We interviewed Emily Ruhl, executive producer of Georden West’s Playland, an experimental LGBTQIA+ story with a mystical feel to it, which played at Tribeca 2023.
Playland had its North American premiere as part of the Viewpoints selection of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival that shows a period of legacy for queer history. Director of the film Georden West marks their feature film directorial debut that tells a perspective of the film that is an experimental LGBTQIA+ story while leaving mystical feel to it. Once actress, model, writer, producer, and director Emily Ruhl had seen a rough cut of the film and knew she had to sign up as an executive producer. Ruhl helped produce the film through her production company, Public School Pictures. I had the chance to connect with Ruhl to discuss the process of making whimsical, experimental films and how critical it was to share this story.
Kristin Ciliberto: I really want to get to know you as an artist. What made you want to get into modeling and acting in various forms of art?
Emily Ruhl: I was a musical theater kid, so I made my debut as a zebra in Seussical the musical and I did not get a line. So, I feel maybe that’s what sparked the rest of it. I started modeling when I was 13. That kind of happened by accident. I was scouted at the New York Fashion Week by Chantale Nadeau, who’s out of Toronto and then moved to Japan, moved to New York. It all happened very quickly. Every model wants to act. Every actor wants to direct, and every director wants to produce. It’s kind of this natural progression. I think after modeling and acting for almost ten years, I decided I wanted to be able to have some creative control and some say and that’s why I started writing and directing. It’s been an amazing ride.
KC: It’s great to see a lot of models take a shot at acting and experience something different as part of their career. Let’s dive into the movie. What made you want to be part of Playland?
ER: I was lucky enough to come along when there was already a rough cut of the film, so I got to see a little bit of the magic that made it to the screen. I was so impressed by not only the visuals, but the story that was told. Georden West, the writer, and director has just done an incredible job and it’s such an interesting documentary. It’s not a typical documentary. There are re-enactments and the art department blew it out of the water. They used archival audio. I was just so impressed by that, and I knew how to be a part of it and loved the message.
KC: It has a unique message and I think it has an experimental feel to the story and it really stands out on its own. So why was the setting in Boston and can you explain that for those who may not familiar with Playland?
ER: Playland did use to exist in Boston. Unfortunately, now it is a parking lot, and it got demolished in 1998. (The bar opened in 1937 and was open for 40 years.) It was Boston’s oldest gay bar and it’s such a fixture of that community. And it’s great to know that even though it’s a parking lot, the café and the legends and the mystique around it get to live forever with the film.
KC: I wonder if they do like events at the parking lot itself. Like if there’s a drag show, that would be so cool.
ER: They totally should!
KC: The editing is very, very unique. Can you discuss the editing process a little bit.
ER: Yeah, it was fun to be a part of that process and watch Georden work. I think it was really important to the whole team that the three different timelines still felt like they all existed within the same family in that there was a through line between those. I think they did a really great job, especially because you follow several characters over the years. I think that the extraordinary way that Georden almost created a whole other genre. The editing really mimics that and fortified just the magic around the cafe, and it makes it seem kind of whimsical and dreamlike and also kind of ghostly in some places, which is great. I think that the characters are meant to be ghosts of the cafe’s past.
KC: I totally felt that.
ER: Yeah, they did a really great job.
KC: What about the costume design? All the costumes are unique and absolutely incredible.
ER: I wish I could take some credit for those costumes because they are incredible. I think the art department and the costume designer did an insane job. Everything is custom made. I think they’re going to put them on display moving forward. They’re such beautiful pieces of art in and of themselves.
KC: Why is this film important to be released now in terms of today’s activism and climate?
ER: Playland is about the Playland Cafe, which was a safe space in the queer community in Boston and was demolished. Unfortunately, that is kind of the theme of today’s zeitgeist. I want people that watch the film to understand how important it is to protect these spaces and how vital they are and how significant and chosen family is in one’s life and how significant a safe place to be exactly who you are as you are.
KC: You can see that in the film, that Playland was a safe space that was warm and welcoming for the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s sad to see some of these places are being torn down or just not being appreciative. My final question for you is, what is the best word in one word to describe this film?
ER: Magic!
KC: Oh, I love that! I do want to wrap up and say thank you so much for your time. I am appreciative of it.
ER: Thank you so much for having me.
