EXCLUSIVE: Zane Phillips & John Brodsky put polyamory to the test in Something Still
While not a cautionary tale, short film 'Something Still' is about what can happen in relationships when we ignore parts of ourselves.
Mark
Open relationships and polyamory are increasingly common within our community. But just because it’s an option for us, that doesn’t always mean it’s what’s best.
That idea is explored with beautiful vulnerability in Something Still, a new short film premiering next week at Toronto’s Inside Out festival from director Ariel Mahler, written by John Brodsky, who also stars alongside Zane Phillips.
Your dose of fabulosi-TEA
Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
“One of the gifts of the queer experience is that we are granted the opportunity to build our relationships on our own terms, free from societal expectations or heteronormative ‘rules’,” Mahler shares with Queerty. “And yet many of us end up falling into the same toxic patterns that we’ve tried to break free from, simply because we feel we have to.”
That’s a truth Brodsky knows all too well. He had been years into a committed relationship when they decided to open themselves up to others, which initially felt “exciting, liberating, and deeply aligned with where we were in our lives.” But after moving from NYC to LA on a “temporary bi-coastal basis” in pursuit of his career, the extended time apart—and alone—had him realizing he wasn’t as comfortable with their arrangement as he’d convinced himself he was.
To cope with all the overwhelming thoughts and emotions, he began to write out how he imagined their breakup might go, and eventually that process “evolved into a larger exploration of memory, intimacy, loneliness, and the stories we tell ourselves to preserve relationships.” That became the foundation of Something Still.
The film tracks the trajectory of Tom (Brodsky) and Max’s (Phillips) time together, from their passionate earlier days, to Tom’s casual suggestion that they try bringing others into the bedroom, to the arrival of a cute third (
Panagiotis Margetis) who winds up getting closer with Max than anyone expected, to their pending split.
And, don’t worry, that’s not really a spoiler. The film is told in two distinct points in time: The present day, as Tom arrives to the apartment they once shared, ready to pack up his things, and then memories of their past together, which retrace the moments, big and subtle, that shaped their dynamic.
Ariel Mahler, who says she “begged” Brodsky for the chance to direct (“I saw myself and my experiences so clearly reflected within the story”), differentiates the timelines by giving the past a warmer look with more intimate compositions, while the present is cooler, more sparse, thoughtfully transitioning between the two with camera movement and match-cuts as if Tom is re-living his own memories in real time.
Though Brodsky’s had plenty of experience acting, starring in something he had written, something so personal and deeply heartfelt, was “new territory.” Despite his closeness to the role, it was important that Tom have his own identity, and Mahler says Brodsky’s impressively in-depth process is what brought the character to life.
As for the role of Max, both knew they needed someone with “the right balance of self-assuredness and deep vulnerability,” and were keen on ensuring he wouldn’t come off as the “villain” of this story. So when they learned how excited by and invested in the story Zane Phillips was, they knew they had their guy.
“Zane brings such a rich tenderness and complexity to the character,” Mahler shares. “Audiences will fall in love with him alongside Tom, and will be heartbroken by him when their conflict reaches its boiling point.”
“He’s one of the most generous, intelligent, and emotionally grounded artists I’ve had the privilege to work with,” Brodksy adds, “and I feel incredibly lucky that he trusted the material and wanted to be part of telling this story.”
With the filmmakers getting ready to share this story with the world at Inside Out, Brodsky calls it “an eerie full-circle moment” as he thinks about all that’s happened in his life since the idea for Something Still first took shape: “All the personal experiences along the way that have only reflected back to me some of the struggles I was wrestling with when I first began writing it.”
Still, the struggles will be worth it knowing the film might help others avoid falling into the same toxic relationship patterns we’ve tried so hard to break free from.
As Mahler clarifies: “We are not taking a specific stance on whether non-monogamy is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. In fact, that’s the whole point. What we are saying is that relationship structures can only be decided by the consenting adults within that relationship, and when we try to force ourselves into one specific relationship model just because we think we’re supposed to, we can end up making ourselves and those around us miserable.”
Related
Guys share their rules to ensure open relationships work
And do you know the meaning of “compersion”?
That’s a point Brodsky is mindful of, too: “For me, this film isn’t necessarily a cautionary tale about any one relationship structure, but more about what can happen when we ignore parts of ourselves or convince ourselves we’re okay with something we may not fully comfortable with.”
He continues: “If it sparks reflection, empathy, or even difficult conversations around intimacy, loneliness, and emotional accountability, then I feel like it’s done its job.”
Queerty is honored to host an exclusive preview of the teaser for Something Still below:
If you’re in the Toronto area, you can catch Something Still in Inside Out’s “Crimes Of Passion” shorst program on Saturday, May 30. (And for those in the rest of Ontario, it will also stream virtually through the fest beginning May 31.) Otherwise, be sure to follow the film on Instagram for all of the latest updates on where you can see it next.
Related
The Cule Kids are defying stereotypes about gay polycules
You’ve heard about the cool kids, but what about the Cule Kids?
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
