The Creative Drive of Hannah Logan Peterson

When I explain to Hannah Logan Peterson that her limited movie, Daughter, moved me to tears, I’m not exaggerating. Picked as the selection of The Spark 2.—an initiative sponsored by Lexus and ELLE to showcase an unique small movie by a woman director—Daughter runs 4 minutes, but it reverberates with emotion, authenticity and gravitas. “That’s what I hoped this movie would do,” stated Peterson, whose aim was to produce a reflective place exactly where people might see by themselves, and maybe even meditate on how to navigate their world.

In just two scenes, the LA-dependent director and writer captures snippets of normal life involving a mother and daughter that most of us will recognize—especially right after limitless times of doing the job from household through the pandemic. The evocative piece quietly exhibits us what Peterson calls a “mundane” instant or two, each day happenings that someway suggest both of those absolutely nothing and almost everything. “I desired to target on our day to day interactions with technology and how we increase variety, thoughtful children in an significantly electronic environment,” suggests Peterson. As a viewer, for me, the film dredged up thoughts of contentedness, guilt, liberation, empowerment, joy and forgiveness all at as soon as. It reminded me that duality is what we dwell day-to-day (and that’s ok) and underscored that being a mom needs a plentitude of hats. As Peterson demonstrates, each and every chapeau is gorgeous and meaningful.

Chatting Tech

Tasked by Lexus and ELLE with thinking about feminine empowerment as well as the romantic relationship amongst know-how and humanity, Peterson suggests that she immediately imagined a visual dialogue involving a mother and a daughter. “I recognized how a great deal technologies partners with motherhood,”she claims, outlining that she needed to current technological know-how as one thing beneficial, fluid, and feminine, not disruptive, damaging, or abrupt.

As Peterson (who is not a mother, but is, as she said, “a daughter”) and I recount all the excellent techniques technology helps us, she tells me that her sister is expecting, and that 50 percent of her child registry is manufactured up of tech. We chat about how a lot technologies, from breast pumps to tablets, has the capability to increase motherhood. “We can basically get anything finished that way,” I say, admitting to her that while one particular portion of the film woke up in me responsible recollections of turning to know-how for babysitting, the finish reminded me that I also was a wild and free of charge mother—a superior mother—in other moments, a thing that well balanced out any reliance on technology I made use of to survive.

“It can be terrifying to place so considerably believe in in devices,” says Peterson. But, she would make it apparent that there is no correct or wrong—only contemplation. “It is about coming to phrases with ambiguity and starting off from there,” she suggests. In fact, her brief offers a room to consider about all points: equally the relieve and the fears.

Driving Adjust

In crafting her story, Peterson considered both equally the modern type and the socially aware mission of the RZ, Lexus’ initial completely electric motor vehicle as metaphor. “I wanted to floor this story in emotional actuality because recently I have been emotion that I do not want to escape so a lot as I want to reckon with actuality and understand to be section of the change in our environment,” she clarifies. The new RZ is just that—not simply a motor vehicle for transport, but a automobile towards transform. As the paragon of innovation and luxurious, the RZ is touted to be the to start with phase in Lexus’ mission to engineer all-electric powered autos in each phase globally, whilst sustaining the luxurious brand’s storied intuitive technological innovation, dependability, unparalleled safety document, exquisite craftsmanship and attractiveness. In the vehicle’s enhancement, Lexus positioned people at the heart. The luxury brand name frequently explores men and women interact with know-how and with each and every other. Lexus, as well as the filmmaker recognize the humanity of change and inherent have to have for connection. So, it tends to make sense that in the movie, when we see the RZ transportation the figures move jointly from 1 scene to another, from household to dreamy character, soulfulness, grounding—even redemption—we see it as a very clear symbol for a greater foreseeable future.

Dreaming With each other

Peterson’s movie, a glimpse into a typical afternoon, provides us into the household of elegantly, but casually, clad Nadia, who sits at her computer system finishing up her workday in an uncluttered home—an aesthetic that mirrors her Lexus RZ. Peterson famous that stylish/practical trend performed a part in how she envisioned Nadia it was the starting off block, together with the RZ, for the mood of the piece. Waiting for her mother, Nadia’s daughter, Momi patiently draws a horse on her tablet.

Nadia finishes her work, and surveys the various equipment that have “cared” for Momi. We sense that she’s grateful for the purpose they’ve played, that they’ve supported her as she experimented with to develop a greater upcoming for her and her daughter.

Tidying up, Nadia picks up the pill and sees a horse, a huge Appaloosa, in a meadow, illuminated by a sunset. It appears to be like an invitation. Afterwards, Nadia straps Momi securely into the RZ, which symbolizes their transportation to the other component of their lives—in this circumstance, the subsequent scene. The two immediately push down a highway into a nature-abundant landscape. Momi seems to be up to the sky, as a result of the RZ’s panoramic glass roof. On the open highway, they appear bonded and playful, on a mission together.

They get there at a meadow at sunset. Is it déjà vu? Out of the car or truck Momi runs into the vastness, Nadia driving her. They cease when they occur across an Appaloosa horse, just like the a person in the drawing. Nadia picks up Momi and they technique the horse. Is it dream or actuality? It does not matter.

Hannah Peterson was named one particular of the top rated 25 new faces of Unbiased film by Filmmaker Magazine. She has a BA in Display screen Research from the New University and an MFA in Film Path from California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts). Her work has screened at Sundance Film Pageant, MoMA, REDCST, and Tribeca Movie Competition, the place she garnered the AGBO Fellowship for her brief film East of the River.

The other women administrators tapped by Lexus and ELLE to cover themes of feminine empowerment and the intersection of humanity and know-how developed superb video clip, as well. Really do not miss the function of the runner ups: Haohao Yan, Jillian Iscaro and Suha Araj.