Written by: Ken Urban Run Time: 8:36 Country: USA

Synopsis: At a swanky, rooftop party in New York City, three guests try to get past their cocktail smiles.

Where did the idea come from?
That’s always a hard thing to answer. I have always been fascinated about what people say underneath what they are actually saying. That’s why I’m a playwright and screenwriter, I guess. There’s something about the banal chatter of our everyday lives in which we reveal so much of our inner lives and that remains compelling to me. I had this image of a party where three people let those inner monologues out into the world.

What were your initial thoughts when the actors came to you to make this into a short film?
It was initially a site-specific play, written for a roof deck in DUMBO. I didn’t get to see the production, but heard it went well. Afterwards, the actors approached me about making it into a film. I was flattered, so I gave my blessing. Given the realism of staging the play on an actual roof, it wasn’t a big leap to imagine it as a film.

The play explores loneliness within a crowd? How many parties like this have you been to like this in NYC?
No comment.

What do you want a worldwide audience to take away from seeing this film?
A portrait of the quiet suffering of the everyday. I also hope they laugh.

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