WALLS
Writer / Director
short film
A short comedy about a Star Wars fan hearing the neighbor he's never met, and the ways in which we are involuntarily brought into strangers' lives. Filmed and located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
WALLS was my first film after school and it speaks to one of the themes I love to explore: our aversion to vulnerability. Since living in New York, I have noticed how the proximity to our neighbors creates scenarios where strangers can get to know us on very exposed levels that even some of our closest friends and family don’t see. They get a glimpse behind the curtain. While it can make for great comedy, it’s also an exploration of the facades we project publicly—walls to keep our strangeness from view.

The idea was to film WALLS in my apartment over the course of a weekend with our professional knowledge but with the looseness of friends just filming a short comedy for fun. The weekend was a blast--and I believe the fun translated to some great moments in the film.

One thing I wanted to try was providing space in our shooting schedule to allow the actors to improvise once we had gotten a good take. It turns out that a lot of the actors' creativity ended up making the film. In fact, when Ashley Jordan (who plays Leia) was younger, she actually thought Han Solo's name was HANS--a misunderstanding she wonderfully wove into her improv.

When WALLS premiered at Coney Island film festival it was an incredible feeling to hear the laughter. The film went on to screen at several festivals across the country including LA Comedy Fest, Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, and in my hometown at Alexandria Film Festival. It won "Best Film" at the New York Digital Film Awards.

"I'm blind, okay? I've been in Carbon freeze. Stay in character."

- Charles Tallon in WALLS

"Best Film" Award

WALLS won the top award of "Best Film" at the NY Digital Film Awards.
photos by Beth Brown

Deleted Scene

I believe in the power of three in comedy and WALLS' fourth set-up scene was shot in case one of the others didn't pan out comically. Though it didn't make the film, you can now enjoy it here.
Written & Directed by Patrick Mandeville
Starring Patrick Marlett, Timothy Marriott, Bree Swartz & Ashley Jordan
Edited by Andrea Fumagalli
Cinematographer: Jamaal R Green
Gaffer: Malachi Matcho
AC: Wilson Mbiavanga
Production Manager: Carol Mazzoni
Assistant Director: Nergis Şentürk
Production Sound Recording: Joseph Leon Stein
HMU: Anna Bearman
Production Designer: Courtney Costello
Set Photographer: Beth Brown
Production Assistant: Julie Han
Casting assistant: Orlaith O'Neill
Color correction: David H Castillo
Sound Editing and Music by Julie Roué
"The Jam" written and performed by Patrick Marlett
Produced by Wilson Mbiavanga & Patrick Mandeville
Co-Produced by Jamaal R Green
MG Cinecraft presents a DIVIDED LINE realization
patrickmandeville.com
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© 2014 Patrick Mandeville

WALLS on IMDB