Havoc Content has added director Tamar Levine to its expanded team of creatives. Levine’s work has earned awards such as the ADC Young Guns, New Exposure by Vogue, Redx & Bottega Veneta, Communication Arts, and PDN Photo Annuals, among others, having directed campaigns for clients including Victoria’s Secret PINK, Urban Decay, Lexus and Warner Bros Records.
“Tamar is a multifaceted director and photographer who fits seamlessly into the Havoc team and culture,” said Leslie Harro, Havoc Content owner and managing director. “I have been a huge fan of hers for many years and our values creatively and professionally align. Having collaborated on projects together in the past, I have seen firsthand how she dominates a set to bring the vision to life. As a mother myself, I have respect for her ability to balance both her work and raising a young child. We could not be more elated to have her on the Havoc roster.”
Following her graduation from the Art Center College of Design, Levine embarked on a journey crafting commercials, videos, and photo campaigns for a wide span of clients. Her first career highlight was a solo photography exhibit at Bergamot Station in 2014. She later began writing and directing short films and music videos. Levine’s passion lies in crafting grounded stories that leverage her photography background for visual impact. The first short film she directed, Twenty-Two Date Palm Way, debuted at Young Director’s Night at LACMA. Prior to joining Havoc Content, Levine had been repped by production company Unicorns & Unicorns.
“I’ve known Leslie for years now and I’ve always admired her,” shared Levine. “I love her work ethic and how communicative she is. She is also genuinely a good person and a great mom to her son–two attributes that are more important to me now that I’m a mom. I’m really excited to be on board with Havoc and get going with some fun, creative projects!”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More