The Global Search for Education: Director Grace Goen Speaks out About Retain and Reproductive Rights

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Oct 21, 2022

This month audiences can screen Retain on the Planet Classroom Network. This film is curated for the Planet Classroom Network by Planet Classroom.

Retain, from Director Grace Goen, is a short film that captures the interviewing process a civilian goes through for her final interview that she believes will bring her happiness. You learn about her hardships and experiences in life through the questions asked during the interview.

As the interview comes to an end and the civilian is waiting for her results, we see the final steps she takes in order to fulfill her only shot at happiness.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome Grace Goen.

Grace, what inspired you in creating this film? Is it from a personal experience or a specific theme you wanted to explore?

I wanted to explore the theme of body autonomy through a gender neutral lens. This story has a lot of ties to the way our current healthcare and legal system operates through bias and status.

Can you share one surprise from the creative process – something you learned that has helped you as a filmmaker?

We had a lot of audio problems due to the location being a cement building in the middle of San Antonio. It was an enormous headache and nothing could be done about the radio interference except in post production. Now I always try to test audio interference before shooting at specific locations.

Why did you decide to use this style of cinematography? How do you think it adds to the story you’re telling?

I loved incorporating a sense of claustrophobia by using telephoto lenses. The story is about a lack of freedom so I wanted it to feel confined, but also invoke mystery by not revealing too much of the location.

What emotions and perspectives do you hope your audience will feel when watching your film? What’s been the feedback so far?

I hope this film will encourage the audience to think about how much power the government has over our reproductive rights. History has proven that society is fragile and all of our lives are at the mercy of the government. I live in Texas, and since Roe v Wade was overturned, too many women have died due to medical complications. No matter your religious belief, I hope people understand how much this legislation is hurting women and future generations of children. Why is this not a personal choice?

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It opened the door for a lot of conversations. Even when viewers don’t support abortion, they can appreciate the power of autonomy or lack thereof.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on another science fiction film, Cost To Life, examining mass genetic modification for profit. It will be privately released September 22nd, 2022, and you can get updates on where to view it on my Instagram.

Thank you Grace!