I Used to be Funny

English below

Sam er stand-up komiker, men etter en traumatisk hendelse og følgende PTSD-diagnose er det blitt vanskelig for henne å fortsette som før. Å i det hele tatt komme seg opp om morgenen er en kamp, og det å stå på scenen for å fortelle vitser virker så godt som umulig. Planen er å ta det rolig, men da Brooke, tenåringsjenta hun var barnepike for i årevis, rømmer hjemmefra rives Sam mellom vekten av sine egne traumer og et behov for å forsikre seg om at hun er trygg.

I Used To Be Funny kombinerer det vonde med det morsomme, samtidig som den rører ved den unike sorgen som kommer med det å savne seg selv. Indie-favoritten Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby) spiller hovedrollen Sam med mesterlig kontroll over de sterke følelsene som kreves av hennes i en film som er sår og jordnær, men også full av håp.

As a director, [Pankiw] has a razor-sharp focus, never missing a beat in her exploration of relationships, friendships, and mental health. But there’s always a permeating levity to it, and that’s what makes I Used to be Funny such an interesting and welcome change in how we portray trauma and abuse.

- Emma Kiely, Collider -

Ally Pankiw er en kanadisk regissør, manusforfatter og produsent. Hun regisserte den første sesongen av Netflix-serien Feel Good og individuelle episoder av Black Mirror, The Great og Shrill. Som produsent og regissør av musikkvideoer har hun jobbet med artister som Ariana Grande, Muna og Phoebe Bridges. I Used To Be Funny er hennes første spillefilm.

A traumatized comedian attempts to piece her life back together, but when a girl she knows better than anyone else goes missing she puts her own needs on hold.

Sam is a stand-up comedian, but after a traumatic event and the PTSD diagnosis that came with it, she struggles to return to her old way of life. Getting out of bed in the morning is a battle, and the prospect of standing on stage to tell jokes seems impossible. She intends to take it easy, but when Brooke, the teenage girl she nannied for years, runs away from home, Sam finds herself torn between the weight of her trauma and a need to ensure that Brooke is safe.

I Used To Be Funny combines pains and laughs, while simultaneously touching on the unique sorrow that comes with missing who one once was. Indie-darling Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby) plays Sam with great mastery over the strong emotions needed from her in a film that is both poignant and grounded, but hopeful as well.

As a director, [Pankiw] has a razor-sharp focus, never missing a beat in her exploration of relationships, friendships, and mental health. But there’s always a permeating levity to it, and that’s what makes I Used to be Funny such an interesting and welcome change in how we portray trauma and abuse.

- Emma Kiely, Collider -

Ally Pankiw is a Canadian director, writer, and producer. She directed the first season of the Netflix series Feel Goodand individual episodes of Black Mirror, The Great, and Shrill. As a producer and director of music videos, she has worked with artists like Ariana Grande, Muna, and Phoebe Bridges. I Used To Be Funny is her debut feature.

//Jenny Lund // Oslo Pix