The definition of American independent film on the industry level is always changing. But there are always the true independents, who make their films from the passion of storytelling and collaboration. "High Life" was made in this vain.

I embarked on this project a number of years ago with my friend Zoe Dolan (Associate Producer). We were in our early 20's, and relatively broke. But we really really wanted to make a movie and nothing was going to get in our way. Together we assembled a fantastic cast of young actors that were willing to take a leap of faith.

The creative concept behind High Life

Our 8 member ensemble cast and I journeyed through 3 months of full time improvisational rehearsal to create characters and their relationships with one another, until we organically arrived at a story that takes place in one day. A Slice of Life. Since the story of "High Life" largely revolves around the lives of 5 kids growing up in Brooklyn, most of our improvisations were about group dynamic and personal identity.

The actors and I went out on the street, in guided improvisations and played out actual events to create "memories" for each of the characters. Such improvs included "ditching school" or "the basketball court" for group dynamic. Naturally, conflicts and camaraderie developed. We approached each entanglement as if it was real, and created solid emotional lives to serve as the basis of the story.

The film was shot on mini dv, in real time, with 3 handheld roving cameras.

Since the story takes place in one afternoon, we shot the film in one afternoon, and the cast performed the story like a play, hitting all their marks. The continuous action was important - to maintain the sense of reality that we created during the rehearsal process.

The shoot was a successful 2 days long (we shot the whole film twice, for coverage). Our budget was $6000. We made it in just under $5000.

Here and Now

It‚s a great feeling when people laugh at the funny parts of "High Life" during a screening. I also love it when people approach me and tell me how they relate to the feelings and characters portrayed in "High Life" in some uncanny way.

"High Life" examines a place we have all been, a time of our lives that is so difficult to remember: when the struggle for personal identity clashes with the delicate and intimate nature of teenage friendship.

Thank you for visiting us on the web, and we hope to see you at a screening!

Lila Yomtoob
Producer and Director
Night and Day Sweatshops