proud of the crew behind the film for bringing this story to life, and I like to think we did a damn good job of it.