With a working-class, rural background, queer filmmaker Aliza Brugger explores sexuality, gender, class and nature in her work. Forgotten Lovers is supported by award-winning LGBTQ+, POC and international filmmakers dedicated to thoughtfully telling an explosively delicate story about sisterhood.

Back in her hometown during a strange, local celebration, Prue deciphers confusing memories of a sexual encounter from the previous night while struggling to sucker money out of her half-sister, Tallulah. Tallulah’s protective female friends coldly reject Prue, and the men persistently pursue her, but as memories of last night rapidly crystalize into a grim reality, the shock wears off, and Prue learns she needs Tallulah for more than money. If unable to maneuver their tumultuous, painful relationship, Prue risks slipping into hopelessness.

After a zebra escapes a near death encounter with a lion, she must release a violent quiver from head to down to her hoof. When the zebra first perceives the lion as a threat, her brain hands control to the body by pumping it full of adrenaline to help her escape. Once she realizes she’s safe, she literally shakes the remaining adrenaline out of her nervous system. Human brains don’t instruct us to shake off shock, so experiences get stuck in our bodies and our stress hormones get caught in a loop leading to flashbacks, distorted memories and weakened nervous systems.

When we meet Prue, she is stuck in this claustrophobic, suffocated state, unable to release the nerves buzzing under her skin while her brain plays catch up from what happened the night before. She is for the most part manic, erratic and illogical, but the one constant in her behavior is her inexplicable need to reconnect with Tallulah. However, separated by years of distance and a tumultuous family history, a peaceful reunification feels unlikely. And yet, as her memories from the previous night begin to solidify, something inside of Prue pulls her toward Tallulah.

Through Forgotten Lovers, I hope to explore this pull as a form of sisterhood. Not the warm and cozy sisterhood that creates a solution, but as a cold and harsh first step to the brain regaining control from the body.

Color Palette

    

Use of 16MM film to add to gritty, textured world

Moody, shadowy. Faces often partly obscured. Heavy use of practical light to give scenes depth

    

    

Push characters to the edge of frame to heighten sense of claustrophobia

            

Production Design

        

Character Looks

        

Making films during any moment is a challenge, but the COVID 19 pandemic pushes that challenge to a new extreme. The production of this film was previously interupted by COVID 19, and we are so excited to finally be able to carry on with production, but we are moving forward carefully and cautiously.

With a priority on safety, we will adhere to the Los Angeles county guidelines to keep all members of our team safe on set. The current guidlines state that LA County Department of Public Health has stated in their most recent update to the Health Officer Order that masks must be worn at all times when indoors in public settings, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. For productions, this means that when filming interior scenes, all cast and crew must wear a mask except when absolutely necessary to perform a task that cannot feasibly be done while wearing one. Much of the filming taking place in Los Angeles continues to be subject to specific, industry-developed workplace safety rules. Those rules remain in effect until renewed and/or replaced. If LA County rules change, we will update our own set protocols as well.

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