Emily Ruhl and the opportunities that come once in a BLUE MOON.
Top Model Emily Ruhl is used to being in front of a camera lens, indeed she's graced the pages of Teen Vogue, but with "BLUE MOON" she's had the opportunity to be on the other side of that relationship, not as a photographer but as the writer, producer, and director of her very own short film, thus opening up a brand new horizon to explore and show her own depths to the world.
"BLUE MOON" is a queer love story between two women, the story was inspired by the experiences and realities of a close friend of Emily who started dating women. in "Blue Moon" we follow actresses Olivia Berris (as Rosehill Dwelling) and Audra Rae Thornton (as Petra Lindvall) across one single evening for a date. The pair work exceptionally well together to the point that one is left wondering if they might a couple in real life, as the chemistry is exceptional, and their interactions are so authentic and comfortable with each other that at the very least, immediate praise is warranted to both them and for the flawless casting Emily has done.
Making full use of some of the mos truly gorgeous scenery found in California, the short film tightly packs as much as possible in its 12+ minutes runtime, creating a visually interesting piece that is nonetheless more about the individual story told by the lovers than it is about the backdrop to their evening. "BLUE MOON" was specifically made with the intention of increasing representation and visibility, as Emily puts it, being a "support system" for her (then) recently out-of-the-closet friend revealed that there just wasn't that much meaningful representation in media.
The vignette was originally planned to be 3 minutes long and shot on iPhone, however, in a decision that will surely prove to be instrumental in Emily's film-making career, the script was expanded into its current form, allowing the characters to really lay themselves bare for the audience to really get a closer look into their inner world, leaving each setpiece enough time breath and further invest and immerse the viewer into this little indie character study.
If writing, directing, and producing wasn't enough, Emily also co-wrote and produced "HER", the short's theme song. Emily's budding filmmaking career has already earned her some great validation, as "BLUE MOON" has won her “Best Director short” at the New Creators Film Awards, “Best First Time Director” at the Rome Movie Awards, and “Best Romantic short” at the Independent Short Awards, among other. This vignette is certainly a promising start, and we eagerly await her upcoming second short film, this time with Emily herself in the leading role.
Ultimately, I suppose it's up to the queer community to really sing the praises of the short film, but considering the objective qualities (photography, acting, pacing, etc.) as well as the closeness between Emily and her queer friend, I don't see this being anything other than a huge hit for its genuine (and in my opinion, successful) attempt at giving visibility and voice to some of those who want for it most.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.
I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.