An accomplished actress, writer and burgeoning director, Rakefet Abergel is looking to expand her career with more accolades on the heels of her first genre directorial work in the short film "Boo." Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in acting, filming the short and some upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Rakefet Abergel: I got into horror as kind of an accident. My first film, Jax in Love, is what I like to call an accidental horror because I didn’t know much about the genre and was unaware people would consider it a horror or thriller. It feels naïve of me to admit that now, but that is how I stumbled into the genre.
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
RA: I saw a few horror films growing up but I am a huge scaredy-cat and once I realized how much they scared me I tended to avoid them as much as possible. I’ve seen probably ten thousand percent more horror in the last four years than in my whole life put together.
Me: When did you first discover a passion for filmmaking?
RA: I have wanted to be a professional actor since before I can remember. I spent most of my life acting, but I also used to always have a video camera in my hand to film stuff in my life with. I think I was more interested in documentary-type films but after I went to film school at Boston University, I developed a passion for fiction storytelling.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer playing?
RA: I love playing the bad guy! I was always cast as the funny sidekick, or good friend, or sweet. Sometimes over-the-top crazy, but never really got to play bad. It’s fun to let that side out.
Me: Having worked on plenty of sitcoms and television episodes early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future film projects?
RA: Oh, probably more than I can even acknowledge. I learned a lot about how to run a set, what is the best way to do certain things, how to direct actors, how to do the paperwork necessary to the production, and what the “ideal” way to work, at least in regards to professionalism, looks like.
Me: What do you do to stay in character while on-set? When you're not filming, how do you pass the time between takes?
RA: Some characters are easy to get in and out of. While shooting Boo and Jax, I had multiple roles on set so it's hard to stay in character, although sometimes my emotional state for sure could spill over off-camera. Between takes it depends how much time I have, I suppose. I used to smoke cigarettes, so that was a frequent activity. But I quit nine months ago, so I suppose I’d have to come up with something else! Usually, I would be going over lines because that is where I am weakest, remembering lines.
Me: You founded Cyclamen Films and released the short 'Jax in Love' through the studio. Where did the inspiration for starting the company come from? What are some of the goals you hope to achieve with Cyclamen Films?
RA: Well, Cyclamen is the name of the flower that in Hebrew is named Rakefet. So I named it after myself in a way and used the flower as a logo. The company is a really personal thing to me and the work that comes out of it will always have ME all over it. Good or bad, lol. I hope to start taking on some other, smaller productions for talented people in our community and also to do more features and projects I can actually sell and get the widest audience possible.
Me: That brings us to your latest short, "Boo!" What can you tell us about the project?
RA: Boo was the first film I ever directed and people really seemed to enjoy it, so it’s really special to me. Boo was an official selection at dozens of festivals and won over 40 awards and garnered over 70 nominations. It’s streaming now on Alter and Bloody TV, as well as Amazon prime in the near future. Hopefully, it will also soon be a part of a DVD/BluRay anthology, as well. I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do and then some. I am currently working on a feature version of Boo.
Me: Even though you had directed several television episodes previously, what was special enough about it to make you want to direct it?
RA: I wanted to direct my first film, Jax in Love, but I didn’t feel I had the skillset and with all the other jobs I had on the production (lead actor, writer, and most importantly producer), I wasn’t going to be able to do it all. With Boo I decided to take on that challenge. It would have been a lot harder had I not had the wisdom of consulting director and editor Ned Thorne, and an awesomely talented and chill cinematographer, Alex U. Griffin, on set to help me with the directing when I needed the support.
Me: Also being the writer and star of the short, were there any unique stories behind its conception?
RA: I wrote and starred in both Jax in Love and Boo and I could probably write a book about how each one came to be born out of real-life dramas, lol. And the real-life chaos behind the scenes on both sets could rival the actual films for best horror, lol. But, in a broad sense, Jax in Love was made as a vehicle for my acting career, pun intended! I wanted to play different types of roles, and so I ended up writing one I wanted to play and then made it. With Boo I really wanted to lean into the horror genre and do something I had never really done, and I’m really happy with the results.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
RA: It was a really fun set to be on, in my opinion! My mom made almost all the meals herself and the food was THE BEST. And the crew was friendly and everyone seemed to genuinely want to get the best version of the film we could.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
RA: Honestly there was SO much going on and I had to be present for all of it, that most of the shoot was a giant blur. I wish I remembered more than I do.
Me: Considering the success and acclaim it received on the festival circuit, do you have any plans to follow up writing and directing any future projects regardless of genre?
RA: I hope to direct more projects as soon as possible. I am open to directing other people’s work as well. I am writing a couple of features including the Boo feature. One is called New Mom and the other is still in very preliminary stages. I am hoping to direct and possibly star in the short film I wrote, called Eden. We just won a small grant from Love Your Shorts Film Festival towards the production, so hopefully, I can make some steps forward with it soon.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
RA: Right now I’m mostly writing and looking for acting gigs! I’m also teaching and sometimes offer acting classes and casting director workshops. Hopefully, things with Eden will continue to progress.
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
RA: I think if you want to be a woman in horror, this is your time. I look forward to the day when we don’t have to differentiate between men and women in horror because we get the same opportunities as the other, with the same type of treatment. Until then, I hope women realize that it’s not a competition. There is room for all of us. Be kind and do you. If we help each other, we will all win.
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
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