Izzy Klein cannot be trusted. She can hardly trust herself. She’s confident that if a young man were to compliment the texture of her soft hair, there’s a 10/10 chance she’d cup their balls. Izzy recruits Susan Rothman the yente of her synagogue / therapist by day, to beat some self-love into her. As Izzy gains an appreciation for the once foreign concept of boundaries, listening to her body, and knowing when to use the word No, she discovers her purpose outside of male affirmation. She puts Susan’s teachings to the test when she visits Ezra Jacobowitz her long time crush and family friend, at college. It is in spending this intimate time with him that she is forced to leave her comfort zone, ask herself what she wants, and communicate with Ezra.

Izzy Klein (18) The wings of her eyeliner as sharp as her sense of humor, Isabel “Izzy” Klein (Jewish, 18) appears to have it all going on. She is a totally vulgar, ambitious, slightly neurotic, self-destructive, high honor roll high school senior who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She would like to stop self-sabotaging by saying yes to every boy that invites themselves in her pants. She is working with her therapist to develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Ezra Jacobowitz (19) is an eccentric, socially-awkward, narcissist hungry for attention. As the middle child of finance moguls, he has always had to fight to be heard. As a virgin freshman in college, he feels behind his peers and looks to Izzy for advice regarding how to catch up.

Susan Rothman (63) is a full time yente, part time therapist, and an ex-off-broadway star. Raised in the Bronx, you can bet your bottom dollar, she takes no prisoners. She tells it like it is , and as painful as that may be for her patients, it is always worth their while - or so she believes.

1. Coming-of-age

2. Female Sexuality

3. Consent 

Feeling Sexual was written by a woman, tells the story from the female protagonist’s point-of-view, provides layered roles for both young and older women, will be directed by a woman, and will be staffed by an entirely female and trans crew. Through our commitment to prioritizing women’s voices at every stage of the process, we hope to contribute positively to the lives of young women.

By centering the female perspective of sex and coming-of-age in this film, I hope to give young women something I wish I had had growing up. The narrative that young women who explore their sexuality are more promiscuous than their male peers still dominates many’s minds, and although there are shows now that highlight coming into one’s sexuality in a sensitive way, most of these stories are still told through the male protagonists eyes (take, “Sex Education” or “End of the F***ing World,” for example). Feeling Sexual seeks to change the stigma surrounding young women’s sexuality by encouraging them to look inward to explore their own needs.

The presence of consent in Feeling Sexual is complex and important. Consent is very rarely black and white in real life, and yet so many of our conversations and teachings to young people centers it on the “enthusiastic yes” versus the “certain no.” I am dedicated to not only telling stories about the female adolescent experience, but telling stories that capture the power dynamic between young persons in a way where the male almost always dominates. Communication can be hard, awkward, and confusing but as more people see representations of communication in the bedroom on screen, more people will feel comfortable implementing it into their lives. The purpose of this script is not to give an exact dialogue of what consent looks like, but rather to let women know that they are not alone.

Our team is completely committed to making sure honest communication is a constant in this process. We recognize that in telling this sensitive story, we have a responsibility to tell it in as safe a space as possible. We have brought an intimacy coordinator on board to be present on set and choreograph the intimate scenes to ensure that they are safely created and expressed. Although the intimacy between Izzy and Ezra is not idyllic in any sense of the word, the way we choreograph, rehearse, and shoot the sex scenes will be. 

Since high school, I knew that I wanted to have a platform to create stories by and for young women. I recognize that this story is based on my own experience growing up in a liberal, predominantly Jewish, middle class community and that my experience in understanding boundaries may look very different for other young women. Yet, I feel confident that this script is reflective of variations of many’s struggle to find the right words to communicate in intimate, and unfortunately, sometimes forceful situations. The purpose of Feeling Sexual is to not only tell a story by a female writer and director, about a female protagonist, and told from her perspective, but to also create content that resonates with women of all ages, and lets them know they are not alone.

Practicals, and lenses from the ‘70s will enhance the groovy vibe we’re throwing down. Grainy treatments will give it that perfect 35mm vibe.

Think ultra wide rectangular frames with the help of an anamorphic lens. This will emphasize the ironic disconnection between two people supposedly sharing an intimate moment.

The camera movement mimics that of the characters - wandering. We will be handheld in the bedroom scene with Ezra and Izzy. As Izzy struggles to find the right words to communicate what she is looking for, the shots will remain from her perspective. Just because she isn’t always speaking, does not mean we will not know what is on her mind.

However, it is in Izzy’s therapist’s office that the camera is static and everything is symmetrical. Even though Susan is not like your typical therapist in that her desk is a mess, her advice controversial, and her language fouler than a fraternity man’s, she makes Izzy feel safe. It is in Susan’s office that things stand still, make sense, slow down.  

Pops of burnt orange break up the deep chocolate browns in Ezra’s bedroom. Our two locations will be a mix of Sophia Coppola made love to Wes Anderson - think quirky, crap in abundance, and color palettes. Similar to Ezra’s room, Susan’s office will have a similar color palette to that of a 70s disco lounge with its velvet, burnt orange, vibrant purples, and a whole lot of floral. Think musty perfume and lavender essential oil. Think Miss Havisham from “Great Expectations” in Miu Miu.

Ironically we are looking to use the subtext in the silence to help us find the humor to enhance all the uncomfortable feels we get from Ezra and Izzy. That being said, we will be collaborating with a female punk band who will create beats to emphasize the anxiety Izzy feels in the moments that words do not suffice.

This script jumps in time from Izzy being in the present with Ezra, to flashbacks with her therapist Susan. The script has been carefully structures to implement these smooth transitions. The quick edits emphasizes the humor and irony in the character’s communication.

Brooke is inspired by dark comedies which incorporate stylistic elements that “balance ironic detachment with sincere engagement.” Think “The End of the F***ing World,” Marielle Heller’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale, anything touched by Wes Anderson. These cinematic works of art use elaborate production design, vibrant color palettes, and a novelized story structure to feed the audience some of the auteur’s darkest, most vulnerable moments - of course, all in a colorful, cohesive way.

This is a comedy, the deadpan kind, but sometimes you will feel sad - perhaps deeply sad. The director has requested you fight the urge to say, “Aw.” In fact, she recently fired her therapist for responding too frequently with pity. Brooke deemed it gauche and unprofessional as she prefers to handle the dark and disturbing with humor. She apologizes for her bluntness and swears she is a product of her environment - tough love.

Brooke urges you to laugh - especially at the times that feel the most inappropriate.