Rachel Fleischer says her new film The End of Love was inspired by a breakup she describes as “the emotional watershed event of my life.” Like her lead character, played by Madeline Zima, she overcame it by learning to rely on herself.
You can watch a clip from the film above, as well as Fleischer’s interview with New Filmmakers L.A. host Danny De Lillo.
“It’s a very simple, intimate character-driven short film about the end of a relationship between a man and a woman, and as that relationship ends, Sophie, the woman, is forced to cultivate a relationship with herself,” Fleischer says.
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She said her own breakup years ago, which included a year of “mourning” the relationship that was followed by a long period of self-reflection, helped her become more confident and happy in who she is.
“What I learned is the beginning of a lesson we have to work on throughout our lives, which is how to love ourselves,” she added.
Fleischer, an actress, writer, director and musician, previously worked on Without A Home, which investigates homelessness. She also happens to be the daughter of Charles Fleischer, who provided the voice of Roger Rabbit.
For The End of Love, she recruited her longtime friend Zima, best known for roles on Heroes, Californication and The Nanny, to play the role of Sophie.
Fleischer said she made the film for almost no budget — except for lunch she brought for her cast and crew. She told De Lillo she was pregnant during the shoot, and that the pregnancy proved to be energizing.
New Filmmakers L.A. is a monthly film festival that highlights films from — you’ve probably guessed it — new filmmakers. The next New Filmmakers L.A. event will be held March 14. You can learn more about it here.
This month’s event is focused on “Female Cinema,” and includes a new feature from writer-director Rachel Wortell.