Armed with a cape, special powers, and a solid moral compass, superheroes will save you from burning buildings, keep thieves at bay, and swiftly lift cars above their head, eradicating fatal accidents just in the nick of time. Helpful. But wouldn’t it be fantastic if there was a superhero among us to save us from unrequited, tragic, and abusive love? Lady Geek Susan Lee (@wraithoflove) has created just the woman.
Inspired by her own experience (she’ll tell you more about that in a bit), Lee’s newest film, “Wraith of Love,” follows Jameson (James) Mercer, a vigilante who came back from a suicide attempt with the ability to sense people in abusive relationships. The film features a talented cast of up-and-coming Los Angeles actors as well as Bill A. Jones from “Glee.“ (He plays Lima Ohio’s favorite news anchor, Rod Remington.)
Live in LA? This Saturday (7/19), check out the launch party for "Wraith of Love.” Get the details and RSVP here.
In the meantime, check out Lee’s interview with Being Geek Chic!
Q: Why is the story of Wraith of Love an important one to tell?
A: “Wraith” is an important story because it deals with recovery, redemption and really embracing who you are. But almost more importantly, I’m seeking to do what hasn’t been done before - create an action franchise featuring a female lead. And not a spandex/chick-in-costume/ninja assassin type of action franchise. I mean a franchise in the vein of the “Bourne” series or the “Dark Knight” series - dark, gritty, real and tough. I’m trying to kick down the door of the boys club of the action genre and force my way in. But I think, in addition to that, I’m just trying to create a character who blurs the lines - it doesn’t matter if the character’s male or female, the character should speak across gender lines and everyone should be able to relate to her. I’m hoping the audience takes that away and we start to understand that what’s important is the story and the action, no matter whether it’s a man or a woman in the lead.
Q: Where did you find your inspiration for James Mercer?
A: The script started out as a joke. I fell in love with a man who was my best friend but he did not quite fall back. I laughed with friends, saying there should be a superhero for unrequited love. And somehow, that manifested itself in this dark, twisted tale of a woman recovering from abuse who ends up saving others and trying to change an epic love triangle covering centuries. As I developed the script over a number of years, I was kind of afraid of it because I wanted to take it to a very dark place and action films weren’t quite there yet. But I came out of a screening of “The Dark Knight” and suddenly felt like I had permission to go as dark as I wanted to go. The response has been fascinating, ranging from being compared to Sam Raimi, to men being upset by the violence against them in the piece. In the end, I hope it’s a complex, complicated piece that both women and men will find intriguing and will provoke discussion about gender.
Q: How did you discover your passion for filmmaking?
A: I actually started directing theater, which is still my first love. The immediacy and the intimacy is something that is so visceral that it’s addicting. I fell into directing after doing bad theater in LA for a while. As a tour guide at Universal Studios, a group of us gained access to an unused theatre on the lot and did shows there for almost two years. I started directing because we needed directors. I never looked back. At my heart and soul, I am a storyteller and directing just felt right and true. I am drawn to challenging pieces that are dark and multi-layered, like one of my favorite pieces, “Lloyd’s Prayer” by Kevin Kling, about a boy raised by raccoons who is turned into a religious icon. Or “Gross Indecency, the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde”, which is the most challenging piece I’ve directed to date on stage. Pieces that make an audience talk afterward - or walk out in the middle of. I’ve done many pieces that had audiences commenting, “I can’t believe a woman directed that” and I wear that with great pride. When I started making films, the first ones of which were 48 Hour Film Projects, I found myself drawn to that darker side and told non-traditional stories for a woman. As a storyteller, filmmaking just gave me more tools and different ways to tell the stories that live in my head.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: I would love to say I’d choose someone lofty and esoteric, but the truth is, I’d want to have a whiskey or two or twelve with Harry Dresden of “The Dresden Files” books. Harry is dark and wounded, yet so deeply human and resilient. I would love to talk to him about what his powers feel like, how he manages to continually find the strength to get back up, and how he handled the wounds to his heart. I think it would be a funny, rowdy, drunken night that would end… well… let’s just leave it there.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: I would tell my 13-year-old self that the bullying she endured would make her stronger than she ever imagined, would teach her how to be herself wholly and completely. And that while the life ahead of her holds challenges and devastating circumstances that she may not think she could endure, the other side of that is a life so beautiful and so filled with wonder that the dark side won’t stand a chance.
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer