In an alternate world where hearts are made of objects and suppressing emotions is self-care, a lonely woman rips out her own heart for the man she loves, only to discover that he has run away with it.

Interview with Director Kim Albright

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I’m always drawn to worlds that are slightly off or bizarre. With Love and a Major Organ first started off as a play (written by Julia Lederer who also wrote the screenplay) and when I read the script of the play, I fell in love right away. Firstly, I loved how the script poked fun at our society and our inability to connect as humans. We’re far more comfortable “liking” and hash-tagging than we are having a face-to-face conversation. There couldn’t be more truth in this and I knew this would be a real treat to dive into creatively. Secondly, the whole notion that hearts are objects and not fleshy beating organs like the ones we have in our chests was a concept I had never seen before. This concept fascinated me and felt very original, not to mention, a beautifully poetic way of examining what makes us who we are as individuals.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

We were developing this film during the height of Covid, when our contact with others was at a minimum and I think we were all craving connection. We all felt the impact of this and siphoned some of these ideas into the film. With Love and a Major Organ looks at the value of human connection and how we connect with one another. Sometimes technology helps this process (think Zoom, Instagram or Facebook!) but it can also hinder this process and make us feel isolated, insecure and lonely. The film looks at how we connect with each other. And how can we, as humans, learn to love better and open ourselves up to the world around us.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I met Julia back in 2017 when all that existed was the play version of With Love and a Major Organ. From there on in, we began developing the script for the screen, alongside Anna Maguire, our lead actress (who was a development exec) and Madeleine Davis, my producer. The play only has 3 characters in it and is tonally quite different. So in development, we worked to expand the scope of the story and the world. We also had to think about the medium of film and how to express what this film is saying as visually as possible, whereas a stage play tends to rely more on dialogue.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I’m grateful that the reception has been super positive! We premiered at SXSW in March 2023 and since then, have been hitting up festivals in the US, Canada and overseas. We’re just about to begin our theatrical run in Canada and the US. The film has elements of magical realism and a sprinkling of body horror and interestingly, it’s been picked up by genre festivals (of fantasy and horror) but also some of your more traditional festivals. I definitely wasn’t anticipating interest from the genre festivals! This has definitely been a happy surprise for us.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I was surprised by how much audiences seemed to resonate with the concept of hearts as objects. It was very encouraging to discover that audiences resonated with this zany concept - it’s what drew me in initially to the story! I think it has encouraged viewers to question what objects their own hearts would be.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We’re just about to start our theatrical run in the US and Canada, which is exciting! And we’re looking to continue to get the film out there in front of audiences and really just increase its exposure. We’re trying to spread the word as much as possible and create a buzz surrounding the film.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We’d love to get most journalists to shout out about the film and help with exposure. Again, the more everyone can find out about the film, the better!

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

This film is meant to shine a light on HOW we connect with one another and I hope audiences will ask this question of themselves. If the film encourages audiences to do this, then I’m happy. Also, Anabel and George (our two main characters) help one another. The film isn’t about them being in love or not, but about them experiencing the world differently and learning from that. It’s about empathy and openness and helping one another see things from different perspectives.

I’m hoping the film brings into question how should we deal with our emotions. In a world filled with so much hardship and struggle, is it better to detach emotionally and disengage? Is it easier to function this way? Or is it better to engage and feel everything - good AND bad, for better or worse?

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

When the cast and crew are up on stage for Q&A’s the question the audience always seems to ask is what all our hearts would be! And it seems to get audiences thinking about their own hearts and what objects theirs would be. It’s a simple but poignant conversation starter! If you scroll through our Instagram page, you can see what heart objects our cast/crew would be! https://www.instagram.com/withlove.andamajororgan/

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

The past year has been super busy just getting the film out there but I know that my team has been spinning lots of creative plates and developing new projects. I’m co-writing two features at the moment - one with writer/graphic novelist Malaka Gharib and one with Laurel Brady. Feels like the right time for me to take on a writing role!

Interview: March 2024

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

With Love and a Major Organ

Length: 1:32:00

Director: Kim Albright

Producer: Madeleine Davis

Writer: Julia Lederer

About the writer, director and producer:

KIM ALBRIGHT is an award-winning Canadian-British-Filipina director. She was featured on the British Film Institute (BFI) Upshot Program, showcasing "the most exciting emerging UK filmmaking talent". Her shorts have won awards and competed worldwide, including at the BAFTA-qualifying Encounters Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and the British Independent Film Festival. She is an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre Director’s Lab, the Canadian Academy Director's Program for Women, and Women In the Director's Chair (WIDC) Story & Leadership, and a recipient of the CBC Films WIDC Talent Development Award and the WIDC Feature Film Award.

JULIA LEDERER is an internationally acclaimed writer. As a playwright, her work has been produced across North America and recently in Paris. As a play, With Love and a Major Organ was nominated for Best Production by the LA Drama Critics Circle (2017), and on Theatre By Numbers "Top 5 Plays in Chicago" (2016). Julia is an alumna of Whistler Film Festival's Screenwriters Lab and has been short-listed for Sundance Labs. Her films have screened at TIFF, Palm Springs, LA Comedy Shorts Festival, Cinequest Film Festival and Canadian Film Fest (award-winner).

MADELEINE DAVIS is an award-winning Canadian producer. Her recent narrative-producing credits include the feature film With Love and a Major Organ (2023) and the short film Dhulpa (2022), which has recently screened at VIFF and Festival du Nouveau Cinema, where it won the Jury Prize. Past work has screened at SXSW, TIFF, and VIFF and has been recognized by the Juno Awards, Vimeo Staff Picks, the Prism Prize, Director’s Library and the UKMVA Awards.

Key cast: Anna Maguire (Anabel), Hamza Haq (George), Veena Sood (Mona), Donna Benedicto (Casey)

Looking for: journalists, buyers

Facebook: Kim Albright, With Love and a Major Organ

Twitter: @withlove_and

Instagram: @kimaalbright, @withlove.andamajororgan

Hashtags used: #WLAAMO, #WLAAMOfilm, #wlaamoindiefilm

Website: www.withloveandamajororgan.com

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Circle Collective

Funders: Telefilm Canada, Women In The Director's Chair Feature Film Fund, Harold Greenberg Fund, CBC Films WIDC Talent Development Fund

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Boston Underground Film Festival/Boston (MA)/March 24
Roxy Cinema/New York City (NY) /March 28-31
Los Feliz Theatre/Los Angeles (CA)/April 5-7
Viff Centre/Vancouver/April 12 onwards & coming to cinemas across Canada April 12
Violet Crown Cinema/Santa Fe (NM)/April 13
Cleveland International Film Festival/Cleveland (OH)/April 11&12
Gateway Film Centre/Columbus (OH)/April 12
Frida Cinema/Santa Ana (CA)/April 12
Woodward Theatre/Cincinatti (OH)/April 22
Dairy Arts Centre/Boulder (CO)/April 26