Ugly

Writer/Director Moon Unit Zappa's "Ugly" may be short, but it's time well spent in this beautiful dark comedy. Gwen is a young woman with an unnatural passion for knitting. From her own clothes to cozies for her several prescription pill bottles, Gwen is following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother's knack for the yarn arts.

After being discovered knitting in a park, Gwen and her new friend Kirk return to her apartment to work on Kirk's photography class project. Kirk, though, has ulterior motives, which Gwen finds out about when she overhears Kirk on the phone to a classmate. With the help of her daughter, Lola (*wink wink*), Gwen manages to make Kirk a little more than just a stranger off the street looking to take a few photographs for kicks. But heads up, there's a twist at the end.

Cinematography, lighting, and interesting angles make the film feel bright and fresh or dark and foreboding, depending on the mood of the action on screen. The music, by Matchbox Twenty's Paul Doucette, is versatile to the action as well, and reminiscent of the best of Danny Elfman ("Big Fish," "To Die For," "Edward Scissorhands"). Look for more of Doucette's independent work in the near future.

This 20 minute film, created for the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women, is one of 8 features for 2003-2004's program. Now showing at Cannes and at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2004, Zappa has taken her challenge and worked it well. "Ugly" is hopefully only the first start on Ms. Zappa's long directing career!