In an exclusive interview, Flickering Myth sat down with Ella Valentine the screenwriter for the award-winning sci-fi movie ‘Revolution X’ directed by Matthew Philip Cannon.
Hi Ella Valentine, welcome to Flickering Myth! Can you tell us about yourself?
I was born in Bulgaria where I grew up before moving to London for university. Having spent the past 16 years in the UK I certainly feel equally British now, but my dual nationality is very important to me. I have learnt so much from both cultures, especially in the literary world. When I was little, I fell in love with poetry – it was my earliest exposure to literature and the Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov was my first favorite writer ever. In my teens, when I started writing in English and attending an English language school, I got introduced to James Joyce, Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation who are still my biggest inspiration.
Was it always your dream to be a writer?
I didn’t consciously choose writing; it definitely chose me. I don’t think there is an alternative world in which I don’t write. It just came out of me unasked, forceful, spontaneous, heavy and demanding.
I always feel incredibly heavy right before I write something, it feels as if whatever I have to say has been accumulating inside of me for centuries and it’s dying to come out and I have to let it out otherwise I wouldn’t be able to breathe. I will get suffocated if I don’t let it out. Hence, I never really got that “realization” that this was what I was supposed to do, it’s just who I am. It’s not even a part of me but it’s me. It controls my whole being. I can’t separate it from me.
Congrats on the movie release of ‘Revolution X’ and all its film festival awards. Can you tell us about the movie and the role you played?
Yes, the movie is a time-twisting film of good against evil. It tells a story of humanity and the grounding, undeniable power of human will. Through the juxtaposition of positive and negative forces, the consequences of disregard to our individual purposes parallels the liberation that comes with empathy and connection. The film rejects conventions of mainstream sci-fi that conforms to an action orientated spectacle, and instead focuses on the why rather than the what, allowing for a thoughtful production.
I co-wrote the film together with the director, Matt Cannon and I helped take the script from an initial idea to its final version. We had hundreds of drafts before we landed on the perfect ending.
Writing a sci-fi with alternative universes and futuristic scenes is challenging because you want to tell a story about humanity as its purest form and tell a story about a regular man doing his best to follow his own destiny while you simultaneously have people with both good and bad intentions coming from the future to the present day to mess with his timeline.
We had to be very careful and make sure that the audience can follow the protagonist’s journey in the clearest way possible. We also needed to find a talented artist to create drawings for the movie and we were so fortunate to find Gray Gardner whose work was just perfect for what we were looking for.
I was also involved with the casting process. Everyone I got to work with on the project was genuinely a truly amazing person and I am so grateful I got to meet everyone and share this experience with them.
How did you get involved in the project?
I met one of the film investors at a social event in London and he introduced me to the director, Matt who was looking for a screenwriter. I had extensive calls with Matt discussing our visions for the project and they instantly aligned.
Where was the movie filmed?
We filmed in England and more specifically between Leicestershire, Birmingham and Cumbria. Having a limited budget, we were lucky to find this amazing English cottage in Cumbria which was complemented by its stunning surroundings. The nature there is breathtaking, and I absolutely recommend this area for filming, or even just for a visit.
Can you share any fun facts from the set?
The producer asked me if I wanted to have a little cameo in one of the scenes, but I am extremely camera shy and had to refuse!
Maybe for the next film! How can we see the movie?
It is currently available to stream on Apple TV+ in North America, YouTube, and selected airlines. It’s also available to purchase on DVD.
We can’t wait to see it! How can people find and follow your journey?
Yes! People can check out my work on IMDb and I often post on social media Instagram, Facebook and my Website.
Our thanks to Ella Valentine for taking the time for this interview, and to Liz Rodriguez from EMR Media for helping us with the interview.
