Girls on Film
By Lilly Sabella, Writing 360 Mentee
Something that has always plagued me about female characters is whether they offer an accurate representation of women or are just “[women] written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that [these] kind of [women] exist and might kiss them” (Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn). This idea is something I tried to explore in my multimedia presentation.
Process
Last year, I became fascinated with the aesthetics found in film and television and discovered a community of creators on Instagram that edited together clips of characters, moments, and motifs from their favorite television shows as a testament to them. Last year, I learned how to record the clips, edit them on iMovie, and put audio on them so I could make these videos too.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE LILLY SABELLA & MENTOR TONI BRANNAGAN
Lilly’s Anecdote: Before joining Girls Write Now, the thought of showing the most personal part of myself—my writing—to another person filled me with anxiety. But over coffee cups and bubble tea, I formed a relationship with my mentor that taught me I had nothing to be afraid of. Toni has not only helped me open up as a person, but she has helped open my world to a place where I feel confident to create, share myself, and grow as a writer. I truly look up to her and consider myself lucky to be her mentee.
Tonis Anecdote: This is my first year mentoring with Girls Write Now, and I could not have been luckier to be paired with Lilly. Besides the fact that she’s one of the most talented poets I’ve ever read, I’m also lucky that we share the same taste in music, movies, internet drama, and bubble tea. (We might have a bubble tea problem; it’s fine.) Working with her is always a highlight of my week, and I’m forever inspired by her maturity, work ethic, and ability to juggle the many things life throws her way.
Lilly Sabella
Lilly Sabella is a 17-year-old feminist, writer and co-owner of the online charity shop, Happy Thrifts. When she’s not writing you can find her casting spells, drinking bubble tea or gushing over her latest thrift store finds.
