HEARTS WANT

On By ResaIn Film, Interviews

An Award Winning Short Film by Ruth Maramis

My new blog pal, Ruth Maramis, wrote and executive produced “HEARTS WANT”. As I watch it for an enjoyable third time, I have some questions for her.

Resa – The location is fabulous. Tell me about it!

Ruth – It was in a historic, 100+ year-old theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA., that looks like it’s in Europe. It’s perfect as my story is supposed to take place in England. I set the story in a real place in the UK., a small cathedral city called Chichester in West Sussex, England (about a 1.5-hour drive south of London).

The following clip is 31 seconds long. Not necessary to watch it, but will add context to the conversation.

Logline: Two former lovers who reunite for a play by their terminally ill mentor face the consequences of a secret that could change their lives forever.

Resa – This would make a fab feature. Have you scripted it out as a feature?

Ruth – Yes I have written the full script, as the short was actually born out of a feature-length live script reading with actors.

Resa – As a feature does it have a happier (not necessarily happy) ending?

Ruth – The feature-length script has a hopeful ending, not a perfect ending tied with a big red bow, but it hints that Jacques and Lily are back together. Without giving too much away, it’s book-ended with a stage performance that makes the story come full circle. I envision the story as more than just a romantic drama but also a redemption story for Martin, the playwright whose voiceover is heard at the beginning of the short. He has a much more prominent role in the full story, and it’s he who brought Lily & Jacques together for his play, which is somehow connected to his past.

I love stories of second chances, as we all sometimes need a do-over and a chance to make amends. As a fan of stage performances, there’s something so intriguing about the world of theatre to set a story in.

Resa – The actors playing the two former lovers Lily (Sam Simmons) and Jacques (Peter Christian Hansen), are fabulous. Tell me a bit about them. I see Peter got a Best Actor Nominee  at the YES! Let’s Make a Movie Film Festival in Montreal.

Ruth – Oh, believe it or not, Sam is from a nearby town in Sussex, though I had met her here in Minneapolis at a film festival and she had just moved from England a year prior!! Talk about serendipity, there are actually a lot of crazy serendipitous things about my film project!

I met Peter for the first time at the full script reading back in January 2017, four months before we shot the short film! My friend Kirsten suggested him to me for Jacques, as they had worked together in a film before. Both of the leads were playing Jacques and Lily at the reading, and had such great chemistry. Everything happened so fast after the reading at my friend JoJo’s home. (She ended up becoming one of the film’s producers).

Peter is quite a prominent theatre actor here in the Twin Cities, though I didn’t know that until I met him. He’s been in so many local plays; he’s also the artistic director of his own theatre company, Gremlin Theatre, in St. Paul, MN. I’m grateful to have found such terrific actors for the short film. They truly brought my characters to life beautifully!

Resa – As a Costume Designer I must ask, why is Jacques wearing a 1940s pilot bomber jacket and Lily a headscarf?

Ruth – Ok so in my original script, the play that the two main characters reunite in is a 1940s WWII romance drama where he’s a British Royal Air Force pilot, so the costume designer found this RAF sheepskin bomber jacket we could rent from Guthrie Theatre (the largest regional playhouse in the country).

I wanted to give a subtle nod to Gregory Peck in Twelve O’Clock High (I had the biggest crush on him since Spellbound), even though Peck’s character in the WWII movie is American. If you notice that it looks a bit big on Peter Hansen (the lead actor) is because I had to find a jacket that would fit both him and the other actor who plays his character’s understudy, and that guy (Noah Gillet) has a slightly larger frame than Peter’s. Same with his pants, as I had to save cost by renting just one set of costumes instead of two, ha..ha!

As for Lily’s headscarf, because she’s a biracial woman with a large ‘fro. She often had to hide her black identity in the 1940s.

Resa – The neck piece Lily wears at the beginning is too, stunning. It is so fabulous, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

Ruth – It’s actually Sam Simmons’ own necklace that she let us borrow for the film. My costume designer Caroline loved it and it paired well with the maroon jumpsuit she had on during that scene.

Due to budget constraints, I asked the actors to provide their own wardrobe for the contemporary scenes.

Resa – Tell me, why is Lily holding a suitcase in the “play”, within the short?

Ruth – The scene that appears in the short film is written as a farewell scene where the two lovers have to go separate ways, hence she was holding a suitcase. We decided not to include any dialog so it would not distract from the story of the film, if that makes sense. 

Resa – Total sense!

Hearts Want Streams on Prime

With a 15 minute running time, it is well worth the watch!

Resa – So, What’s next on the agenda for Ruth Maramis?

Ruth – I really enjoyed making short films, but at this point, I really want to focus more on getting HEARTS WANT feature film off the ground, as that is truly my passion project. I’ve done pretty much everything I could to get it developed, I went to AFM (American Film Market) in 2019 to try to pitch it to executives/financiers, did fundraising events, etc. but so far it’s kind of stalled. I know it’ll get made eventually, and I realize this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Click on the above banner and check out the HEARTS WANT website, where you can read more about it!

About Ruth

Ruth was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, but has been residing in Twin Cities, Minnesota for the past 30+ years along with her husband Ivan who’s also from Jakarta. She’s been a lover of movies since she was a little girl, and her dad was actually a filmmaker in Indonesia around the time she was born in the 1970s.

Her blog FLIX CHATTER has become my go to for new film reviews. Once in awhile she reviews a vintage movie.

She also participates in the 52 Films By Women challenge as per Women In Film organization. The basic rules are simple: watch 52 films directed by women within the course of one year. Share about the films you’re watching on social media, using the hashtag #52FilmsByWomen to spread the word.

Recently Ruth attended the Twin Cities Film Festival. Along with her many reviews of the films thereof, she had the opportunity to interview Daisy Ridley and Tom Bateman on their psychological thriller MAGPIE.

P.S. Tom Bateman is one of the actors on Ruth’s dream list to play the lead male character in “Hearts Want” feature. As the story is set in the UK, she’d love to get British actors for the lead roles.

Ruth is a member of the Online Association of Female Critics , the Minnesota Film Critics Association and Indie Film Critics Association USA

She is a RottenTomatoes-approved critic, which means her reviews count toward the critics’ Tomatometer. The full review appears on her website, but an excerpt of it appears on the individual Rotten Tomatoes review page, i.e., this one for La Cocina.

Same thing with Cherry Picks, which is a collective of movie and TV recommendations + reviews exclusively from female and non-binary critics. 

Big Thank you to Ruth for joining me today, and to all who have taken the time to read!

150 thoughts on “HEARTS WANT”

  1. Fabulous interview, Resa. Thank you for the introduction to Ruth Maramis, her career, and Hearts Want. I’ve added the film to my list to watch tonight! You know how much I love movies, even though this past year we’ve not seen many. Congratulations to Ruth! I know how hard it is to get a movie made. (My cousin has had several scripts optioned but then not made, and one his scripts eventually became a Chinese film!)

    1. Merril,

      Yay! Thanks for reading! Thanks (in advance) for watching!

      Film is an interesting beast. It is a creative area that utilizes all aspects of creativity (hands on and tech) within its needs to become an entertainment product.

      Yet, it is a vicious business.

      I admire Ruth’s success at what she has achieved, and hope the full length film becomes a reality. I also enjoy her reviews, a lot.

      Your cousin is fortunate to have had a film made. Yay! I’m sue it took a lot of gumption. Did you see it?

      1. You’re welcome, Resa.
        I, too, hope that Ruth is able to get her feature film made.

        I know it’s a hard business. He was able to share a link, so I did see it! And while it wasn’t the type of film I’d usually see–more of an action film–it was enjoyable, and he wrote a good story!

          1. Over the years he’s had several optioned. He lives in LA, and he has an agent. I know he wrote for some sitcoms way back when. I don’t know if he has any movie scripts out right now. He’s been working on a book, I think.

    2. Hello Merrill! It truly is hard to get a movie made, even those that got their scripts optioned. I’m so grateful to have made the short, but my dream is still to get the full feature realized; it just feels incomplete right now.

      Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post.

      HUUUUGE THANKS to Resa for all the amazing effort in putting this fantabulous post together… I’m so honored to be featured by someone I deeply admire. Love ya, Resa!!

      1. Hi, Ruth! My husband and I just watched Hearts Want. We both liked it very much. I hope you’ll be able to get the feature film made.

        Resa is the best! She’s so supportive of everyone. 💙

        2. Hello again Merril!! I’m so honored + grateful that you watched Hearts Want!! 💖 THANK YOU so much for taking the time and for letting me know you liked it. I sure hope I’d get to tell the full story one day, thanks for the support!! 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

    1. Robbie,

      Yes, getting your script rejected by a film company, is as easy as getting your book rejected by a publisher.

      I was trying to be funny, but both are tough rows to hoe.

      I’ve always thought A Ghost and his Gold would make a great film. I’d love to do costumes for such an historical epic.

      Ruth has a passion project in getting Hearts Want made into a feature. Hopefully this spotlight on her and her project will help fan the flames of her desire.

    2. Hi Roberta! I’m always in awe of any creatives who manage to get their creation brought to life, whether it’s in book form, film, etc. It does take a great deal of effort, but as I said to Resa, it is a marathon, not a sprint. Cheers!

  3. Wow, Ruth Maramis’s short film sounds evocative and moving. Second chances are something that I also love, and appreciate, I think, as I grow older. The 100-year-old theater in Minneapolis is such an atmospheric setting, and in the clip, you can feel that magical atmosphere infiltrating into the film. I’m definitely going to watch this; it sounds wonderful! Thanks for bringing Heart’s Want into the spotlight, Resa! 💙🎭💜🙂

    1. You are welcome Ada!
      We are intertwined in a fabulous creative community here on WP. I’m surprised there are not more young filmmakers out here.
      🕊🤍🎭💜
      Happy watching!

    2. Hello Ada, thanks for the kind words! I love the agony and ecstasy of second chances, especially in a romance. Yeah, the Southern Theater is an amazing historic theater in Minneapolis, I’m glad I stumbled upon it when I was scouting for location and that it was affordable to rent!!

      I hope you enjoy the film once you see it, I’d love to hear your thoughts once you do. Cheers!!

      1. Ahah, I just said this on my comment to Ada, not realizing you already encouraged her to do so. We are truly kindred spirits, Resa!!

  5. A wonderful intro about Hearts Want. I definitely want to watch this. Short films are a favorite with me , some are so outstanding, a favorite category at the awards. I will be watching. Thank you Resa and congratulations Ruth. All the best to you.
    🎥❤️

    1. I like shorts, too. I worked on several in my early design days, many for free.
      The filmmakers have to work extra smart to get a message across.
      I think Ruth did a fab job with this one!
      🕊🤍🎥❤️

      1. Ruth is an amazing talent, I’m very excited about this, I love the title as well.
        Thanks so much for letting us in on this… Resa, I can imagine how much effort and pure and natural creativity goes into putting this together. Many thanks to you both!
        xoxoxo

        1. Welcome dear Holly! Of course you like the title. 💖House of Heart)💖
          xoxoxoxo
          (Just read your piece on GS. LOVE it. You did great. So much I didn’t know. I sent a mail back!)

          I did read “A Bunny’s Tale” years ago. It’s a free PDF online. I’ve always acutely remembered the part where the girls who weren’t stacked enough would stuff their bras with plastic dry cleaning bags. The plastic would make their breasts sweat, and they would shrink, So then they would have to use more plastic.

    2. Hello House of Heart, love that you have ❤️ in your blog name 🙂

      I like shorts but I made it mostly because of cost constraint… I certainly couldn’t afford to make the feature self-funded, so I made the short as a proof of concept. But yes, some shorts can be as good if not better than features!

      Thanks for your kind words and encouragements!

  6. What an interesting post, Resa. This is a world (film-making) that is completely outside my experience, so it’s fascinating to learn even this tiny bit about Ruth and her efforts. It clearly take a lot of work and networking, creativity and determination. The clip was so atmospheric. I also love the stage, and it’s cool way to layer stories. Thanks for sharing and I wish Ruth the best of luck turning her short into a feature film!

    1. Thank you, Diana!
      In our wildly creative community out here on WP, I don’t see many young filmmakers.

      Ruth writes bang up reviews, and as I looked into what she was about, I got the idea to share this bit of the film industry.

      There are many authors in our community, whose books would make terrific movies. (Like yours!)
      It all seems a natural fit.
      I too wish Ruth all the best!

        1. Dreams do come true.

          Sometimes like magic.

          Mostly through hard work and determination.

          You have books out there. That was work. It just takes 1 person, the right person, to read one and want to make it into a movie. Then they option it. They hire a professional script writer to turn it into a script. OR, if you know how, you could do it.

          Anyway, point is, you have solid, fabulous product out there. Anything can happen.

          1. Aww. You’re so kind. My newest book took 2-1/2 years to write, so I always feel like I’m having to prioritize between projects. I need a clone! There are sooo many things creative things I still want to do!

            1. Creativity….I get it!

              Only a few hours left on the gown. Then I have to clean up the mess I made, and the plants made a mess shedding, due to less sun.

              I’ll be starting taking pics in about a week-10 days.
              Hopefully a post will be up before Christmas… if not between Christmas and New Years.

              So, I forget when your book is released, but whenever I want to say something at the end of the post.

              I’ll need the cover. I can probably grab it from the cover reveal post you did. Is that okay?

              1. The book is officially available on Jan 2, but there’s a preorder up already. In other words… anytime, Resa. I can’t wait to share it!! That will be so fun. (My tour starts of Jan 6 and gobbles up the rest of the month, so any time before the 6th would be most excellent!) You can grab the cover from the cover reveal or from Goodreads, but I’d also be happy to send it to you. Thank you for that. You’re always so thoughtful. Hugs.

    2. Hello Diana! Thanks for reading this post and the kind words about the clip. I’m fortunate to have found a terrific local filmmaker to bring my short film project to life. Yes, glad you agree that the stage really has a unique charm for telling a story, particularly when it comes to a romantic drama.

      Appreciate the well wishes 💖 I love that Resa has created a fabulous community that fosters support amongst us women artists! ❤️ 

      1. You’re inspiring, Ruth. I’m so impressed, and though you don’t go on about it, it’s easy to see how hard you worked to pull this all off. You show us all how much effort and determination it takes. That’s admirable. Best of luck to you on meeting all your goals. 🙂

  7. what a wonderful interview and I will watch this. I so love shorts, so much has to be said in so little time and it is really an amazing art form. every year, I go to my local theater to watch the Oscar nominated shorts and I always come away from it stunned and in awe of the creators

    1. Thank you, Beth!

      I adore shorts, too!

      I’m sure you’ll enjoy Hearts Want. It packs a lot into 15 minutes. Ruth wrote and produced a great piece.

      Thanks for reading Beth, and thank you in advance for watching!

      1. Awwww THANK YOU Resa for encouraging your friends to check out Hearts Want… not just in the post itself but in the comments!! You truly are a sweetheart. I love you bunches!! 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

    2. Well hello Beth!! Short are great indeed, it takes a special challenge to be able to tell a good story in a limited time. That is so cool that you often watch the Oscar-nominated shorts in the theater; I have to check if they do that in my local cinema. Cheers!

    2. Thank you, Trent. Resa did a fantastic job interviewing and setting up the post… I’m always flabbergasted by her multitude of talents!! I hope you get a chance to see the film, and thank you for your comment!

  12. Great interview and presentation, Resa! Ruth Maramis sounds like quite a talent (like you), and I wish her “Hearts Want” project the best of luck in the future.

    2. Hello Dave!! Awwww, I don’t think I’m anywhere near Resa’s league in terms of talent… I’m just so grateful to have found her on the vast blogosphere and somehow we connected 💖 Thanks for the well wishes, I sure need all the luck I could get in getting the feature off the ground, ahahaha!

      P.S. It’s true Resa, it’s wonderful to have a passion project, somehow it fuels my day even when it feels like an impossible task to get it realized. Let’s always have the courage to dream big! ✨

  13. What an interesting and educational interview, Resa! Thank you for introducing us to Ruth and Hearts Want. I will definitely watch it! I’m all for second chances, and the old theater makes for an evocative setting. My son has a dream of writing a script someday. He works in the industry for a theater company as a product manager, so his foot is in the door of the industry. When the script will be finished, I don’t know. But this interview made me think of his dream. Anyway, I wish Ruth all the best with her film, and thanks again for this wonderful interview. 💞🌷

    1. You are welcome, Lauren!
      There are not a lot of film makers in our WP community, but scads of great writers. I thought this would be of interest to them.

      I wish your son fortune in the industry.
      LOL, I’ve written 3 scripts and a TV series. I’m good at that part, but the business is beyond me.
      I wis Ruth the best, too!
      🌟🌟🌹🕊🤍

      1. This post is super interesting, Resa, and fortune in the industry, haha, is right. Wow, you’ve written 3 scripts and a TV series? I had no idea! That’s awesome! But I can imagine the business part. Will you ever share or will you decide to try to promote them sometime? xoxoxoxo

        1. Uch… business..I just want to create.
          Well, I do have one of the 2 books (on top of scripts) I wrote for free download on my blog.
          I think it’s good, but could be great.”Nine Black Lives”
          I’m all over the place, like a creative tumble weed, gathering creative debris everywhere I roll.
          LOL!
          I’m trying to work on a funny anecdotal memoir about my years in the film industry. I’ve written a bunch, but need to stop for breaks. I get this haunting feeling that I’m living my life all over again.

          Still, the anecdotes are hilarious.
          Maybe you’d like to read one sometimes?

          xoxoxoxoxoxo

          1. I’ll look up “Nine Black Lives” and I love the analogy of a creative tumbleweed. And I’d love to read any anecdotes. Can you email me one? No rush, just when you have time. I’m always in awe of your creativity in any form. Hugs xo

            1. “Nine Black Lives” is on the top menu bar of my blog.
              Go into the page and you can read the blurb and it’s available for a free download.
              I will mail you an anecdote next week. It will be good for me to bring out that file, again… get to work on it a bit more!

              HUGS xo

                    1. Yes, I got your comment. Did my reply get through. Think I’ll check Spam! We all should check Spam.I have found some of my best blog pals in there, time to time.

                      Oh my. I hope you like the book. It was my first! Don’t feel obligated if …. you know.
                      It’s a who done it with humour.
                      Thank you, Lauren!
                      xoxoxoxo

                    2. Yes, I got your comment, but I forget to check spam all the time. I love ‘who done its’ and I love humor, so a perfect combination! I don’t feel obligated; I wanna read it. 🙂 Have a good evening! Hugs xoxoxo

    2. Hello there Lauren! Thank you for taking the time to read the post, I agree that Resa did an outstanding job making my project seem so interesting!

      I’m glad that you love stories of second chances too, and yes, the setting makes a huge difference so I’m glad I found the Southern Theatre.

      That’s awesome that your son works in the theater space, I think live theater is amazing. Even though I’m a film critic, I’m a huge fan of theater and I try to see local shows as much as I can. That’s partly why I wanted to set my story in that world.

      Thanks again for the kind words and well wishes!!

      P.S. Whoa Resa!! You gotta tell me more about the 3 scripts and TV series that you’ve written!!

  14. Resa and Ruth – simply FABULOUS!! Resa – I am delighted that you introduced me to an extraordinary creator. Your questions were spot on, bringing out Ruth’s intention and reasons for writing the narrative. The video and photography added drama drawing me into the story, wanting to see more. This is the third time around for me. Many, many thanks for this interview.

    1. Rebecca,
      Thank you for visiting, and reading!
      Yes, it’s been great getting to know Ruth, and learn about her passion project.
      Our community is so full of creatives, especially writers, I thought …they might just like a post on film.
      After all, many books do get made into films.

      It really is a terrific short film.

    2. Thanks so much, Rebecca!! Yes, Resa is a great interviewer!

      Thanks for the kind words… so did you mean it’s the third time around that you saw the clip? Here’s a trailer of the short if you’re interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK_i1h6BdwU

      I was blessed to have found a great team to work on this project, so yeah, the cinematography + music added much to the drama. The short film is meant to be a ‘teaser’ to the full story 🙂

  15. What a wonderful introduction to Ruth Maramis’ ‘Hearts Want’ and a beautiful interview too. I will definitely visit her blog and watch her film.

    Thank you, dahlin!

    Love and many hugs and best of luck to Ruth!

    xoxoxoxoxo

    1. Dahlin’
      So happy you are here!
      It’s been a joy to introduce everyone to Ruth.
      We have so many blog pals who write, including short stories, I thought they might just really like know about making a short film.

      I wish Ruth the best, too!
      xoxoxoxoxoxxoxxxxooo🧽🧽🧽🧽🧽 (just in case!)

    2. Hello there Marina! Thanks to Resa for introducing me to so many fabulous artists such as yourself (LOVE your blog too!)

      I’d love to hear your thoughts once you get a chance to see Hearts Want, cheers!

    2. Awww thank you!!! ❤️ It’s been awesome checking out your blog as well. Video editing is something I have zero talents for, so kudos to you!

  19. Because of your post, I went on Amazon Prime and watched this short film. It was well done! A sad ending, though. I like that Ruth found a theater in Minneapolis that’s old and has character, so it stands in for a European theater. I wish Ruth the best in working to get the feature-length version of the film made 🌞

    2. Oh my gosh, massive thanks, Dave for watching Hearts Want!! I really appreciate you taking the time; even 15 minutes of someone’s day is invaluable.

      Yeah, I’m so glad I found the Southern Theater, that arch is so stunning that the second I saw it on their website, I called them up. Thankfully it was available but one the first film shoot, it was only available until 5 PM so we had to be VERY efficient, ahah. Thanks for the kind feedback, cheers!!

      2. Goodness, I’m impressed that you pulled off the filming given that you had a deadline of 5:00. Which sounds early to me for such a project. Again, my best wishes to you 🌞

        1. Yeah, we had to start super early that day. I think the crew was at the theater by 6:30 AM and we started shooting around 8-ish. I really enjoyed the two-day shoot; I’d say it was the best and most invigorating two days of my life. Thanks again for the kind wishes!

    1. Behind the scenes is sometimes better than the movie. Lol! (not this one, the movie short is better)
      Yes, it’s great that Ruth won an award for her writing. So fab!

    2. Hey there Liz! Yeah, I love movie trivia as well, I’m always fascinated by the details of moviemaking. Thank you for your kind words! 🧡

    1. Film is a tough biz, but then so is publishing. It was a neat time interviewing Ruth and making this post. Hugs!
      (I wasn’t sworn to secrecy so I want to say how amazing yours & Tim’s new song is. Wow!)

  22. Oh nothing I love more than the behind the scene, and bringing the stage to life. This was fun and reminds me of my dancing days! Great post and lots of fun.. looks amazing and Congrats to Ruth!~ 💓

    1. Thanks Cindy!
      It was neat doing this post about Ruth and her short film.
      There are a lot of creatives in our circle, but not a lot of film makers. So, it felt right to add one in!
      🕊💓❦

    2. Hello there Cindy! Thank you for your lovely comment. Behind the scenes stuff is fun, isn’t it? There were a lot of fun, amusing stuff happening on set, even just during the two-day shoot.

    2. Thank you Debby!
      Huh… others have found it on Prime, and commented on it here. Did you check the shorts collection?
      I don’t have Prime, so not sure what to say.
      I watched it in a private viewing room.
      xox❤️🌹oxo

  24. Everything about the interview and the production of this short film has me very interested in watching this movie. And I see its streaming on Prime video? I will be watching this short film soon. I’m a sucker for love stories in films. 🙂

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