She Was, She Is, She Never Will Be
Feature Film Narrative
Project Type: Feature Film Narrative
Project Status: Pre-Production
Writer & Director: Sonya LaTorre
Producer: Beck Bennion
LOGLINE
Seven years after her life was torn apart by a brutal assault, and now eager for a quiet, happy life with her boyfriend, Tylynn joins him at his best friend’s wedding, only to be smacked straight in the face by her past.
SYNOPSIS
Socially stunted and emotionally scarred, Tylynn agrees to travel with her boyfriend, Seth, to a wedding of his friend she’s never met. But she quickly finds out that she does in fact know the groom… it’s Adam, the boy she was best friends with in high school.
As the wedding weekend proceeds, Ty is bombarded with memories of the worst night of her life… the last night she saw Adam, seven years ago. With each hour that goes by, she tumbles deeper and deeper into the reminders of her past.
She attempts to “fake it ‘till she makes it” in order to prove that she’s worthy of being with Seth, but during the rehearsal dinner Tylynn has finally had enough–she can’t bear to be around Adam any longer. She breaks down and reveals to Seth the moment that changed the trajectory of her life forever... forced to decide whether she can heal or stay trapped.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
When telling this story, my priority was to convey how trauma truly changes who you are as a person–our actual brain chemistry is altered. Our amygdala (fear center) becomes hyperactive, our hippocampus (memory and context) less effective, and our prefrontal cortex (decision making) less responsive. This creates a host of issues that reshape not only the way we are able to live our lives, but also our personality as a whole.
After years of burying my trauma, I began speaking with other women and I realized I wasn’t the only one that had experienced sexual coercion and had been forced to do things they didn’t want to do. Too many of my friends had gone through this too. What started as writing this film for me, transformed into needing to give a voice to all those girls who have been taken advantage of, or assaulted, by someone they trusted.
Through the use of flashbacks, our lead character Tylynn’s emotional dysregulation and her flight/freeze response, as well as the stark difference between her eighteen year old and twenty-five year old selves, we’ll experience life through the eyes of someone with severe trauma and have a better understanding of and compassion for their lived experience.
Meet The Filmmakers
Sonya LaTorre
Writer & Director
Sonya LaTorre is an East Coast-based, neurodivergent actress, writer, director, and award-winning producer with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. Her work centers women, identity, and trauma recovery through period-set narratives that are as visually dynamic as they are emotionally resonant.
She is currently in development on her early-2000s-set feature film She Was, a haunting exploration of the complexities of teenage friendship, and the long-tail impact of high school sexual assault. The project builds on Sonya’s cinematic voice: character-driven storytelling with an emphasis on naturalistic dialogue, emotional nuance, and thoughtful visual composition.
A graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Sonya draws on her background in music and dance to inform the rhythm and movement within her visual storytelling. She is also the founder of Script Like You, a mentorship program that helps emerging writers embrace the power of their singular perspective.
When she’s not on set or writing, she’s deep in a stack of novels, rewatching The Office, or belting out show tunes.
As a director, She Was, She Is, She Never Will Be is her debut feature film.
Beck Bennion
Producer
Beck Bennion is a producer, actor, and award-winning screenwriter who spent a decade in corporate marketing, not only honing her strategic and creative skills but also building her reputation as a leader in branding and storytelling.
Now as a full-time filmmaker and founder of Jumpsuit Pictures, Beck is in development of two feature films, two short films, is in post-production for Getting to that Age, and most recently produced the critically acclaimed one-man show Unsavory Fellow.
“When Sonya first shared the script, I was absolutely blown away. ‘Of course this is a story that must be told’, I thought. The depth of each character was so clearly on the page, and through the simplicity that each actor brought, the audience will truly feel the gravity of the subject matter on the screen. This is such an important story to tell — one that a lot of people, especially women, will be able to relate to and I'm so excited to share it alongside Sonya.”
Your Help
SHE WAS, SHE IS, SHE NEVER WILL BE is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!