A Woman, a Part

A Woman, a Part is the first feature length narrative movie from experimental filmmaker and visual artist Elisabeth Subrin. The story centers on a successful but burnt-out actress (Maggie Siff) who abandons her popular television series, putting her career at risk, to return to New York.  Once there, she must confront her past and the close friends from the theater world she left behind (Cara Seymour and John Ortiz).  Stories about the internal struggles and interpersonal dynamics of actors are rampant in independent cinema—so many indie filmmakers start out as struggling actors and mine their own lives for their first movies. But unlike her three leads, all of whom have significant downtown theater cred in their respective cities (Siff in LA, Seymour in London, and Oritz in New York), Subrin does not come from this background. She places an actress at the center of her picture in order to explore universal issues of female identity—as actresses are so often the disposable avatars though which our society regards women. The straightforward narrative and simple shooting style enable the three vibrant leads to explore complex subtext and uncover rich themes without the film ever feeling obvious, preachy, or simplistic. And the clever title allows for multiple interpretations.