Interview: 'Dead Weight' Director Virginia Root On Apocalypse, Gender Roles, & More

Dead Weight is a 15-minute-long short film that tells the story of Grace, who has survived an apocalyptic event, and is backpacking through the woods all on her own. She comes across Aaron, who has also survived the apocalypse, and is looking for some direction on how to deal with this “new normal.” Initially, Grace is okay with helping Aaron, but eventually, it becomes clear that he is a liability and she needs to get rid of her before he does something drastic to jeopardize both of their lives. I sat down for a virtual chat with director Virginia Root on what she is trying to say about gender roles, humanity, and more through her movie.

Film Fugitives: How did you come up with the idea for Dead Weight and how did it evolve over the process of turning it into a short film?

Virginia Root: In 2018, I was new to directing and knew I wanted to write and direct a short. I had a lot of indie production experience at that point, so I had certain constraints in mind–a two-hander, a single location–to keep a project achievable on a small budget. The idea of being on the worst date ever at the end of the world tickled me, and I started there. The story, as well as my ambitions, grew significantly over the years. I went from asking myself, ‘What is the path of least resistance?’ to ‘How do we make this as good as it could possibly be?’ Finding a really supportive filmmaking community in New Mexico helped me unlock that ambition and think big.

FF: What’s the story behind achieving the overall look and tone of Dead Weight? Because usually post-apocalyptic have a depressing look to match the circumstances. The only bright & colourful post-apocalyptic story that currently comes to mind, other than your short film, is Carol & the End of the World.

Virginia: Ooo, I loved Carol & the End of the World! For Dead Weight, I wanted to lean into the beauty of the setting. The characters have survived solely because they were in the remote wilderness, so on a practical level, it made sense that nature was still intact, at least for now. On another level, the apocalypse is mostly metaphorical in this story. I worked with our DP, Austin Madrid, to achieve a creamy, dreamy look. We used vintage lenses that gave everything a hazy bokeh and halation.

FF: Am I looking too deeply into it or is Dead Weight commenting on gender roles? Nowadays, self-proclaimed alpha males claim that men need to go back to the old ways where they’d hunt & women would be the caregiver. But the line between hunter & caregiver has been blurred & maybe, when push comes to shove, especially in a post-apocalyptic scenario, women are better equipped to fend for themselves than men?

Virginia: Oh yeah, Aaron and Grace definitely play into and invert traditional gender roles. From the moment she spots Aaron, Grace knows he’s a potential threat and takes that into account in all their interactions. To stay safe, she knows she has to appease him and never threaten his ego. Think: the man vs bear debate. However, in the nitty-gritty matters of survival, Grace is more experienced in the backcountry. She has more supplies and more skills, while Aaron is out of his depth and quickly becomes dependent on her.

FF: What was the process of developing Aaron and Grace? What did Griffin Newman, and Alexandra Renzo bring to the table that impressed you?

Virginia: I wanted the audience to share Grace’s uncertainty about whether Aaron poses a threat. Griffin has this amazing blend of vulnerability and confidence. As an actor, he’s often cast as nebbish, fumbling characters, but he also hosts the movie podcast, Blank Check, and within that world, he’s so self-assured. He brought so much nuance to the role – goofiness and sweetness with flashes of menace. Alexandra Renzo is the best, busiest working actor in New Mexico. I saw her in a play at the Santa Fe Playhouse and immediately knew she had the wit and sensitivity to pull it off.

FF: What are some of your favorite post-apocalyptic movies and which of them have influenced your style of storytelling?

Virginia: Ooo, great question! Children of Men is one of my all-time favorite movies. I’m drawn to post-apocalyptic stories that focus on the day-to-day practicalities of survival. I recently read The Wall by Marlen Haushofer–a story about a woman alone at the end of the world with a dog, a cat, and a cow–and it tore me to pieces. There’s something about the idea that the world could radically transform, and we’d still be left with our flawed, complicated humanity that I find endlessly intriguing.