Mick Lexington

What is the story behind Lipstick Traces?

It's the story of love and human survival. How the search for love takes one to the irrational. It's a story of emotional reaction and taking responsibility for those actions.

What should people take away, gain, realize after watching your film?

Go see more Mick Lexington films. Seriously, I have a very defined motivation that every story follows, and the audience is either going to get it, or they're not. I'm not going to preach some message like a fucking evangelist. If you don't get it, it's not for you.


Do you think films can change people for the better or worse?

The way you ask the question implies that film has the potential for a negative effect, and in that, is there a responsibility of the filmmaker, which I believe one does. But it's not a responsibility for how someone reacts to your work, but a responsibility to your work. Not to compromise it regardless of the reception of your work.



How was the creation of your project at the time of COVID-19?

Covid was the catalyst for making Lipstick Traces. I had just begun to shoot a web series based on my novel Mr. Jack. Covid pretty much closed that production down. I was looking to do something very light and maneuverable, something I could shoot with a small cast and crew, work fast and mobile, and Lipstick Traces was born. It was going to be a very fast and light project, but since then, it's taken on a life of its own.

What creation style did you use in the production of your project?

I'm very intentional in my composition, but I want it to feel organic. I use a lot of objective camera to coax the viewer into the role of an observer, which borderlines on voyeurism. Most of my scenes are shot from an objective point of view to allow the users to sink into a scene.


How did you select the actors for your project?

Before I bring someone on, I'll have them read up on the project beyond just the script to find out if it's something they feel they'd be comfortable working on. I also want to know if it's a cultural fit, so I usually will invite them to dinner or something social to see if we can work together.

The cast I'm working with now is a very solid unit. We are all pretty tight and have been working together for a couple of years. So I feel like they're a part of my family.


Why do you think your film should appeal to distributors?

I don't, but we have something close to a sixty percent acceptance on the festival circuit, so I must be doing something right.

At which festivals will your film be screened?

In October 2022, we'll be at the Rome Independent Cinema Festival, Amsterdam Independent Film Festival, London International, and the Swiss International Film Festival in Aubonne.



If you could change something in Lipstick Traces, what would it be?

Nothing, it's fucking perfect.

Which movies are your favorites and why?

Where do I start? Nicholas Roeg's Performance for how it illustrates the struggle of one's duality of existence, are we who we say we are or who we pretend to be. Fassbinder's Veronika Voss, for the same reason. Second, A Band Apart by Jean-Luc Godard, simply because it's beautiful, poetic, and free. Third, Tokyo Story by Yasujiro Ozu it's possibly the cornerstone for all of my stories, the cycle of existence.


What topics do you like to address in your stories?

Existentialism, why we exist, why we have this inherent need to love, hate, and survive. I like to peel away the layers of a character's ego and let their naked soul stand in the wind and the rain. Then you begin to discover who you are.

What is your motivation in making films?

It's not so much of a motivation as a survival instinct. I think, therefore I am, therefore I make films. I have no idea what the hell else I would be doing.

Which contemporary filmmakers motivate you the most?

Contemporary? That's a stretch. I can't think of anyone that gets me excited, or I look forward to seeing their work. I find most contemporary filmmakers are either obsessed with money or gear, both of which are detrimental to telling a great story. Is Terrence Malick contemporary? Defiantly not Mainstream. I know he's got a Jerry Lee Lewis project development, which sounds amazing if it ever gets finished. I'd go see that.


What projects do you plan to shoot in the future?

I have a Dramatic Comedy in development, Chasing Rainbows, about a young comedian who finds fame in the shadow of her idol and then deposes her. A little bit of a modern take on All About Eve. That and a few other episodic projects, one of which is Mr. Jack, based on my novel of the same name.