I Am Whole

Directed by
No items found.

Coming-of-age story about the euphoria and uncertainty of losing a virginity.

LA-based Argentine-American director Bianca Poletti explores a vast theme of peer pressure for young women through the focus on losing one's virginity. Using a beautiful poetry by Nikki Lorenzo as a script, Poletti builds a poetic world that is both surreal and instantly recognisable and relatable. In the two year process of creating the film and getting the crew and cast, Poletti took inspiration from TikTok videos as well as shows like Euphoria, both worlds in which young people are forced to grow up too fast.

Poletti says: 'These are themes I wanted to explore visually and really play with what it means to lose your virginity. It's different for everyone of course, but I do think the common feeling of being left with questions afterwards is pretty universal. After sharing this film online a short bit ago, I started to get DMs from strangers writing me that they saw the short and it made them emotional about the time they lost their virginity, and that they felt very connected and seen by the piece, that was just so touching to me. If I can somehow comfort one person by sharing a story then I feel like it was worth creating.'

'I really wanted to tell a story that could comfort girls today, and let them know that they're not alone. Losing your virginity is such a personal thing, and for many it means that from then on you have to be this sort of "adult" version of yourself. I wanted them to feel seen and know that it's also okay to take your time becoming an adult. Society rushes us to grow up, to look and act a certain way, but that's not always the right way to live. We should always be searching for what our unique voice sounds like and listen and trust it.'

CREDITS

Dir: @bpoletti

Producer: @producershay

production co: @frenzyparis, @zauberberg

DP: @kaylahoff

Actors: @reinahardesty @professorbrando, @ameliebarrero, @freckled.gal

Gaffer: @saintpablo_

Wardrobe: @keylakeylakeyla

editor: @dustenzimmerman

Soundtrack @emilemosseri

Music supervisor: @abbeyhendrix

Edit house: @cabinedit

Color @mikolour

BTS photos: @laurenwithrow

Titles @fiftyoneeight

VO+ Poem: @nikkilorenzo

MORE IN

NARRATIVE

MORE IN

NARRATIVE