Local short film ‘Untouchable’ chronicles literal pains of growing up

Growing up can be painful. Between trying to find, and then be, yourself while also trying to fit in, and dealing with bullies and everything life throws your way, it is not a smooth journey.

But growing up can also be painful. As in, physically.

Aimee Paxton was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 3 and, as a result, had to take medication that stunted her growth. Years later, around the age of 12, she underwent testing for a problem she was having with her hip and had to use a crutch.

Fast forward to 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed theaters. Paxton, then studying acting at the University of Montana, and her fellow graduate students were tasked with writing one-person shows.

Though she tried to write about a variety of topics, Paxton ultimately decided to channel her childhood experience into a one-woman show called “Untouchable.”

“I tried to write a few other things, but nothing was really hitting home,” she said. “Then I decided to write about my own experiences, and that’s when it became way more exciting and flowed way more freely and naturally from me.”

In the show, Paxton plays herself at every age, from childhood through present day. She performed the show twice, with both shows being filmed, and picked the best one, which was screened online.

That is how Kendra Ann Sherrill and Rachel Baker became familiar with the show and the story Paxton tells in it. Though the trio has been friends for more than a decade, Sherrill recalls turning to Paxton after watching her performance and saying “What? You went through all of this?”

In Sherrill’s defense, as Paxton recalls, there were stories in the show that even her own twin brother did not know about.

“It really filled my cup to watch it, especially during those times,” Baker said. “Just her totally alone on a stage, not even with any audience feedback, and still being able to do something that was equally as humorous as it is emotional.”

After finishing school, Paxton held onto the script with the thought of one day turning it into a short film. She and Sherrill, with Baker roped in later, spent a year on Zoom calls brainstorming what the film could look like.

The first item on the to-do list was rewriting the script so it would work better for film, bringing the 30-minute one-woman show to about 20 minutes in length. The trio also set up a profile on Seed and Spark, a crowdfunding website for film projects.

With just three months for pre-production, the trio worked to nail down filming locations and schedules. To match the early 2000s setting, Paxton and Sherrill set off in search of clothing and props that matched the Y2K feel for Paxton as well as the extras.

“This was the most fun film to prep for because my homework was watching every Y2K film there ever was,” Sherrill said. “There was a lot of taking pictures of shots that we really liked or like wardrobe inspirations and putting that all together as mood boards for the production design.”

L. Fried and Cris Vazquez de Mercado were the production designers.

The trio reached out to the Spokane film community and got the crew members they needed to film. Paxton, Sherrill and Baker are all producers on the film, with Sherrill directing. Baker’s husband Garrett Elmer and Sherrill’s husband Adam Gaulke were cinematographers and helped in post-production as well.

The group filmed for four days at Sherrill’s alma mater Central Valley High School. Though at times a little chaotic, the trio said the experience was really fun thanks to the crew, many of whom were fellow alums of Eastern Washington University, and the teen extras, who came dressed for the part.

Y2K, it turns out, is back in style.

Sherrill’s uncle drives a bus for the Central Valley School District, so he was featured in part of the film, and other scenes were filmed at Paxton’s cousin’s house north of Seattle.

“This whole film was literally pulling favors and relationships that we have built for our entire lives,” Sherrill said. “I had a really good relationship with my high school because I used to work for the theater department … Our house location was Aimee’s cousin’s. Everyone really chipped in for that.”

After wrapping filming, Sherrill edited the film and sent it to a sound mixer and a colorist. Max Harnishfeger scored the film, which also features a song from Seattle-based artist IVES. There were also a few animated elements that needed to be created and added to the film. Sherrill and Gaulke were the foley artists for the film, recording sounds like backpack zippers and footsteps.

“We all have an understanding of the level of quality that we needed it to hit, so we were willing to wait for it to get to that point,” Baker said. “It’s a balancing act of getting it as polished as you want it to be and need it to be for it to succeed with the audience, but also knowing when it’s time to let it go and be in the world.”

“Untouchable” premieres at the Garland Theater on Sunday, with a Y2K party that matches the film’s setting. The event begins at 2 p.m. with time to make a friendship bracelet, visit the Electric Photoland photobooth and mingle with members of We F.E.W. (Filmmakers of Eastern Washington). The first 100 people get free popcorn.

The films start at 3 p.m. Along with “Untouchable,” the screening will include other short films from crew members and local filmmakers.

The Garland screening, and the post-production work on the film, was made possible through a Spokane Arts Grant Award. Looking forward, the trio are working on submitting “Untouchable” to film festivals and have already gotten accepted into a few.

Paxton, Sherrill and Baker are excited to celebrate the film with the cast and crew who helped make it, but they are also excited for the larger Inland Northwest community to see what they have been working on.

Paxton knows not everyone had the same childhood she had, but she hopes the film will be relatable nonetheless.

“We all had, growing up, experiences that were hard on various levels for many different people,” she said. “Growing up looks different for everyone. That’s how it looked for me, but I hope that you can pull something from that hard experience you had as a kid and know that you’re OK now.”