Photo Diary: White Girl's Elizabeth Wood
Photographed by Elizabeth Wood
White Girl, 2016’s drug-fueled New York drama follows the enigmatic protagonist Leah, played by Morgan Saylor, through a messy and gritty summer of drugs, sex, parties, and new found love. Savvy and naive, but passionate and driven, Leah is a rising sophomore at a New York City liberal arts college who sides with staying in the city for the summer with an unpaid internship as opposed to returning home. The film leaves a stinging sensation in the chest of NYC millennials, exposing race, privilege, and ignorance. Living in a newly acquired apartment in an ungentrified corner of Ridgewood, Queens with her roommate Kate, played by India Salvor Menuez, Leah indulges in drugs and lust with neighborhood drug dealer Blue, played by Brian Marc.
The Sundance standout film has been noted by many as a millennial version of Kids, with first-time writer-director Elizabeth Wood, drawing from her own personal experiences and events after moving to New York from Oklahoma City for college. With a Polaroid camera and a pack of Impossible Film, Elizabeth captured a week in her life as White Girl made rounds in New York City and Los Angeles. Follow the story below.
Featuring Elizabeth Wood, Gabriel Nussbaum, Morgan Saylor, Brian Marc, India Salvor Menuez, Chris Noth, and Justin Bartha.
I <3 Roofs. This is the roof at my writing space in the LES. You can kind of see it, I swear it's an amazing view.
*Friends* stole my camera at the White Girl NYC premiere :)
During the White Girl premiere an ex from 15 years ago calls and says he's in jail and I'm the only number he knows. This is me bailing him out the next morning.
Last week in LA for Sundance's NEXTFEST at the ACE Hotel. I had a discussion with Catherine Hardwick and the Daily Beast's Jen Yamato. I didn't realize it was being streamed on Facebook Live so I made too many dick jokes.
During the Premiere of White Girl at the Angelika we got in trouble for being too loud in the lobby. Only my left leg is in the photo.
My BFF since we were young and wild in Oklahoma, Simone Kitchens and my son Wolfgang. Simone just wrote an awesome piece about her triangle hair for Glamour Mag. This picture is a fine example of said phenomenon.
Press day for White Girl. On stage with (L to R) Chris Noth, Justin Bartha, India Menuez, Morgan Saylor, Brian Marc and myself. Conversation got heated when a man in the audience said that our character was not raped, "she offered herself."
Bank Street Film's team in our headquarters. This is me in a towel with my man and White Girl producer Gabriel Nussbaum and a living angel and creative genius Grant Schaefer.
Catherine Hardwicke and I on stage at the ACE. You can't tell but there are like 1,000 people behind us raising their arms. This is why we use iPhones now.
White Girl stars two of my favorite people - Morgan Saylor and Brian Marc at our premiere at the Angelika.
White Girl comes out Friday 9/2 in New York, 9/9 in LA and DC, and nationwide starting 9/16.
www.whitegirl.nyc