MOON GARDEN CAST INTERVIEWS
‘Moon Garden’ premieres at the Dances With Films on June 10th, at 7:15 p.m. at the TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
We sat down to talk with Augie Duke and Haven Lee Harris the two main leads of “Moon Garden”. They shared their experience working together on the project and Haven on working with her Dad at the tender age of 3 in her first leading role. With the wisdom of an old soul and the professionalism of a seasoned actress, I am excited to follow her journey.
Written and directed by Ryan Stevens Harris, (award-winning editor of Lionsgate’s Moonfall and Midway), ‘Moon Garden’ follows a young girl (Haven Lee Harris), who, upset by a terrible family argument, takes a bad fall, plunging her into a coma.
Trapped in a dark industrial wonderland, she’s haunted by a chattering nightmare that feeds off her tears. In real life at her hospital bedside, her mother comforts her – the soothing voice coming through on an old transistor radio in the surreal dreamscape. The girl follows the signal, trying to find her way home and return to consciousness.
“This picture was always meant to feel like a film out of its time. As if an old dusty film reel were found in an attic somewhere, wound up on a projector, and rediscovered,” stated Harris. “It’s inspiring how art can heal, the work itself bringing my own family and relationships closer together, somewhat similar to the transformation of the characters in the film. Broken things can mend. This is the central core of ‘Moon Garden’ – that amid the shadows of the moonlit dreamscapes lies a tale of one troubled family coming together.”
Produced by John Michael Elfers (Discarnate, Beyond White Space), ‘Moon Garden’ was shot on expired 35mm film with vintage rehoused lenses. Old school filmmaking tricks were used to capture the visual effects, including practical makeup, puppeteering, time-lapse photography, miniatures to extend wide shots, and cloud tanks to create the nighttime skylines. With rich creature design and immersive steampunk atmosphere, ‘Moon Garden’ is a heartfelt fantastical odyssey that shows how a child can shine light even in the darkest of places.
‘Moon Garden’ premieres at the Dances With Films on June 10th, at 7:15 p.m. at the TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
