On Independent Filmmaking, Creative Activism And West Texas: Kat Broyles
This summer, we’re checking in with our members and friends on the meaning of abundance.
As we get ready for The Front Festival, we sat down with one of this year’s featured filmmakers, Kat Broyles. Kat shares her creative process, the inspiration for Moondogs, as well as her own thoughts on abortion access in 2022.
For more details on The Front Fest, head here.
Kat Broyles (center) directs onset during the filming of Moondogs.
MEET KAT BROYLES.
Katie Broyles (she/her) is a third year Studio Art major and the director of Moondogs. Her artwork primarily focuses on expressing the complexities of human relationships through video, painting, illustration, and sculpture.
Her films have been selected for the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival and the Austin Spotlight Film Festival.
She has worked on numerous film sets, most notably SIX on History Channel as a production assistant and My Friend Shokat in production design, and has acted in numerous student films. She is interested in transitioning into directing films about important and meaningful stories that combine the metaphysical with the mundane.
No. 1 — Creating an independent film takes a lot of energy, gumption and give-it-your-all risk-taking. Creating an independent film like Moondogs, however, requires all that and a whole lot more. Why did this story become so important to you? What were some of the goals you had in creating this film and bringing it to light?
When I first began to write Moondogs, I knew I wanted to write about the desert, as it was a landscape so prevalent in my teenage years. I knew I wanted to write a sort of portrait of the young women I grew up with and our experiences and struggles.
One of the goals of this film was to depict the nuanced relationships between teenagers, inspired by my own at that age, on the precipice of adulthood contending with subjects of heavy emotional weight. Another goal was to depict an emotional journey of an abortion-seeker and how the external policies effect our internal worlds.
I wanted to emphasize the West Texan desert as a motivating character, representing the vastness and nuances of these experiences. Texas has historically been a battleground for reproductive rights and I wanted to humbly try and capture an experience of being swept up in these invisible forces.
No. 2 — Since Moondogs premiered, Roe v. Wade has been overturned. What kind of texture does that bring to the film now? Anything in particular you’d like new viewers to think about?
I think it brings a very certain feeling of anguish to the film now, as it already depicts the difficulty of getting an abortion in the past—the lack of clinics, the cruel 24-hour waiting period, the mandated ultrasound and lack of insurance coverage, all things already making it almost impossible for abortion seekers of color, rural, and undocumented abortion seekers to receive care.
Now, the characters in Moondogs would not even be able to receive an abortion, and her friends would be prosecuted for aiding and abetting an abortion, possibly facing jail time. They would have to drive to New Mexico or further to receive an abortion to avoid any sort of persecution. This places even a greater burden on abortion seekers than before, which was already impossible to begin with. It was definitely a series of heartbreaks making and finishing this film as the reproductive rights to Texans were stripped away.
No. 3 — What does nurturing abundance in your creative life look like right now? Got any rituals/practices you particularly love?
Nurturing abundance for, right now at least, is really finding the enjoyment in small things. I feel like I am starting over almost, and re-learning to let myself lead with curiosity and not a drive to succeed. I love to take my dogs out for walks daily and have been getting better at baking. I am also letting myself write very freely and without judgement. Definitely went through a long period of solitude/self-isolation and I do feel like little by little, I am getting out of it.
No. 4— What has art-making brought to your life? Anything in particular you’d like to reflect on?
Art-making has brought so much to my life. It has been the anchor to a lot of who I am and how I approach the world. Studying and practicing art and now filmmaking has broadened my horizons in so many ways. It is incredibly challenging and sometimes so disheartening, but it is such a fulfilling process in the end.
I feel like I am always learning from my community and can explore themes through so many different avenues. I love the sharing and collaborative process of art-making and how it creates and encourages self-reflection. Even when you take time away, it is always there to come back to.
No. 5 — What do you hope for the future of your creative work?
I hope I can better service my community through creative work. I hope I can help foster projects that are meaningful and equitable both behind and in front of the camera. I would love to continue my writing and hopefully get a feature off the ground, as well as work with as many creatives as I can in the meantime. After a long hiatus, I would like to paint again.
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