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The Other Women
TYPE: Narrative Short
GENRE: Comedy
STATUS: Pre-Production
LOGLINE
Three suburban girlfriends confront major mid-life crises in their marriages, motherhood (or lack thereof) and trysts with younger men.
SYNOPSIS
Middle-aged moms Lisa and Sharon find their marriages in ruins. Instead of accepting abuse and bad behavior, they say yes to “fun” as they are pursued by younger men. 50 and fabulous Clarissa faces her own perfectionism and chronic singlehood, amidst her friends and clients spicing up the suburbs.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
This idea came to me, Summer Rain Menkee (writer/producer), through sharing experiences and stories with my single, divorced female friends over 40, as well as my male friends under 40. Certain young men seek out relationships with older women for a different experience. Older women have their reasons for dating younger as well. While biology does play a factor – women often reach their sexual peak in their late 30’s- 40s, while men usually hit their strongest peak in their late teens-early 20s. Therefore, it’s no wonder that the MILF trope is a thing with 20-something men and 40-something women. Apparently, there is even a hit reality show called MILF Manor. And, Hollywood has a current robust film roster that showcases older women with younger men, such as: “Baby Girl” starring Nicole Kidman, “No Hard Feelings” starring Jennifer Lawrence and my personal favorite “The Idea of You” starring Anne Hathaway. This idea is no longer a trope like Stifler’s Mom in “American Pie” (thank you Jennifer Coolidge). It is simply human nature, and like any relationship it’s about human connection. I know from my own messy post-divorce experience that dating in my 40’s is about finding common ground with men who value me as an equal partner, who are not locked into gender roles in domestic relations at home, who don’t numb with substance abuse and who don’t just see me as a “mom” because I have young kids. Society has also placed an enormous pressure on men to provide for their families, and there is no universal childcare subsidy for working moms/couples. It’s no surprise flawed humans succumb to unhealthy coping behaviors. I want to encourage and inspire single moms, and women of a certain age, to stand on their own two feet in a system that makes it difficult to thrive and tries to tell us that we’re past our prime. Our short film showcases strong leading ladies who make their own choices in mid-life, because they aren’t desperate, nor putting up with bad behavior. Women over 40 are sexy, strong and thriving! Now we live in an age where we are seeing that strength and beauty reflected back to us on screen – just look at this years’ best actress awards season. “The Other Women” seeks to debunk the cougar stereotype because men have been dating younger, and quite frankly cheating with much younger “other women” for centuries. Yet, there is no animalistic name for them. Let’s level the gender playing field and demystify the healing nature of pleasure and fun. It doesn’t always have to be the rom-com brand of love to be worthy of its value, and to connect with audiences universally. Art has the opportunity to help heal our human conditions, and it is up to us artists during this time of great turbulence to write and produce stories that help dissipate the -isms that hold our society back from true progress and unity.
KEY CREW
Suummer Rain Menkee - Writer/Producer/Actor
Summer Rain Menkee is an award-winning actor, writer, producer whose past short film “Now or Never” won a jury prize at Oxford Film Festival, an audience award at The Valley Film Festival and screened at Cannes Independent and Short Film Corner. Her TV/Film acting credits include “Hysteria” (Peacock), “Dynasty” (CW), “The Resident” (FOX), “The First Lady” (Showtime) opposite Viola Davis, “TILL” (MGM). Summer has a passion for telling stories that help heal the genders, to dissipate the age-old battle of the sexes. She enjoys spending quality time with her two boys, Sage and Neel, and their two cats.
Phillip A. Anderson - Director
Philip A. Anderson has over 20 years of experience in the film industry and has worked as a cinematographer and camera operator for the last 12 years, including the recent Sundance Audiance Award winning film "Twinless" (2025), and television comedies “Portlandia” and “Everything Sucks.” Philip attended Eastern Washington University and received dual B.A.s in Communications and Clinical Psychology, while at the same time serving in the Army Reserve. Philip has also begun to work as a director helming the award-winning short film “The Talk,” and is working through post with his latest dark comedy short film “Collateral Breakup” produced by the Atlanta film group, Actor’s Army.
Taylor Hartley - Producer
Taylor Hartley is a multifaceted film producer, director, and actor with a wealth of experience supporting actors (such as Elizabeth Olsen and Haley Bennett) on high-profile productions for Marvel Studios, Apple TV+, Netflix, and more. Driven by a deep passion for storytelling, Taylor focuses on creating narratives that explore the complex journeys of women and queer people—and aims to create aesthetically beautiful films that transport audiences beyond their everyday lives, blending humor and heartbreak, and fostering a profound sense of reflection.
Solange Tran - Director of Photography
Solange Tran is an award-winning Director of Photography who also operates camera. When she’s not working on indie films she’s running her video agency “It’s Majik Media” which creates brand building videos for social impact brands and nonprofits. She enjoys cooking for loved ones (including her dog Majik) and going to concerts and stand-up comedy shows.
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