BORDERLINE Log Line

A short, realistic drama about a guarded paramedic struggling with her mother's opioid addiction. (14:36)

Short Synopsis

BORDERLINE is a short realistic drama that offers a provocative look at the consequences of addiction. Haunted by an abusive relationship with her mother, Esme struggles to keep her walls up around her new, perceptive partner Aaron, even as her world spins out of control.

Long Synopsis

Set in Boston, the film follows the newly partnered paramedics over the course of two distinct emergency calls. Thrust into the immediacy of an emergency, Esme is forced to confront the personal demons that threaten to cloud her judgement. Will she crumple under the pressure or will she delve into the darkness within and find something worth saving?

2 THE CREW

DIRECTOR | WRITER

Originally from Seattle, WA, Emily Sheehan is a filmmaker based in Boston. She recently graduated from Boston University's Cinema & Media Production MFA Program. In 2015, Emily was listed amongst Variety Magazine’s “110 Students to Watch,” and has been written up in The Boston Globe and BU Today for her work. Emily has won numerous awards and showcased her narrative short’s, AFTER and BORDERLINE, at multiple film festivals internationally, including the Cannes Short Film Corner (2017), the International Film Festival of Boston (2017), and the Middle Coast Film Festival (2016, 2017).

After wrapping up a semester as an Adjunct Professor at Boston University’s College of Communication, Emily is now working as an Assistant to Producer, Robin Sweet, on the new Stephen King adaptation, CASTLE ROCK, a Bad Robot / Hulu collaboration. To see more of her work or to drop her a line, feel free to visit her at emilychristinesheehan.com.

PRODUCER

Amy Geller has been a producer and line producer on numerous commercials, shorts and documentaries, including the PBS/BBC broadcast docudrama “Murder at Harvard.” She also produced the Sundance Institute-supported narrative “Stay Until Tomorrow”, “The War That Made America,” a four-hour PBS mini-series broadcast in 2006, and “For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism,” (2009) which screened at over 80 film festivals, theaters, and universities in the US and abroad.

CINEMATOGRAPHER | EDITOR

A native New Yorker, Tara Kavanaugh recently graduated from Boston University's Cinema and Media Production Program as a cinematographer. Tara has spent much of her career in the lighting department but has also written and directed a short film, "More" which is nominated in the 2016 Redstone Film Festival. She has dedicated her life as a filmmaker to exploring the interior lives of women.

3 THE CAST

ESME Herlin Navarro

Herlin Navarro was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She has appeared in many commercials within the New York, New England and Maine areas. In her most recent film, Hedgehog, she played an aspiring comedian (Cece Valdez), opposite Madeline Brewer from OITNB and Ann Dowd (The Leftovers). Storytelling is therapy for her. She is a proud single mom, who graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor's of Art in Criminal Justice while working full time as a Police Dispatcher for the Boston Police Department. To see more of her work, visit her at: http://www.herlinnavarro.com

AARON Emmanuel David

Actor, comedian and lead man in Boston, MA. Agent - Model Club Inc. See more of his work at: https://www.stage32.com/profile/22856/about

4 BEHIND - THE - SCENES

TRAILER https://vimeo.com/203347049

BEHIND - THE - SCENES PROFILES ● DIRECTOR: https://vimeo.com/181549660 ● CINEMATOGRAPHER: https://vimeo.com/181549670 ● KEY GRIP / BEST BOY: https://vimeo.com/181549682 ● PRODUCTION DESIGNER: https://vimeo.com/181549675

5 Q & A

As the writer and director of Borderline, what are you the most concerned about communicating to your audience?

The goal of the film is to emotionally connect the audience with an emotionally guarded character. I want people to love Esme for all of her flaws and feel for a moment what she feels. Intimacy and vulnerability aren’t easy for everyone. Esme’s journey towards self- awareness shows us why that may be.

Where did the inspiration for Esme come from?

Esme is a compilation of so many of the women in my life. When I was initially writing the film, I asked over fifty women what made them feel fragile. Esme emerged from their stories. She struggles to be vulnerable, because she has let predators behind her walls who have caused her a great deal of damage and heartache. The walls that hide her true emotions protect her from predators looking for an easy target, but also prevent her from ever truly trusting anyone.

Why the world of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)?

Paramedics handle real emergencies and have to inherently trust each other in order to do their jobs effectively. Esme doesn’t trust anyone. Can you see the problem? Suddenly Esme’s internal struggle is externalized and magnified. If she can’t learn to trust Aaron and shake off the damage that clouds her judgement, she has the real possibility of killing someone. Her internal conflict suddenly becomes the living, breathing heartbeat that drives us through the film.

What is the core message of your film?

To live without self-awareness is to live a shadow life, void of intimacy and warmth. It is a raw struggle of a tough, desensitized young woman who is forced to come to terms with who she is as she struggles with guilt, anger, addiction and control.

The production value of the film is very high for a student production, how did you manage to get an ambulance?

A lot of research, persistence, and pleading. As soon as I knew that the film would take place in the world of EMS, I went to work on building a network of connections that could make the film possible. We were lucky enough to partner with the assistant manager of the BU EMS Certification Program, who connected us with Armstrong Ambulance and came on board as the film’s medical consultant. Both of them were so excited about the film that they were willing to give us free uniforms, gear, training, access to the ambulance barn, and an ambulance for free! Their generosity continues to blow me away.

6 Q & A CONT.

SPOILER ALERT: Esme’s single greatest source of turmoil is her mother, an addict. How do you feel the film tackles the subject of addiction?

The film shows the psychological impact of addiction on Esme. It captures the raw anger, guilt and frustration of a woman who has always been forced to put her own needs aside for someone else. She has cut herself off from her emotions and her feelings in a last ditch effort to control something in her life. Yet as the film proves, that control is an illusion. In order to be free, she first must face the demon within her walls. She has to know who she is and what she wants, rather than always catering to the needs of others. Esme’s struggle is one of many. As this film proves - addiction doesn’t just impact the addict.

Why is addiction to prescription medications a socially relevant topic in 2017?

In New England, someone dies from an overdose every single day, and that number only continues to rise. According to the Boston Globe, the death toll from opioid overdoses has risen 6% from 2015. Addiction is everywhere, and its impact reverberates throughout our community. For every addict, there are countless others who also suffer. There are thousands of children, family members, and friends who are forced to stand on the sidelines, helpless to do anything but offer support. They too are trapped in a psychological hell, forced to come to terms with feelings of guilt, frustration and betrayal.

Did you discover anything that surprised you during production of the film?

I had no idea that 20% of EMT’s in this country suffer from PTSD! Before beginning production on the film, I knew almost nothing about the field of EMS. I had no idea how much stress it put on the men and women who serve our community. In order to be that source of calm in the chaos of an emergency, they have to put the victim before their own psychological needs. All for only an average pay of $15 an hour! It’s unacceptable. These people put their lives on the line day in and day out, and receive little to no recognition for it.

The film was made with a $10,000 grant from Alessandro Uzielli. As you know, finding funding for short films is exceedingly difficult. How did you come by this grant?

We were lucky enough to work in partnership with the inaugural class of BU’s Cinema & Media Production Program. At every turn we were offered the full support of the BU Community, including the grant from former BU undergraduate student, Al Uzielli. His support is what made this film possible.

How did your earlier work as a director on After, Adaptation, & Skipping Stones impact Borderline?

Each film helped to prepare me for Borderline. After taught me to trust my instincts and not to shy away from difficult moments. Adaptation taught me to embrace my lack of control and to let moments unfold at their own rhythm. Skipping Stones taught me about failure. Know what you mean and mean what you say. Anything less than that will result in wishy-washy mediocrity.