Filmmaking duo Adria Dawn and David Tarleton are stepping into a more emotionally reflective space with their upcoming short film Mantra. Known for their award-winning storytelling, the pair are now embracing a spoken-word–driven format that explores personal growth, identity, aging, and resilience.
A Story Born from Personal Reflection
Headshot by Darnell Bennett
Adria shares that Mantra began as an unexpected extension of her completed memoir, Unpacking.
“Mantra actually started as an outtake from my memoir. I’ve spent the last several years writing a memoir called Unpacking, which is now finished. While I was working through revisions, I began writing a stream-of-consciousness poem. That poem ended up encapsulating what the whole book is about —coming to terms with who I am as a woman in my 50s, with the life I’ve lived. It’s about feeling good about getting older and also about overcoming adversity and trauma.David and I have been sober for years now, and this project reflects resilience and growth. Our hope is that this film is a positive and empowering piece for women.”
A Shift in Form and Storytelling
David explains that the project represents a stylistic shift from their traditional filmmaking structure.
“We’ve been mapping out the story because this is spoken-word driven, which is different from our usual narrative structure, with a beginning, middle, and end.We want to play with form, shifting in and out of time, and creating something non-linear. The storytelling will be more allegorical and metaphorical, with different versions of Adria: a child version, a younger version, and an older version, and also younger and present versions of me. The way these characters are revealed and connected is something we’re excited to explore creatively.”
Adria Dawn & David Tarleton Shares Most Exciting Part About Mantra:
For Adria, one of the most rewarding aspects of the project has been the creative stretch.
“The most fun part has been creating a project that really pushes our creativity as far as possible. We’ll also be working with Syracuse University students, and we currently have a crew of about 21 people. We’re excited to involve them, as well as other professionals in the industry, and give them a memorable, creative experience.”– Adria Dawn
“For me, it’s been really fun developing this project alongside Adria. We started with the poem, expanded and refined it, and worked together on the imagery and scenes. It’s been exciting to explore storytelling in a different way than we usually do. Adria is starring in this film as well, and we’ve worked together on many projects before, so collaborating with her in that way is always rewarding.” – David Tarleton
Visual Symbolism – Location!
“We’ve secured a very special location for some important scenes in the film. It’s a property witha beautiful hedge maze,” David says. “We’re shooting there because it works perfectly on a thematic level. It will visually and metaphorically represent Adria’s character searching for direction or clarity.
The Meaning Behind Mantra – A More Joyful Message
Adria notes that Mantra will differ in tone from their previous film, Spiral.
“Our previous film, Spiral, was quite dark, although it did offer hope at the end. With Mantra, though we deal with heavy subject matter in this one as well, I want the ultimate message to feel more joyful and uplifting.” She explains the meaning behind the title:
“The title refers to a mantra that I repeat to myself — moving from simply saying it to actually believing it. I’m excited about highlighting emotional growth and inner change throughout the story.”
With Mantra, Adria and David continue to push their creative boundaries while staying rooted in authenticity, personal reflection, and emotional honesty. The project stands to show resilience, identity, and the power of believing the words we choose to speak to ourselves. Follow Adria and David for all the latest updates about the film and more on official social sites!
https://www.instagram.com/davidtarleton/
https://www.instagram.com/adria.dawn/?hl=en
https://tarletondawn.com/Home.html
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