“The joy was being on set, directing and acting,” says actress-turned-filmmaker Jennifer Esposito, director of the new Fresh Kills. “Everything else was insanity.”
Esposito is ready for a good, long nap after spending the last five years breaking through barrier after barrier to write, produce, finance and shoot her directorial debut, a critically acclaimed mobster movie that breaks new ground in the genre by shifting focus from wise guys to the women quietly suffering in their shadow.
The indie crime drama unfolds over several decades toward the end of the 20th century from the vantage point of a Staten Island crime family’s youngest daughter, Rose, as she struggles to accept the uncomfortable reality that her father isn’t an honest man.
Though Domenick Lombardozzi (The Wire) effectively plays the part of mob boss Joe Larusso, he’s a supporting player to stars Emily Bader and Odessa A’zion, who take a commanding lead as sisters coming of age in circumstances they were born into.
Esposito, meanwhile, anchors the film with a powerful performance as their mother — a mob wife traumatized in her own right, who has resigned to her fate and expects her girls to do the same. The shots in this mafia tale are fired verbally, or often more subtly through what isn’t said, requiring viewers to tune into the subtext lurking underneath each characters’ dialogue and behavior, all leading up to tragic consequences for this family business.
Jennifer Esposito on Fighting for Fresh Kills
Esposito’s labor of love began 15 years ago when the actress known for Blue Bloods, The Boys, The Affair and NCIS (to name a few of her 68 credits) started writing the screenplay. It was inspired by young women she grew up with in the same New York City borough where the film is set.
“I realized that why I was holding on to the story so much is because of the rage that I saw in these young women,” she tells MovieMaker. “I finally understood what it was about, and it was about being trapped in something and born into something you didn’t choose. And that felt really real to me for my own reasons. So, I realized why I needed to tell the story. About five years ago, I sat down and said, ‘I’m not stopping until I finish the script and then get it made.’”
Though the movie had a limited theatrical run earlier this year and is now available to buy or rent through Amazon and Apple, she still hasn’t stopped.
“Every time I think I’m past the gate, no, you’re not. There’s another lock on the door. And it’s like, Jesus, this shouldn’t be this hard,” she says. “I’m waiting to exhale. I’m not sure when that is, but I hope it’s soon, because I need a nap.”
Esposito has been busy relentlessly promoting Fresh Kills on her social media platforms in lieu of any marketing budget from the distributor. Despite a high tide of shinier summer tentpoles soaking up most of the public’s attention, the first-time filmmaker is determined to get as many eyes on her vision as possible. Her tenacious, grassroots campaign is working.
“This has nothing to do with my ego,” she says. “This has to do with people putting their faith in me. I am steering this ship, and these young people in this movie deserve to be recognized. Their work is so good. But also, the people need to see that there is an alternative out there; there are amazing independent movies that just don’t get any air, and that’s really not okay.”
Also Read: 10 Mob Movie Slang Terms Deciphered
Esposito’s experience reflects a paradox in the current cinematic landscape: despite more movies getting made than ever before to satisfy the library needs of streaming services, many excellent filmmakers are struggling to finance low-to-mid-budget pictures.
American Fiction writer-director Cord Jefferson voiced his own frustrations about getting his acclaimed $10 million comedy made while accepting the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay earlier this year: “I understand that this is a risk-averse industry, I get it. But $200 million movies are also a risk,” he said. “And it doesn’t always work out, but you take the risk anyway. Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies. Or 50 $4 million movies.”
Fresh Kills cost a little over $2 million to make, and Esposito took the risk of mortgaging her house to secure the budget after sitting through too many Zoom calls with potential investors who didn’t have faith in her female-centric story, demanding a male lead instead.
“It just got to the point that I was so beyond done waiting for permission to live my life,” she recalls. “Am I going to be happy at the end of my life that my house was paid, or am I going to be happy that I took a chance on myself and I made something that I know I’m capable of?”
Fundraising was just one of many hurdles Esposito had to clear. “The joy was being on set, directing and acting,” she says. “Everything else was insanity.” Shooting with a limited crew due to pandemic restrictions was “no fun,” she admits, and even less fun was a clash with a producer who, she believes, “left an absolute mess.” But she dug out of it.
Fresh Kills, named after a Staten Island landfill where mobsters notoriously dumped their victims, survived thanks to a talented team of female producers, and is being discovered by more satisfied viewers every day as Esposito continues to demonstrate the power of perseverance and DIY promotion. The Daily Beast hailed it as “the best mafia movie in ages.”
“It’s resonating with a lot of people,” she says. “Can I say that makes the insanity worth it? Not going to go that far, but it definitely makes it easier. That’s for sure.”
Fresh Kills is now available on video on demand.
Main image: Fresh Kills director and star Jennifer Esposito.
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