In this animated short film the narrative unfolds as a stream of consciousness, as the protagonist bravely confronts insecurities around anxiety, self-worth, success standards and love.

Interview with Producer/Director Starr Nathan

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you, this whole moment has been very exciting. I was clinically depressed when I made this film. I never had any intention of showcasing this. The film was a pure therapeutic release to help me cope with all the feelings and thoughts I was battling. I felt like there was no place where I could tell the raw truth without being judged and creating this was a safe space. I just never had been so honest with myself before and I was tired of acting like everything was okay, I just wanted to share the truth about how I was really feeling for once.

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

You should watch the film because it’s going to force you to connect with dormant feelings around your own life. But, it’s also going to provide a sense of relief that you’re not alone in your crazy thoughts. This film encourages you to understand that there’s hope and feelings and thoughts are fleeting so we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Personal and universal themes work in my film in many ways. For one, I scripted, directed and narrated this film. So, to hear my voice (which at the time I was in tremendous emotional pain) say those words and express those feelings is pretty gut-wrenching for me. I’m just now only able to stomach watching Earthshine without getting triggered. Overall, no matter how successful, happy and accomplished we are (or seem) I learned that life is ebbs and flows. I used to fall hard when the ebbs came and think life was really bad. But, within this film, I challenged myself to embrace those valleys as part of the journey. There’s so much pressure to be something in this world and there’s a lot of imagery and stimuli out there telling us what suffices. Earthshine is about acknowledging the truth about how you feel and beginning the process of establishing what truly makes you happy. And to be honest, this walk started with me with God.

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

I felt like I poured my guts into this script. To be honest, there are no rewrites or changes that happened in the course of this film’s development. I wrote what I felt. I didn’t try for it to make sense at all. I let it flow from my mind, body and soul. I remember, I wrote this in the Notes section of my iPhone and left it in there for a couple of days before re-reading it. When I re-read it, I was moved by how vulnerable I was to even write that down. It took a lot of courage to read it and admit that I wrote those words and that’s how I feel. After seeing how impactful it was just to me, I began storyboarding what this could look like in an animation. I wanted to do an animation because I wanted to remove the painful reality of those feelings and I wanted to see cartoons instead. Animation gave them levity and hope to me.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback has been awesome. The words “raw” and “relatable” are used a lot. That makes me feel great. I want people to feel less alone about what they're going through. I want Earthshine to be used as a tool to dissect the norms of anxiety, self-worth, perceived success and love. I want people to grow from their pain and trauma. Every time somebody watches this film they are touched in a different way. Earthshine touches on so many elements of life that, that’s not a surprise to me.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback hasn’t challenged my point of view, but I was surprised at how relatable people said it was. I mean, imagine you’re going through some dark stuff, that depression is the catalyst for this film and then everybody watches it and tells you, “I feel the same way!” or “I have the same thoughts as you!” It’s validating, especially because I was in isolation creating this. So, that’s all been surprising. Like, so many people go through this. It’s a human thing. But, it’s like why don’t we express ourselves to one another more? Why do we have walls up? Why do I have to look like I have to have it together all the time? If I don’t I’ll be perceived as weak, and what does that get me? I want to live a free life. Being able to express myself is freeing.

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

I’m looking for this piece to serve as an art piece and exemplify the navigation of anxiety, perceived success, self-worth, love and depression. I feel like emotional intelligence should be a part of educational curriculums. So much of our happiness relies on knowing how to cope with ourselves and others through the ebbs and flows of life. I want more people to see Earthshine, and I want more conversations to spark around the elements in the film. They are universal themes that stand the test of time.

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

I need press, journalists and festival directors to come on board to amplify this message. There is a pipeline for this to be a podcast or an unscripted series and I’m open to exploring those opportunities as well, however, the biggest thing to me is visibility. Not enough people know about Earthshine, and the film heals. It’s medicine. People exhale in relief and love after they watch it. So, I want the right people to rally so we can raise awareness about this and help others.

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

The moon doesn’t shine, it’s reflecting light from the sun. When things line up just right, reflected light from the earth illuminates the moon. That is what an Earthshine is. The perfect synchronization of events lining up to bring light. Most people think they see crescent moons in the sky, but oftentimes it’s an Earthshine. This is important to understand because I want people to be touched and reflect in their lives about their feelings and pursuit of happiness. I want people to be moved to be more vulnerable and communal. I want people to use it as inspiration to conquer their doubts and fears. I want it to be used as medicine. I want Earthshine to provide healing. I want people to know they are the unassuming light in their world.

Would you like to add anything else?

I believe it’s very important for creatives to just create and don’t work to perfection as much. I’ve made a few films and worked on a ton of projects, all I believed were “the one.” I made Earthshine and didn’t overthink the creative process at all. I didn’t create it for approval. I just created from my heart, mind, body and soul. I shared it, and this is what’s resonating. I want us as creatives to just keep creating. Don’t create for likes and algorithms. Create what’s in your heart, because that’s actually God's work happening. I’ve learned a lot about my creative process with Earthshine being selected into Tribeca, and I think it’s important for creatives to hear that part of the story.

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

I’m developing an unscripted WNBA series with Irv Roland and Carmela Zumbado. We are currently seeking production and brand partners. There is high-profile talent attached to it, but it’s confidential. I’m excited about women’s sports and tackling adjacent themes that Earthshine touches upon, just this time we are looking through the lens of sports.

Interview: June 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

Earthshine

In this animated short film the narrative unfolds as a stream of consciousness, as the protagonist bravely confronts insecurities around anxiety, self-worth, success standards and love.

Length: 3:00

Director: Starr Nathan

Producer: Starr Nathan

About the writer, director and producer:

STARR NATHAN is an award-winning director, producer and writer as well as the Founder of STARRPOWER Entertainment, her own content agency. Through STARRPOWER, she worked with Nike, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NBPA, Just Women’s Sports, CNBC, BBC America, Bey Moss and more. In 2020, Starr made her directorial debut with the short film Know Me So Well, which premiered nationally on REVOLT TV and earned her the Clio Awards Filmmaker Spotlight Honor. Her subsequent short film, Motions, premiered at respected festivals including the Martha’sVineyard African American Film Festival, the New York Latino Film Festival, as well as the Chelsea Film Festival, among others. Before establishing STARRPOWER, Starr led social-first content at BET Networks. As a Senior Producer at Bleacher Report, she launched their first Black History Month campaign. Most recently, at Snapchat, Starr founded 523, a program designed to support and spotlight diverse influencers, which notably boosted Snapchat's stock by 8% within 24 hours of its launch.

Fun fact: Starr is also an NCAA Track & Field All-American. She is bi-coastal between New York City and Los Angeles.

Instagram: @starrpowerent