THE FILM:
Through the process of tracing the path of human hair - from women in India sacrificing their hair for the gods to young women in America experiencing hair loss - the three sisters behind this film unfurl deeper questions about the human social experience. We are forced to ask ourselves what we are hiding about ourselves for the simple hope of “fitting in”. And how far would we go to keep it under wraps.
Individuals with stigmatized physical differences, like hairloss, sacrifice a lot to cover it up. The women in the film show how hair plays an integral part of our identity and how losing it has a devastating impact on emotional wellbeing, personal relationships, and social interactions.
Wigs help some women, but the very act of covering up, ironically, leads to deeper feelings of isolation. On top of their internal silent struggle, they must also navigate an unregulated multi-billion-dollar hair industry and unsympathetic medical and insurance fields. Fortunately, these women and other professionals are forging new paths to address these prevalent issues.
In making this film, Andrea, the Director and youngest of the three-sister team, is compelled to reflect on her own identity and decide if it’s worth revealing her “true” self. By remaining purely an observer behind the camera, she perpetuates this “act” she plays everyday. But the fear of cultural isolation from uncovering is undeniable.
The resiliency of these women inspire hope and empathy for those who are “other”.
Go to the Gallery to see more about the film
OUR STUDIO:
Amelia Street Studio is a boutique creative agency founded by three sisters. We specialize in branding, websites, design and video.
We love helping businesses find the golden nugget of an idea that makes people come back for more again and again. We are experts at boiling down all the reasons-to-believe into one compelling idea and turning that into a visually stunning piece. This creative process has helped us craft the compelling story for this documentary.
We embarked on the Head to Head film as a passion project that was inspired by one of our clients, Margot. We are motivated to pursue this film through our passion for the topic and the women we have met through the process.
OUR TEAM:
Director/Cinematographer: Andrea Alberti
Executive Producer: Katy Osborn
Art Director/Associate Producer: Jenny Boehme
Editors: Mimi Wilcox, Andrea Alberti
Assistant Editor: Elodie Edjang
Impact Producer: Josie Davis
Production/Impact Assistant: Tamarra Thomas
ANDREA
KATY
JENNY
MIMI
ELODIE
JOSIE
Tamarra
Andrea has been a videographer, editor, & animator for the past 6 years. In 2012, she co-founded the creative agency, Amelia Street Studio. She manages the video department of Amelia Street Studio where she produces promotional videos and digital content for clients and internal marketing.
Previously, she worked on small- and large-budget films, including “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Kings of Summer,” as an assistant in various departments.
She produced and edited the Illinois regional TV series “Crimestoppers/CaseFiles”, a magazine-style true crime show filmed in Gary, IN and South Side Chicago, which still airs on WPWR Chicago. Here she honed her skills in interview-style and fast-paced, on-the-ground cinematography.
She has screened work at the Akron Film + Pixel Festival and the International Video Art Film Festival.
Andrea graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in Digital Media Production, where she focused on Video Art and Documentary. Of all the film genres, she has a passion for documentary because it is the one that has the greatest capacity for connecting with its audience on a deeper level and inviting the viewer to challenge their beliefs, values, and assumptions about the world.
Katy began her career in 2005 in advertising/marketing at large and small agencies in Columbus, Ohio and then Chicago, IL. In 2012, she co-founded the creative agency, Amelia Street Studio, with her two sisters. She oversees all client relations, business development, operations and strategy for clients and internal communications. She is the in-house copywriter and specializes in creating a message that resonates with the audience on a human level.
She was an account manager on integrated campaigns for consumer goods (Kimberly Clark, Nestle), B2B (International Trucks) and educational brands, which included a national television ad for Depend with Errol Morris.
She managed the marketing for a national College Safety Program, which included managing a production company to create a promotional video for the business.
She attended the University of Chicago for Master’s in Social Sciences with a focus on consumer psychology and ethnography. She attended the Ohio State University for an undergraduate degree in Social Psychology. Her schooling has provided critical skills for reading people and asking the questions that get to the core of the issue.
Jenny started in advertising at a design agency in Columbus, OH in 2006. In 2012, she co-founded the creative agency, Amelia Street Studio, with her two sisters. She is a multi-award-winning art director who has worked on a range of projects from branding, collateral, digital/websites, animated graphics and event marketing.
She has an uncanny ability to turn off-the-wall ideas into reality. She’s a creative whiz in every medium: pencil and paper, mouse and monitor, cutting knife and cardboard. She has expertise in building small-scale sets and props from scratch and will play a critical role in the shadow puppetry art for the film.
Jenny designs websites, from UX to front-end, and also builds the sites she designs in Wordpress. Jenny creates and manages all design and web-related stuff for the film.
She graduated from Columbus College of Art & Design with degree in Advertising & Graphic Design.
Mimi Wilcox is a freelance Chicago-based documentary editor, shooter and filmmaker. She honed her documentary skills working at renowned documentary production company Kartemquin Films, which instilled in her a deep understanding of documentary ethics and storytelling that she brings to every project she cuts. Her work has gone on to screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival, and Mill Valley Film Festival and has been distributed through PBS and Upworthy. She has shot for National Geographic, Jigsaw and feature documentaries around the world. Her clients in documentary-style branded content include Shure Inc., Sotheby’s, and Zipcar. Before becoming a full-time editor, she studied Economics and Russian at the University of Chicago.
Elodie Edjang is a documentary video editor and cinematographer who specializes in stories about marginalized people and the intersectionality of their identities. In her doc-style corporate editing she has worked with brands such as Hertz, Home Run Inn Pizza, and top ranking universities. Elodie has secured internships at media organizations such as documentary non-profit Kartemquin Films and Australian current affairs television program Insight. Her latest short film was selected for the 2018 Tacoma Film Festival and has received press coverage in the Big Ten Network. Elodie holds a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology) and Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (Advertising) from the University of Georgia.
Josie is most passionate about helping purpose-driven companies hone and execute their brand story, creative content and communication strategy; she is driven by the exciting seeds of ideation that spur long but rewarding days of production in the field. Josie is a dedicated conservationist and is known for producing work in a breadth of media including performance, public art, dance, music, and design. She is an experienced globe-trotter, having lived and worked throughout the US and overseas.
Tamarra Thomas is a freelancer who works as a producer, photographer, editor and on-set crew member. She has been a freelancer for the last 6 years working on full features, commercials, music videos, event shoots and other projects. Tamarra hopes to grow her own brand and continue to work creatively, locally and nationally.
AWARDS &
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Funding provided by Kartemquin Films Emerging Storyteller Fund Grant: supported by Sage Foundation
Thank you to our supporters who helped us raise over $10,000! Learn more >
Successful Kickstarter campaign raising $9,304
2015 Kickstarter Staff Pick