PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews director Laurie Simmons, who talks about her film My Art from the 73rd Venice Film Festival.
MY ART. Ellie Shine is a 65-year-old single artist living in New York City. She has a good life: a stable teaching job, successful friends, and a loyal, aging dog named Bing. As her dream of a respectable place in the art world becomes more elusive, her frustration with her lack of recognition feels alarmingly urgent. When she is offered the summerhouse and studio of a famous friend she seizes the opportunity to hit the reset button on her life and work. She unwittingly finds inspiration in two out-of-work actors who maintain the gardens at her summer retreat: Frank, a widower trying to reassemble his life post-grief by turning his back on a mediocre acting career, and Tom, a young, hungry actor whose wife has a less ambitious vision for their idyllic country life. Joining them is John, a thrice-divorced, disillusioned lawyer looking for a summer distraction. This unlikely trio helps Ellie reinvent her artistic identity by participating in her DIY art videos— improbable recreations of old Hollywood films. They accompany Ellie on an odd and unexpected journey toward finding her late-blooming artistic momentum.