A beautiful heeled woman rushes into a municipal courthouse and into the women’s restroom. All the stalls are taken by the various shoes underneath the stall doors. A loud PING PING can be heard from one of the stallees cell phones. The woman returns to the mirror as readies herself to complete her divorce and as she exits, another stall opens and reveals a woman in a neck brace... Stalled In Eight Etudes is a whimsical, slice-of-life meditation on justice and perception -- eight women cross paths in a courthouse bathroom and find a surprising humanity. Stalled In Eight Etudes is a film by Kersti Bryan, produced by Charming Stranger Films, starring Tracey Bonner and Celine Jackson.

About Stalled In Eight Etudes

In "Stalled In Eight Etudes," I wrote for the time. I wanted to make a covid safe piece (ONE ACTRESS!), a secure and safe location (A BATHROOM!) and a script that would create delicious playground for actors, a gifted design team and some fun challenges for a camera team. 

That spirit of play is even seen in the camera-work. The film, playfully shot in a seemingly continuous "one-er," takes you through a women's restroom in a courthouse, where each character grapples with unique challenges, each metaphorically "stalled." The magical twist is that (almost) all characters are portrayed by a single actress.

The collaborative nature of the film is its strength. The film is about our shared humanity. The meticulous detail in each performance by Tracey Bonner and Celine Jackson, and the impeccable design from Magen Grays in hair, makeup and costume, is handled with great rigor and care. Look for the final character's "E PLURIBUS UNUM" sweatshirt. This is the USA motto: "OUT OF MANY, ONE". To me, the political is personal. These women deserve this level of attention. My close collaborators Darren Joe (Director of Photography) and Casey Nimmer (Editor) talked reason in my ear but helped me pull off what initially was told to me from (unnamed sources) as "impossible". This is the camera magic you see here.

This unexpected film surpasses anything I could have envisioned. Enjoy!

Note from Kersti, writer and director of Stalled In Eight Etudes

Eight lives intersect in a municipal courthouse bathroom and find a surprising humanity.

Stalled in Eight Etudes

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Stalled in Eight Etudes

Short Film

Events

Events

Images

Details

Credits

Writer and Director

Producers

Actors

Director of Photographer

Editor

Design

Music

Casting

Colorist

Sound Mix

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