Have you ever experienced life events that were completely different from those depicted in the movie? Your next great idea for a screenplay might be waiting for you in the space between how movies typically depict this experience and how it actually unfolds. Just ask Azazel Jacobs, the writer and director behind the scenes his three daughters.
The acclaimed writer-director experienced death for the first time as a teenager and realized he had been “cheated,” as he put it. “There was no music, no soundtrack, no slow-motion. It was just…nothing,” he recently told me on my podcast, Script Apart , describing how he felt about losing a loved one differently than what was shown on the screen.
Shaping “His Three Daughters” from Personal Experience
His response was to write a film that showed what bereavement really feels like. How slow it is, unlike the dramatic renderings of death favored by Hollywood. When gallows humor prevails, it’s sometimes sad, sometimes happy, and even sometimes funny. More importantly, how it can stoke resentment among family members.
turn out his three daughtersis a new Netflix series starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne that attempts to more accurately represent what it means to witness a loved one’s final days.
“The person suddenly disappeared, couldn’t be contacted, and the tape didn’t go back to when they were still alive — the suddenness of it all made me very sad,” Jacobs recalled, describing his Mission, “represent that person.” [abruptness] In a real way” in the movie.
That’s why the film jumps right into life without much preliminaries – the audience is literally thrown into the depths of the plight of the titular siblings, who are reunited by the impending death of their father.
Think about a recent significant life experience you’ve had, whether it was a breakup, a move, a job change, or an illness. Jot down details of the experience that the movie didn’t prepare you for. Can you tell a story that includes these details to illustrate this experience? real like? Give this exercise a try, and for more inspiration, listen to the full interview with Jacobs above.
Read more: How to tackle a passion project and a personal script: Advice from a BAFTA-nominated producer
Al Horner is a journalist, screenwriter and presenter based in London. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Empire, GQ, BBC, White Lies, Time and more.
