ShowBizzBuzz: Elise Robertson Unveils Peter Pan from Grown-up Viewpoint of “Darling, Darling, Wendy”
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Director Elise Robertson unveils the beloved Peter Pan character, Wendy Darling, 15 years after her pirate chasing trip to Neverland in the award-winning original short film, Darling, Darling, Wendy.
What is the premise of Darling, Darling, Wendy?
The dramatic period short film is described as: following Wendy Darling (Katherine Sainte Marie) who, once upon a time, travelled to Neverland with Peter Pan and had a magical experience — she fought pirates and won battles. Then she decided to go home. Fifteen years later, living as a woman in turn-of-the-century London, she has a daughter of her own, but no independence and no rights. Aching to be free again and consumed with jealousy at the thought that Peter Pan (Ty Shelton) might take her daughter on a new adventure, Wendy camps out in the nursery determined to convince Peter to take her to Neverland instead.
How is Darling, Darling, Wendy being received?
The film has grabbed top prizes at many festivals and is still on the circuit. They include: ‘Grand Remi Award — Best Short’ at Worldfest Houston 2020; ‘Indie Spirit Award — Best Short’ and a Mary Austin Achievement in Directing nomination at Idyllwild Int’l Festival of Cinema 2020; ‘Best Short’ at Louisville Int’l Film Fest 2019, Culver City Film Fest 2019 and a nomination at Beaufort Int’l Film Fest 2020, ‘Audience Award’ at Highland Park Independent Film Fest 2019. Plus, it earned several awards in the categories of cinematography, costumes, score, and SFX.
Why did Elise Robertson want to make this film?
“It was fascinating to explore the psychological consequences of Wendy’s trip to Neverland in contrast to the boys in the story. They come home and grow up to become responsible adults,” Elise adds. “But that’s the Hero’s Journey. Wendy returns from Neverland to 1904 London where, as a female, she has no rights and so cannot really become a true grownup. Since returning was her choice, she is trapped in a prison of her own making, and it destroys her. She wishes she’d stayed with Peter Pan.”
What else do we know about Darling, Darling, Wendy?
The team behind the film was nearly all women. Elise first learned of the project when an acting student of hers, Katherine Sainte Marie, brought an original scene from the film to class to explore. From there, they enlisted cinematographer Beth Napoli and her female camera crew, along with Production Designer Frida R. Oliva and editor Mengfang Yang.
What else has Elise Robertson directed?
Elise has established herself as a creative force telling period stories and offering meaningful social commentary. She found success crafting dramatic adaptations of literary works for PBS. Most notable are the Peabody-nominated Ralph Ellison’s King of the Bingo Game, and scenes from Invisible Man for the American Masters documentary on Ellison. She won a Northern California Directing Emmy for Adventures With Kanga-Roddy, and created prominent parenting projects for Nick Mom and MomMayhem. She went on to effectively direct the dark period thriller feature film, Donner Pass. Currently, Elise is writing a one-woman show about modern environmentalist Rachel Carson.
What is Elise Robertson’s background?
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Elise has been a working actress for years appearing in over 100 film, television and commercial projects. Among her credits are the Oscar nominated film American Sniper, and TV shows NCIS, Masters of Sex, Criminal Minds, American Vandal, and This Is Us. More recently, she in the feature film From a Son, Neflix series Ratched, TV movie Deadly Sugar Daddy, and the virtual performance of White Nights, Black Paradise, presented by the Museum of the African Diaspora. She is a proud graduate from Northwestern University’s theatre department with a minor in fine art.
Want to keep up with Elise Robertson and Darling, Darling, Wendy?
Visit her website at: EliseRobertson.com
Or find her on social media
Instagram: @iameliserobertson
Facebook: /EliseRobertsonActor
And, get film updates at: www.eliserobertson.com/darlingdarlingwendy
Or on Instagram: @darlingdarlingwendy
