Several months ago we raved over the Aussie flick Skin Deep in our review of the film. It was no surprise then when it made it onto our year-end list as an Indie Winner. This movie about a newfound friendship between a self-destructive lesbian and a straight-laced straight girl diagnosed with melanoma has endeared itself to audiences everywhere it has screened. Well, now more folks will be able to see it as it starts its theater run in Australia on Jan. 24, with more dates to follow.
We recently spoke with the movie’s writer and star, Monica Zanetti. We chatted about how her own battle with melanoma inspired the film, why she decided to make a movie about friendship, what’s next for her, and more.
Warning: spoilers ahead
AfterEllen.com: What’s going on in Australia? In the last seven months, I’ve reviewed your film, All About E and Zoe.Misplaced. Plus I know Rosie Lourde, who was a producer on Skin Deep, produces and stars in the Australian lesbian web series Starting From Now, which has been a big hit. What’s in the waters?
Monica Zanetti: Yeah, it’s been a really great year in Australia. Not just for independent film, not just for women in independent film, and not just for queer women in independent film. It’s quite incredible. Particularly the Mardi Gras Film Festival, which we premiered at last year. We were kind of blown away that there was all these really great other female Australian lesbian stories. I don’t know what it is if I’m honest. I’m excited about it, and I’m thrilled about it. I’m glad. It’s hopefully starting to catch on and we’ll see a lot more of it.
AE: You wrote Skin Deep. How’d you then go about making it?
MZ: When I finished the script I showed it to Rosie first, and we both knew it was something pretty special. We knew it was something that was attainable, like budget-wise, that we could do it. And I think because both of us had never made a film before, it never occurred to us that we couldn’t make it. I think if I knew then what I know now, if I had known the kind of mountain that was in front of us, it might’ve been harder to get it made.
AE: You have a background as being a playwright as well. From doing that to working on this script, what was the inspiration there?
MZ: The characters of Caitlin and Leah have been with me for a long time. It was probably before anything else I had written really that I had them in my head. Particularly the character of Leah kind of came out of my own experience with having melanoma. Obviously, I was one of the lucky ones. And I’m not sure how much you know about melanoma, but it’s pretty black and white with its severity. I mean they’ve done a lot of great things just in the past year with treatment, but particularly in my time it was either—it’s the kind of disease where you catch it and either you’re going to be completely fine, or you’re definitely going to die. Like there’s no middle ground, really. And I think I remember that feeling of like realizing this is what I had and being in the doctor’s and that moment of just pure undiluted fear that I felt.
Whereas Caitlin is definitely based on just a couple of people that I know. She’s kind of a hybrid of these wonderful characters, these people that might not necessarily be on the right path in life, but just have so much life to them and so much compassion. That’s where that kind of came from.
AE: Do you see yourself in Caitlin, or completely in Leah, who you didn’t play but who was in many ways inspired by events in your life?
MZ: Definitely both. Rosie likes to describe it as they are two parts of my personality. Which I guess in some ways can be a little bit true. Obviously, Caitlin is much—she’s having struggles with her family and her identity, and self-harm, and that kind of thing. And that is all fictional. Like that’s not me. But there’s definitely things about her. I mean the heartbreak that she wears on her sleeve, I’m very much like that with a broken heart. I love to let anyone and everyone know about it. And her love of music and that kind of stuff. Like there’s definitely parts of Caitlin that I absolutely saw in myself. But she’s much more free-spirited than I am, and she definitely takes a lot more risks than I do.
AE: I read that the film’s director, Jonnie Leahy, said he’s “reluctant to label Skin Deep a lesbian film.” Do you feel the same way?
MZ: The sexuality part of it is so, so, so small that it almost feels like—I guess before we started the festival circuit I didn’t think that the LGBT community would necessarily embrace it as that kind of film either. So I guess that I didn’t want to be presenting it to them being like, “This is what it is,” and then have them see it and being disappointed. But I think after the reception it’s received and after it has been so well embraced at those festivals and in that community, then, you know, I have absolutely no issue with labeling it a lesbian film. As long as people are aware that—and I think you talked about it in your review—like that there is no sex. It’s not that kind of a story.
AE: Nope.
MZ: Nope! And I guess yeah, it’s just looking at what do we think defines it. Is it the fact that the writer is a lesbian? Like does that make it an LGBT film? Or the fact that one of the lead characters is?
AE: Let’s stay with that theme. Based on chemistry and circumstances alone, Caitlin and Leah’s story could’ve easily been a romantic one. But instead, we saw a beautiful friendship develop between these two. Why did you choose to go that route?
MZ: I like to think of this script as being a really natural kind of progression. I like to think that there’s nothing really in this story that you wouldn’t necessarily believe that either of these characters would do. I just kind of knew at the end—this is without totally giving away a spoiler—that this relationship was going to become something really, really special. And we kind of leave them in a bit of an open place, but in that timeframe of the 12 hours, it just didn’t feel organic and true that they would end up together in that short amount of time. I think that they would absolutely be bonded together and that definitely the connection is there. And I think it’s definitely up to the audience what they take away from it.
AE: You think 12 hours is too soon? You know that goes against every U-Haul stereotype out there, right?
MZ: I know, right? I was just thinking that. What’s that great joke? “What does a lesbian bring to a first date? A moving van,” which is one of my favorites. But, yes, with these two particular characters and where Leah was in her life—I mean she was in a relationship for most of that night. It just didn’t feel to those particular characters that that’s what was going to happen. I don’t think there was ever a version of the script where that’s what happened.
AE: Speaking of, Zara Zoe, who plays Leah, came on board quite a bit into the project. Had you known her beforehand? How soon were you able to assess that you two had the onscreen chemistry needed to carry the film?
MZ: Zara came in literally two weeks before we started shooting. Like really soon. Rosie had gone to drama school with Zara, so it was her pick. We did have another actress in that role at the time, and then for timing reasons it just couldn’t work out.
She was cast before we met each other. So it was kind of in the first day of rehearsal that we just had to go with it. We were just so lucky. We just had such an easy, natural chemistry.
AE: What’s the reaction from audiences been like?
MZ: It’s been wonderful. I guess the biggest, most rewarding thing is people coming up and being like, “I didn’t actually know melanoma could kill you.” And being in Australia, having the highest rate of melanoma in the world, it’s really important that people know that. That was definitely another driving force of me getting this film made. People need to know that this disease is very real and very scary. Please stop sunbaking.
AE: Disclaimer.
MZ: Yeah, exactly. Guys, put on some sunscreen. But anytime where people connect to it, particularly when people are like, “I laughed and I cried,” that’s the best compliment that I think you can give us.
AE: So what’s being done to get this film shown in more cities in North America?
MZ: Lots. Lots and lots. Don’t you worry. We have a distributor in Australia. Ross from ScreenLaunch is also our screen sales agent. International sales agent. So he’s the one that’s in all the conversations. So look, hit up Ross.
AE: Do you plan to continue writing films and other projects you can star in?
MZ: Yes, I do. I’ve trained as an actor, so being an actor is always kind of there for me. I mean I’ve worked on a couple of projects this year that I’m writing that I’m not in, that are for other people. But I do want to keep making work that then I can also do. I don’t understand how you can do it and then not be in it if you’re an actor. Just because it’s so much work and god, if you’re going to do all that work, and you’re wanting to be an actor as well, then you may as well be in it because that’s so hard to do.
If you can write the roles that you want to do, like how lucky is that? So I’m going to absolutely keep doing that. It’s so fulfilling. The work is so hard, but it’s so worth it in the end. So yes, I definitely plan to write more parts for me, and for Zara, to do together. We love working together. So that’s definitely on the horizon.
AE: Can I put in a request that the next one maybe not be about female friendship? Even though that was great.
MZ: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Don’t worry, it’s on the list.
AE: Finally, what’s next for you? Are there any projects you can tell us about?
MZ: Yes. I’ve written a TV series, which is a comedy series, called The Youth Wing, which is about a young student political party. So a play on The West Wing. That’s written and ready to go. We’ve shot the pilot. It’s just a matter of finding a home for it. And then, Jonnie and I, along with another producer friend, Akos, have started a production company, basically to make more things. We shot a short film, which will be out on the internet soon, called On Hold for Taylor, about two adult Taylor Swift fans desperately trying to get tickets to her concert, which is very different. And then I have another feature film called Amy’s Baby, which is currently in pre-production stage.
AE: Is it your intention that future projects of yours will include LGBT characters? Is that something you’re interested in exploring more?
MZ: Definitely. I’ve come to terms that it’s impossible for me to write something that doesn’t have a lesbian in it.
AE: I love that!
MZ: We do need to see more of them. We just do. It just needs to be out there more.
If you’re in Australia and interested in watching Skin Deep, you can find out where and when on their Facebook page.
