A story of Redemption, Understanding, and Acceptance in the face of Alcohol Addiction
By: Victoria Stevens
New York City, NY (The Hollywood Times) 06/21/2023– Tribeca Film Festival 2023 has just wrapped this past weekend. With over 100 projects from all over the world being premiered, there was so much talent in Tribeca these past two weeks. Being chosen to premiere one’s film at this prestigious festival is a dream for many and this year Oliva Levine and Erica Rose’s dream has come true. Their film, “Let Liv”, was a story about redemption, understanding, and acceptance in the face of an alcohol addiction.
“It’s about an estranged mother and daughter that run into each other at an AA meeting and kind of sort through their baggage and confront their demons,” explained Levine.
Oliva Levine was the writer, producer, and lead actress in this short. This story was inspired around her life influences and her experiences she has had growing up around her friends and family that have struggled with alcoholism.
“This subject is very personal to me. I do not identify as an alcoholic, but I did grow up in that world and the world of AA. That is why I could create a film around the language of this type of environment. This story started out more personal, but when I brought my director on, Erica Rose, she helped me revise it so that it sounded more like a film over a play. Ultimately, it become a better story and I am so happy to share this version with the audience,” said Levine.
Having her directorial debut this year at Tribeca, Erica Rose was excited to share this moment with Levine and hoped that the audience would be able to connect to the characters and the story they were trying to present.
“I am really never one note when it comes to directing drama over comedy,” explained Rose. “The films that I respond to and like have both. I think that in our most dramatic moments in life there is also so much humor in it and vice versa. That is what I try to bring to all of my work. I also think that the films that are most successful are the ones that in one foul swoop can make us cry and laugh all in the same breath. I really like working with comedians, like Oliva, because I find that comedians are often the most vulnerable people in the world.”
As you watch the film, you can tell that the mother and daughter relationship was very dynamic and complicated. Arrested Development actress Christine Taylor played the role of the mother in this short film. Her portrayal of this torn woman just trying to reconnect with her daughter was breath taking and very powerful.
“Off of what Olivia said, we grew up watching Christine and I have always been such a huge fan of hers. So, it’s such a rewarding process getting to know the human being side of Christine. Quite often people say don’t work with people that you idolize because you’re always disappointed, but with Christine she lives up to the hype. She is such a talented performer, and working with her and collaborating with her was very awesome. She was just so present and was always down to listening to our ideas,” explained Rose.
According to NCDAS, National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 1-in-10 Americans over the age of 12 have Alcohol Use Disorder and over 140,000 Americans die from the effects of alcohol in an average year. With this film having such a strong message about how alcohol effects each individual and that persons’ relationship with others, it’s important to point out the relatability of this film to today’s audience.
“I hope that people can have empathy for this woman’s experience, and I hope that there is a conversation around healing and knowing that there isn’t just one right way to do it. The opposite of addiction is connection and I hope the audience sees the power of connection and the power of stripping down their walls. It’s not an easy path but the one thing we can do is learn from each other and forgive ourselves to,” said Rose.
“For me, I hope that people walk away with some questions and not necessary choose a specific side that they agree with. Ultimately, it deals with a hard situation and a hard decision that was made by the character Judy. I would like the audience to walk away with at least empathy even though they might not understand the decision that was made,” expressed Levine.
Currently, Rose and Levine are in pre-production for the feature adaptation of Let Liv which they hope to have the same type of response that this film had.
Photo Credit: Olivia Levine, Erica Rose