Miles Bloxson: Valentine’s Day is coming up this weekend, and it’s a time when many of us reflect on love, relationships and marriage. It’s also one of the most popular times of the year for couples to get engaged! But what happens after the wedding?
Well, one filmmaker right here in Austin explores that question in her new film, Tying Knots, a mockumentary romantic comedy that takes a candid look at what really happens after the altar. The film premieres on Feb. 17 at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex in East Austin.
The award-winning filmmaker, director and creator of Tying Knots, Holly Charles-Pearson, joins us today to talk about her new project.
Great to have you. Holly!
Holly Charles-Pearson: Thanks so much for having me today, Miles!
Miles Bloxson: Of course! So this film is a mockumentary, right? And I have to admit, I’ve never even thought about what that means before. So for people that might not be familiar, what is a mockumentary and why was that the format that you decided to choose for this particular project?
Holly Charles-Pearson: That’s a great question. And so when you think about mocking something but also a documentary, it’s this mash up of the two worlds that we love. We love narrative action like we love film. We love cinema, but we also really have the guilty pleasure of loving reality TV, and being able to listen to the confessionals, and hear what people were really thinking in the moment.
And sometimes, to me, it’s funnier what’s setting in a confessional when people are being honest than it is actually watching the action. And so I thought, “Man, this is a way to add some texture!”
Miles Bloxson: That is so true, I have to say, like, yes, I do get a little bit of reality here and there. How did the idea for this short film come to you? Like was this any like, real life inspiration possibly behind this?
Holly Charles-Pearson: Oh, geez. I owe my husband a whole lot of money coming up with a lot of these ideas. I was a later bride. I was a late bloomer in that department. We got married right before I turned 40 years old. And so that means I was very established. I was very set in my ways, as was he.
And so there’s some hilarity and some levity and just a whole lot of good stuff to write about when you think about folks over the age of 40 trying to, I guess, merge their lives together. And so I thought, “Man, this reminds me so much of traditional sitcoms” where there’s always week to week, there’s some sort of situational drama or comedy.
Miles Bloxson: And what drew you to create a film that centers Black love? How important is that?
Holly Charles-Pearson: You know, I think that we’ve gotten really, really used to centering Black trauma. You know all of this, what some people will call like this, trauma porn, drama porn thing when it comes to Black love and Black life and what social oppression has actually done to the Black family. We think about disenfranchisement and all these things, but studies are showing that we’re getting married, we’re staying married, and we just so happen to be doing it a little bit later in life.
And so I thought it was super important to show some positive images of love and people working things out in a way that doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can actually be hilarious.
Miles Bloxson: That’s very true. And in the film, you also touch on beauty standards within the Black community. What made that an element you wanted to explore?
Holly Charles-Pearson: I’ll say this. You know this. The story is told, I’m a Black woman, so, of course, I’m telling it specifically from my point of view. Yes, it’s about beauty standards. It’s about how a Black woman has to go out into the world to be accepted and wanting to be more accepted at home.
But I think that any person who’s ever been in love can relate to the fact that once it gets real, once you’re at home, there are these expectations that we kind of got to throw out the window, and I might need to slide that CPAP machine on. And you’re going to, you know, sometimes you’re going to feel a few prickly hairs on my legs, and there’s just a time for me to say, “Hey, this is all of me, and I can’t present the fantasy all the time.”
And so we just so happen to see that with this Black couple who starts off their marriage, and he is used to seeing his woman’s hair a certain way. We’ll say that without ruining the full plot.
Miles Bloxson: That’s so real and that’s so important.
I’ve been talking with filmmaker, director and creator of the mockumentary Tying Knots, Holly Charles-Pearson, about her upcoming event on Feb. 17 at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex.
You have an incredible cast in this film. I have to say that and casting couples, I’m sure, that’s not easy, but the couple you chose has such like a natural chemistry. So can you tell us about your casting process?
Holly Charles-Pearson: Yeah, and let me say this, I do think that I was just really, really lucky. We were really, really blessed. I was having this conversation with a friend the other day about how difficult it is when you watch the pilot of your favorite show. Typically, the first few, you know, episodes are a little wonky, and people are trying to find their place.
And so I was concerned, as any writer would be, that how is this couple not only going to be hilarious and find their comedic timing, but are they going to look like they’re in love and. I really have to tip my hat to Crystal Luster and Brandon Goss for just being really amazing!
Miles Bloxson: And I didn’t mention this earlier, but I had the opportunity to see the film. That’s clearly how I know that there was chemistry there, right?
Holly Charles-Pearson: A lot of chemistry!
Miles Bloxson: Yeah, and it was perfect! So what challenges did you face while making this film, if any?
Holly Charles-Pearson: The common challenge that independent filmmakers have, right? Just independent music, you know, musicians. I mean, it’s funding. But I’ll say this, I think there is a way to be respectful of your audience and not cut corners that are going to impact the quality of what you shoot.
And so, what we had to do was just, we had to do a lot of really strategic planning to make sure that when folks see it, it doesn’t look low budget, even if what we had to work with was a smaller budget than what we would have liked, that we could get things done. We did it in over a weekend. We probably had about 13 hours total in our space, which is unheard of.
Miles Bloxson: That’s impressive.
Holly Charles-Pearson: It’s impressive, but it was, it was like theater. And I do have a theater background, so I’ve directed several stage plays, written and directed. And so I’m so used to rehearsing over and over and over so that it becomes a part of your body, and so it feels very fluid in movement. And so that way, once we get on set, you’re not searching for anything except for a new way to maybe deliver the line that you’re already comfortable with.
So a lot of it had to do with planning. And so I would encourage anyone doing anything independently to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and, you know, have a plan A through Z, and that’s exactly what we did. And so we were able to save money that way, but that was a challenge that I think actually forced us into better planning.
Miles Bloxson: I love that for you, and you’re a planner, so that’s great.
Holly Charles-Pearson: Very much a planner!
Miles Bloxson: And your event is coming up on Feb. 17, but it’s not a typical film screening. So what can people actually expect if they attend the event?
Holly Charles-Pearson: Yeah, no, I love having fully immersive events. I want you to come and watch a film and then have something to chew on, something to talk about. And so first of all, we’re being hosted. We’re co-hosted by the National Black MBA Association of Austin, also the National Society of Black Engineers. They are joining us as co-hosts.
They’re having a VIP opening reception where they’re networking and having food, and then they’re going to have a night at the theater. We’re also being supported and partnering with Water Your Plants, which is a group of curators of intentional events. And they thought this was great, because ultimately we’re going to watch this film, but then have an opportunity right during the centennial Black History Month, because, you know, this year is our 100th year, and right after Valentine’s Day, to say — www.hollycharlespearson.com/hey, let’s talk about love, and very specifically, Black love. And so we’re going to play the newlywed game. We’re going to have some rom com Black movie trivia. We’re going to do all of those things!
Miles Bloxson: I’ve been speaking with NAACP Image Award nominated filmmaker Holly Charles- Pearson about her upcoming event featuring her short film, Tying Knots. To find out more information about the event or ways to support Holly, visit hollycharlespeerson.com, and you can find tying knots on Instagram @tyingknotsfilm. Thanks so much for joining me today, Holly!
Holly Charles-Pearson: Thanks so much for having me, Miles.
Miles Bloxson: For KUT News, I’m Miles Bloxson.
This transcript was transcribed by an AI tool and lightly edited by a human.