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And Now I Lay Me Down tells the story of Celia Dalvi, a wealthy, aging actress who attempts to have her perfect last day on Earth. It doesn’t go quite as planned. A brief examination of wealth and entitlement mixed with sorrow and self-pity on the way to newfound enlightenment. And Cheetos.

And Now I Lay Me Down, starring Emmy-nominated actress Jane Kaczmarek, is showing in the Golden Age block at the 20th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival. See the HollyShorts schedule for details.

Our exclusive interview with writer and director Ran DeMuth follows.

F1: And Now I Lay Me Down examines the obsolescence many midlife women grapple with in a society that values youth. How does this theme reflect your own experience in Hollywood? 

I am not an actor, so I haven’t faced ageism in the same way that female performers have. However, in recent years, I noticed that many filmmakers receiving grants and apprenticeships were much younger than me. I stopped seeing myself reflected back to me in the industry – unless it was someone who was already established. I started to question submitting for opportunities as someone “past their prime,” so to speak – even though I am wiser and more confident than the younger version of myself. It can be a quick downward spiral if you’re not careful, and you can question your self-worth. And it’s totally ridiculous. The notion that you in your twenties is more valuable than you in your 40s or 50s is absurd. A woman who knows who she is, is the most beautiful and profound version of herself.

F2: You take on the heavy subject of suicide in a complex presentation blending comedy with melodrama and tragedy with joie de vivre. How did you come to the story structure of this perfectly planned day that does not go perfectly?

I knew that I wanted the opening image of the film to be Celia getting her hair and nails done. Something that’s in complete contrast to your husband wanting a divorce. What is she getting ready for? I wanted to follow Celia throughout her day. I thought, what would I do first? Then what? The character told me what they would do and when they would do it. The structure was based on the truth of the character’s desires.

The scene where Celia gets the phone call about the mattress had to be placed in the front end for maximum pay-off at the end. I had to axe a scene that made that phone call come a bit too late. I knew that the phone call to her daughter had to be one of the last things she did, as we are getting deeper into the heart of the character. “Approaching the inmost cave” as Joseph Campbell would say. Timing is everything.

F3: You write and direct the film and can be heard as lead character Celia’s agent. How did the storytelling evolve from the written word to the acted production to see your vision through? Any surprises when you watched the final film?

The script for this film was seventeen pages while the film is twenty-seven minutes! I didn’t know it would be quite this long. The biggest unknowns for me going into production were with the VFX. I had imagined a CG bullet-time shot for the opening tear drop, later I learned that this would cost thousands of dollars. I had inadvertently entered the Marvel universe so I had to change my shot. Entering the VFX world is like   going into another dimension. This dimension costs a lot of money so you have to know exactly what you want.

As for the big falling shot in the film, not even my incredible cinematographer, Ernesto Lomeli, knew that I wanted this shot to last for three minutes long. That surprised everyone but me.

F4: Your cast is led by the brilliant Jane Kaczmarek as aging actress Celia Dalvi. How did you connect with Jane to bring her to the film? What was your collaborative process to bring Celia to life?

My EP Christina Sibul first suggested Jane Kaczmarek for the title role in my film. They were both Yale School of Drama graduates and Christina had been to a fundraiser at Janes’ house. Christina even told me that Jane’s beautiful home reminded her of a home my fictitious character might live in. Ironically, we ended up shooting the film in Jane’s house!

After I imagined Jane in the part of Celia Dalvi, I couldn’t get her out of my head. I wrote her a letter, and before I knew it, we were in a Zoom meeting together. We both had laryngitis and sounded like frogs, but we proceeded to make a lovely connection.

There were many aspects of Celia Davi’s life that Jane could relate to. First and foremost is the baffling heartbreak of signing divorce papers. Jane’s ex has remarried and lives close by. Jane could relate to Celia as an actress who enjoyed great early success and now faced navigating an entirely new world of show business.

F5: Along with Jane Kaczmarek, the film includes veteran actors David Guerra, Shi Ne Nielson, and Alejandra Flores, with

in cameo as Celia’s soon-to-be ex-husband. Can you share a story from filming And Now I Lay Me Down that best conveys the collaboration on set? 

I had an amazing crew, and there was always a great spirit of collaboration. We shot the bathroom scene in Jane’s kitchen pantry. My exceptional production designer, Vanesa Liska, transformed the pantry into a beautiful bathroom. She brought in a clawfoot bathtub, added some pseudo piping, a Chinese screen, and voila – movie magic! We had to manually fill the bathtub as it had no plumbing. Lots of hot water was brought in, and as soon as the tub was filled, we had to be ready to shoot. I didn’t want Jane to freeze, and there was a lot of dialogue to cover. It was a crucial scene, and the stakes were high. We also were running out of time, which happens in every independent film shoot. The water was held in the bathtub by a sturdy plug. The plug was firmly in place, and it seemed the only way an accident could happen was if Jane purposely jammed her foot into the plug. Vanesa and I reminded Jane not to mess with the plug. Five seconds into the first take, Jane’s foot popped the plug, and water EXPLODED out of the bathtub into Jane’s kitchen. It was like the Titanic! Vanesa practically dove into the bathtub to seal it. Within seconds, the entire crew had towels and were mopping up the water. This took real teamwork.

BONUS: Is there more to Celia’s story? Do you see this taking shape beyond this short film?

I wrote this as a self-contained story. However, I can see this as a first act of a feature. Everyone in the film, including characters with non-speaking parts, are incredible actors. Michael Villar, who plays a deliveryman, was in the Oscar-winning short film Skin, and Hannah Leigh, who plays Katherine, is a “Young Artist Award” nominee. I can imagine Celia attempting to right her wrongs. The only way I would continue the story is if I could create a second plot point that was just as inspiring as the first. I’d have to retain the magic.