We recently had the opportunity to watch and review a powerful female-led short film, “Reminisce.” The film—at less that 12 minutes—covers powerful themes such as love, commitment, multicultural relationships, and feminism. “Reminisce” is also unique for short indie films in that it developed its own soundtrack, covering three dedicated songs written for the film. One of the movie’s main actors—Wayne Jay—plays the songs on his guitar, setting up some of the film’s conflict (Jay wrote two of the songs while a third song was licensed by Truman Chester). The film is both powerful and insightful, and leaves viewers with much to think about after the credits roll.
The short was directed by Leslie Morris and written and starred in by Ashna Sharan, based off of some of Sharan’s personal experiences. Here at The Movie Buff, we were lucky enough to have a conversation with Writer/Actor Sharan about her movie, its themes and ideas, and what she hopes viewers will take away from the film. The interview follows below (Note: this interview has been edited for clarity).
Mark Ziobro for The Movie Buff: Hi and thank you for agreeing to talk with us about hour short film “Reminisce.” Can you introduce yourself for our readers?
Ashna Sharan: I’m Ashna Sharan, a Los Angeles based actor-screenwriter. I wrote/produced “Reminisce” as well as played the role of Monica.
MZ: In the PR for this film, it states that it’s a “modern-day ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” with a different age gap. Can you tell us how that film inspired you to make “Reminisce?”
AS: The truth is that “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” did not inspire the film. “Reminisce” is loosely based on my own personal life. However, several writers and actors who read my script while I was workshopping it, kept saying that it reminded them of a modern-day “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” so that’s how we decided to market it. It ended up being a fun coincidence that it was similar.
MZ: Can you tell us how the story came together? Was there any personal experience pulled in from either the writing or directorial side?
[Leslie Morris] has a beautiful eye for cinema, and I thought “Reminisce” was something that would be right up her alley.“
Ashna Sharan
AS: I’m married to someone ten years older in real life. My husband and I both got flak for the age gap, but we ended up deciding to move forward anyways. Having realized that it affected some of my friendships and relationships with others, I can only imagine what a large age gap like 25 or 30 years would do so that’s why I exaggerated the age.
As for the professor-student relationship, my grandparents met in a student-tutor capacity so I tied that into the love story of Reminisce. Power imbalance and a generational gap amidst the #metoo movement added an interesting dynamic to the story.
MZ: Was casting difficult? Can you tell us how you came to work with Wayne Jay, Roger Gutierrez, and Elisa Nixon? Also, how did you hook up with Leslie Morris to direct?
AS: Wayne Jay and I have been friends for a while after we met through a virtual writer’s group called ‘Voices on Paper’ during COVID. I knew he was a talented actor and musician, so I wrote Brian for him and sent him the script when it was ready.
As far as casting for the role of Diana and Patrick, it was a bit tricky because we had to find people who could all realistically look like they went to college with Brian. Not only did we need Diana and Patrick to have strong chemistry with one another, but they also needed to have chemistry with Brian.
Leslie Morris, the director, and I ended up holding self-tape auditions and then we went to in-person chemistry reads once we had narrowed it down. Elisa Nixon and Roger Gutierrez nailed it from the beginning, and we were thrilled when they signed onboard.
Leslie Morris and I met through acting classes at ‘Actors Workout Studio.’ She had cast me in another short film she had directed years back and I enjoyed that experience. She has a beautiful eye for cinema, and I thought “Reminisce” was something that would be right up her alley. When I sent her the script and she resonated with it, we decided to move forward. She helped bring out the relationships through performance and camera work.
MZ: Was it difficult to film the short in basically one location?
AS: We had two consecutive days to film this in Los Angeles last year. To avoid losing time moving from location to location, I wrote the film to take place in one house. The struggle was to find the right house and dress it in a way that it was a realistic place that Monica and Brian would settle down in. Leslie and I had to location scout quite a bit before we found the house.
MZ: “Reminisce” is a very progressive film, looking to bring women’s struggles to be heard into the fore. Does Elisa Nixon’s character represent internalized sexism? Why is she, and not the two men, the one to disbelieve women in the film?
… when the #metoo movement happened, there were women who did not believe the women who came forward with their stories.“
Ashna Sharan
AS: Thank you for catching that. One thing that I have always been fascinated with is by women who don’t support other women and instead side with the views of sexist men. For example, when the #metoo movement happened, there were women who did not believe the women who came forward with their stories. I wanted to highlight that because we don’t typically see that on film. It’s already hard for us as women, so we should work to empower other women and help one another instead of tearing each other down.
MZ: Can you tell us about Brian and Monica’s relationship? Is it close? Do you think Monica has doubted Brian’s commitment before the events of this film?
AS: Brian and Monica’s relationship is that of a loving marriage. The idea of an older man in power seducing a woman or forcing a younger woman has been done many times before. However, relationships are not always so black and white. What if there truly was a loving relationship but it just so happened that she was his graduate student? That’s what I wanted to explore.
Monica left her family in order to marry Brian so they are very close. I don’t think she ever doubted Brian’s commitment, however, she never forgot the sacrifices she made… so when she starts to find out things she didn’t know about Brian’s past, her insecurities bubble up to the surface. Also, that of her being a younger age and not having as many experiences to draw from made her more gullible.
MZ: The scene when Monica’s sister calls her was poignant for me—as was her flashback scene—as I’ve had friends who have gone through this. Were you trying to bring empathy to multi-cultural relationships and how they affect modern women?
AS: Yes. Their cultural differences add another layer of complexity to an already complicated relationship. Large age gaps can be seen in Europe and North America, however, in India, it’s very uncommon. The world is changing now, so that may be shifting, but it’s typically looked down upon.
MZ: What do you hope viewers will take away from your film? Are you hoping to garner empathy and/or spark conversations regarding modern relationships?
AS: My takeaway for the film is to trust you and your significant other when it comes to whether the love is real or not. Do not look outward for social media or validation from peers. Your love should only involve the two people in it. Love is beautiful and comes in all shapes and sizes. Do not be so quick to judge age, race, or other criteria.
MZ: Can we hope to see the film secured for distribution soon? What are your hopes for the film’s reach?
AS: We had our world premiere at the Oscar Qualifying LA Shorts in July 2025. We are only five months into our film festival circuit so we will be seeking distribution next year. Although if we get an offer beforehand, I won’t complain! My hope is to get funding to make the feature film version of “Reminisce.” We have screened 20 times in five months across different states so it’s been a good way to see how our film resonates with different audiences.
My takeaway for the film is to trust you and your significant other when it comes to whether the love is real or not.“
Ashna Sharan
MZ: Are there any website or social media links you wish to list for people to learn more about your film/work?
AS: Please follow us on @reminiscetheshortfilm on Instagram and Facebook. It’s a great way to also know when “Reminisce” is screening in a theater near you. My personal website is ashnasharan.com and you can find me on IG at @ashkash009.
We thank Ashna Sharan for taking the time to talk to us, and with the best of luck with “Reminisce” gaining distribution. You can follow the filmmaker at the links provided above for screenings and information. Also follow The Movie Buff for updates as we get them.
