Today we’d like to introduce you to Evelyne Tollman-Werzowa.
Hi Evelyne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in South Africa during apartheid, which deeply affected me. There was no freedom of speech, so theatre became my way of expressing what I saw in a corrupt system. I started writing plays with my sister and got into bi-racial theatre productions in downtown Johannesburg. I fell in love with how theatre made me feel, giving me a voice and sharing emotions and stories in a safe space. When we moved to Los Angeles when I was sixteen, I continued to study acting and writing at Beverly Hills High School. I went on to study screenwriting at the Writers BootCamp two-year program. A group of 8 women and I wrote about how we felt and toured throughout LA doing our play “LA, LA, NO! NO!” I was hooked. I loved writing and performing. I then wrote many plays performing them in Los Angeles and also being cast in wonderful classical plays and independent films.
My sister Gabriela Tollman, a writer and director, and I decided to collaborate. We wanted to write about motherhood and trauma and how it can impact a family and motherhood. My sister was pregnant and lost the baby, so I asked her if we could write about it as a way for her to heal. We wrote “Somebody’s Mother,” for which we created a successful Kickstarter campaign. Luckily, many wonderful people came forward to help us fund the film. It played at many film festivals and got picked up by Indie Rights, they sold it to China, and it’s on many platforms. I met an 85-year-old woman who was falling madly in love called Risa Igelfeld. Her story inspired me: she fled the Nazis at 18, became a maid in London, moved to Los Angeles, and went through one difficulty after another with the most positive, joyous attitude. I couldn’t keep a relationship, and Risa seemed to have life figured out. I started filming her once a week for 15 years. I knew I had a great documentary on Risa.
I also didn’t have the funding to complete the film, which was a blessing. I ended up documenting Risa’s life from 85-100. Her ups and downs, her losses, and her love of music. I made The Stand Up Doll and completed it with some generous backers, and it had a very successful run winning some awards. We ended up moving to Vienna, Austria, in 2018. My husband is a composer, and with Trump as president, we thought it might be a nice change. I did not expect to struggle so much as a Jewish woman in a country with such a dark history. Once again, I turned to write. Hot Mess was created. First, it was a book, then I turned it into a one-person play. But then Covid happened, and I couldn’t do the play. So my producing partner Eva Oskarsdottir suggested we film it. I turned some of it into one episode of a pilot. A Jewish American moves to Austria and is freaking out as a Jew, global warming, and menopause! It’s a dark comedy that is currently having its festival run.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Turning a play into a pilot was challenging. At first, it was a little too dialogy so I learned from the first shoot and realized I needed to make it more visual and less talky. Being in the lead actress and director, and producer was very challenging at times. Too many hats and I wanted just to let go and be the character and not have to answer the DP or the sound person while I was acting. But we made it work, and pretending I didn’t understand everyone helped sometimes!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love using stories to deal with complex subjects like apartheid using comedy and humor. I love drawing an audience in, making them laugh, and then realizing their own prejudices and small thinking. We all struggle with a warped perception of one another, and using film is the most exciting medium I have discovered to do this.
How do you think about luck?
I think I have been very lucky. I have always found a partner to collaborate with or rally together with. My sister Gabriela Tollman and I have been pushing each other to share our voices and have worked together since we were young. My dear friend Jeff Kanew is always my go-to person to read the first version. And now Eva Oskarsdottir is my producing partner telling me to keep going and trusting we will find the right network or partner to finish the series. I have been lucky enough to have my feature film Cricket Song a coming-of-age story in apartheid South Africa, optioned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thestandupdoll.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgQL2NBGkpY&t=25
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8YtLZ1dmHs&t=39s
Image Credits
Evelyne Tollman – Director-Actress-Writer Images- Evelyne Tollman -HOT MESS POSTER Image – Jewish Chorous – Benjamin -Fox Rosen, Said Gobechiya, Andre A. Angenendt. Image – Eva Oskarsdottir and Evelyne Tollman image- Evelyne Tollman and Lucca Werzowa
