Amanda Deering Jones is the producer behind Oscar-nominated Borrowed Time (Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadi, 2015), an animated Western short film. She has more than two decades of experience working at Dreamworks Animation, and now at Pixar. She has now finished her directorial debut, the short film Little Mother Lies. It tells the story of Dorie, her sister and her son, delving into the tribulations of alcohol and heroin addiction. Our writer Joshua Polanski, who has seen the yet-to-be released film, describes Little Mother Lies as “un-ironically resembling anti-drug Dare (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) infomercials”

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Joshua Polanski – Please tell us about the journey from production/production management on to the director’s seat?

Amanda Deering Jones – I was a directing major in college but changed to a focus in producing my senior year, it seemed a more logical path at the time. I entered the world of animation on the production side and that has been an incredible journey. But something was always missing. I eventually realised I needed to be a storyteller. We had discussed making a proof-of-concept short for the feature, Mother Lies, so a beautiful opportunity presented itself.

JP – What was the original concept for Little Mother Lies?

ADJ – The feature story originates from our writer Kitty Edwinson. Purely fiction but written from experience and the backdrop of a Russian immigrant family, which is part of her family line. We wanted something that would give people a taste tonally of what we are trying to achieve with the feature, particularly highlighting the complexity of the sisters and their relationship. Once I came on as director, it also became about finding what story I want to tell for this short. The dinner scene became the focal point on which we built out the rest, giving everyone a taste of the sister’s dynamic but containing it within its own story overall and showing the lengths Dorie will go to in order to save her son.

JP – What is the next step in turning a proof of concept into a feature film?

ADJ – We feel we’ve conveyed the tone we hope to achieve with the feature so we are submitting to festivals, attending film markets, and seeking out the feature director, executive producers and the cast. The sister’s roles are particularly complex and layered so we are excited about who could play them in the feature.

JP – How will the feature differ from the short? Is this a scene in the longer film, or are we talking about a completely different beast??

ADJ – The short is not directly from the film, it’s a microcosm of the larger story in the feature. Much is teased within the short that will only be answered with the feature. The feature brings the full story of the sisters to light – their complicated immigrant culture, their particular family dynamics, what lead to Owen’s addiction and the reckoning they all need.

JP – The characters all come from a Russian background. How integral was their Slavic identity to what you set out to accomplish?

ADJ – It’s foundational to the story. It’s a strong flavour in the short; the house is locked in time, like a museum to their Russian heritage. Owen knows nothing about it—his mother hid it from him—except that it turns out to be impossible to keep it from revealing itself. In the feature the family identity as descendants of exiled Russian aristocrats is the source of all the choices each sister makes.

JP – There is no levity in your film. It’s a very serious subject material. Yet, it ends very hopefully. Unfortunately, many stories of addiction are not like this. What was important to you about keeping things optimistic?

ADJ – I love that you found it optimistic! The ending is something we are leaving to the viewer to interpret. One of the unique things about this story is that it examines what can be inherited. However, we all still have free will and when awareness comes, we can make our own decisions. We are not pre-determined. Sometimes that requires a catalyst but we can all learn, we can all grow. If even one person looks at their life differently as a result of this story, then we will have succeeded.

JP – The entire short takes place in one house. This puts a lot of weight on the location and production design. Can you walk me through your decision-making process related to the house’s look?

ADJ – We embraced constraints around the story, trying to keep it as contained as possible, both for storytelling and for budget. Knowing we had this house to utilise, we decided the interior was the only option for filming. The house came with much of what we needed, the warm red, brown and gold tones bring warmth, familiarity with a touch of the family’s regal past. The blue tones around the son suffering alone in his mother’s childhood bedroom is bleak and gloomy. Due to our writer’s family history, we were able to add many historical props that brought it all home, cementing how it is locked in the past.

JP – The score is very important to the film and plays almost non-stop, not allowing for much honest quiet. How did you arrive at the music style that you did?

ADJ – The music is an undercurrent, reflecting opposing dynamics while also not giving anything away. In the opening scene, the 1920s piece conflicts with the score. There’s nostalgia in being reunited but tones of deep worry competing with each other. Later, the music builds in intensity while the 1980s source music is jarring and out of place, creating a sense of disjointedness. I wanted the music to reflect what we are seeing and feeling but not tell you where we are ultimately going. And the end is ultimately left up to the viewer.

JP – What’s one thing you learned on this project that you’ll take with you into future projects?

ADJ – The true joy is in the collective. I was the shepherd pulling everyone together but ultimately we found gold because of each person’s contribution.

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Amanda is pictured at the top of this interview; the other image is a still from Little Mother Lies.