"The Belladonna" - Interview with Javid Rezai and Stella Talpo: Is Scarface the campiest movie ever made?

"Some girls are born with glitter in their veins."

Written by Mariane Tremblay

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Javid Rezai and Stella Talpo about their new short film, The Belladonna. Described as a psycho-glitter thriller, Belladonna follows Stella (Talpo), a burlesque dancer haunted by the recent loss of her mother (Anna Tymoshenko), the legendary Queen of the Belladonna Club. Desperate to prove herself worthy of inheriting her mother's legacy after a lifetime of never feeling good enough, Stella slowly spirals as grief and jealousy begin to consume her. As Stella's mental state begins to unravel, her growing paranoia surrounding fellow dancer Cherry (Janiq) transforms her pursuit of the crown into something far more destructive.

From the very first images I saw from the short film on social media, I was immediately intrigued and knew I had to watch it. I’ve always had a soft spot for anything glittery and glamorous, and honestly, who doesn’t love a little camp? Give me something deliberately flamboyant, theatrical, exaggerated, and unapologetically over-the-top, and I’m already interested. And I’ve also been a longtime fan of Burlesque (2010) — Christina Aguilera, Cher, a gay Stanley Tucci... that’s peak cinema to me! So when I discovered The Belladonna on social media, I knew I had to experience it for myself.

I watched the short film, and I loved it. I loved that it was set in a club because it creates such an interesting contrast with the story. Everything is glittery and glamorous on the surface, yet underneath it all, Stella is quietly unraveling as she struggles with her mental health and the grief of losing her mom.

What resonated with me the most is how desperately Stella longs for her mother's approval, and how that need for validation slowly consumes her. The film never shies away from the uglier emotions that come with grief — there's an undeniable sense of jealousy simmering beneath the surface, whenever Stella sees her mom with Cherry (Janiq), watching her encourage her, celebrate her, and give her the kind of praise Stella has spent her whole life chasing, while Stella is constantly trying to prove herself, only to be told she simply doesn't have what it takes. That rejection gradually festers into jealousy and insecurity, which only amplifies after her mother's death, eventually turning into paranoia. 

Some of the choices Stella makes as that paranoia takes over might be difficult to justify, and the film doesn’t ask us to excuse them, but we still find ourselves feeling for her because we can understand where that pain is coming from. She is grieving, she is desperate to be seen, and she is watching someone else receive the love and recognition she has always craved. Losing her mom only amplifies those feelings, pushing her further into a place where her hurt starts to consume her, making her emotional unraveling all the more heartbreaking to witness.

It's such a painfully human feeling. I know it all too well, and I have a feeling a lot of people will see themselves in Stella, even if they haven't experienced it to the same extent.

After watching the short film, I immediately wanted to talk with Rezai and Talpo and learn more about this psycho-glitter thriller!

Quotes have been slightly edited for clarity

W SPOTLIGHT: Well, first of all, congratulations on the short film!

STELLA TALPO AND JAVID REZAI: Thank you!

W SPOTLIGHT: I really loved it. And I really loved how the story contrasts with the film's environment. Javid, what inspired you to write this story? And why did you choose to put it against the Burlesque Club background?

REZAI: I think there are two sides to how this project came to be. One is that Stella and I grew up together; we would make films when we were kids together. And early last year, we watched all our home videos with our partners. And that really fueled our desire to work together again, because we've never done anything together. As a genesis for why we decided to come together 100%, it was because we wanted to work together and make something that our childhood selves would absolutely love. As a project, that is where it really began. 

But for this story, truly, I think [...] I was just in a super creative space. So while I was watching different films, listening to different music, it took only about a week until I actually had the first draft of the script.

W SPOTLIGHT: Wow, really? That's impressive!

TALPO: Yes!

REZAI: In that week, I was just consuming so much amazing creative stuff. And as any creative knows: sometimes it just hits you. You get the bug, and you can't stop. And particularly, it was a quote by Paris Hilton that was actually at the front of our script from the very beginning of the project all the way to filming, which is, "Some girls are born with glitter in their veins." And I feel like that, that was like the quote that connected the creativity into actually starting to bring the story to life, because it embodies so much of the things I think I wanted to explore in the script. 

TALPO: I think also, like it came about so naturally because of who we are and what we consumed as artists. We discussed that night when we were like, "Oh, this would be really fun." And I was saying, I'm really intrigued by stories that explore... what's it called, the narrator that you can't trust? 

REZAI: Unreliable narrator.

TALPO: Yeah, unreliable narrator! I find human perception and the fact that we all observe the world in different ways so fascinating. And I wanted to explore that in a film. And that's all I said to Javid. And then he kind of ran with it, and he brought his whole spirit into it, which is kind of what I think adds juxtaposition with the venue, with the scenery, with everything that makes it so glamorous: that is Javid. He has that side of him. And that's what we used to love as kids. We would watch both horrifically terrifying, scary films, but then we'd watch the campiest of the camp, like Bring It On (2000). And what was that one that we loved...

REZAI: Miss Congeniality (2000)! Jawbreaker (1999) was a big one as well.

TALPO: And then the other pageant one where they kill each other.

REZAI: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999).

TALPO: We were so privy to all of that influence at that time as well, like these dark comedies that were set in like hyperfem spaces, that it just kind of bled out. And it's amazing because I don't think that we have that anymore. 

REZAI: So a long answer to your question would be, I think it just came from us, in our history and our friendship. And when you're in that creative space, it feels so natural to like pull from those things we loved and that we grew up with.

W SPOTLIGHT: Oh, that's great. I love that! And also, Stella, with so little time for people to get to know your character, how did you approach the role to make sure they would connect with her emotionally? And is there something about her journey that particularly resonated with you?

TALPO: I guess that's to answer in two sections. The best way to approach anything to make an audience connect with it is to allow yourself to feel it rather than to imagine what it would feel like. And I don't mean that in the sense that I have to go and hurt myself and stuff. It kind of lends itself to the second part of your question. It's her turmoil, her inner conflict of needing this validation and this sense of needing to be seen and desperation for it that ultimately makes it slip through her fingers. 

That's something that I firsthand experienced. I spent 10 years in the music industry, and I was so twisted in my desire for this one outcome that it was, in many ways, it skews your ability to see reality for what it is. And that also stemmed from my history, which, you know, is very — I don't want to say parallel, but there are a lot of parallels between the character and my own story. So it was very easy for me to feel into that authentically and hopefully allow the audience to experience this gripping sense of control and this need for an outcome so much so that you can't even trust your own mind. 

There was a lot of leaning into my own experiences and then also just allowing my preparation and my body to feel that sense of competition — the competition I feel with Janiq, the actress [who plays] Cherry. It's not something that I've necessarily felt in that kind of extreme way, but as an actor, you find a time where you might have felt that way a little bit, and then you just stretch it out, and you make it malleable, and you go, "Wow, how can I  really dive into this?" Although having said that, there have been moments where I've been super jealous that people were much more successful than me in the music industry. I think that was like a very human and childlike side of me that, again, I was able to bring into the character. Gratefully, I don't feel that way anymore, so I feel like it was safe to explore that. 

In a short 16 minutes, Talpo succeeds in bringing Stella to life with such authenticity, making us feel every ounce of her inner turmoil. While Stella’s descent becomes increasingly self-destructive, Talpo never loses sight of the person underneath it all, the wounded, desperate person who is simply trying to be seen and loved. After speaking with Talpo, it makes even more sense how she was able to capture those emotions so honestly, especially given her own experiences in the music industry.

Trying to leave your mark and accomplish something meaningful is already a difficult journey, but doing it while desperately hoping to finally make your mother proud adds an entirely different weight to every setback. There is something incredibly heartbreaking about never getting the validation you have spent your entire life searching for from the person you wanted it from the most. That kind of pain doesn’t just disappear; it slowly eats you alive, dictating how you see yourself and the choices you make. Talpo understands that feeling with such honesty, making Stella’s descent feel not just believable, but genuinely heartbreaking.

W SPOTLIGHT: I know you told me you both were dreaming of making this movie since you were kids, dancing to Britney Spears. So I wanted to know, beyond Britney, are there any other influences you got for the visual language of the movie? Any musicians, songs, movies? 

REZAI: Yeah, there is actually. All the films we were sort of listing that we loved sort of seeped into the film. I think Jawbreaker by Darren Stein was a really big one. We loved it. And having this sort of bubblegum world, but with like darker undertones, and then having this competition and complicated relationship between these characters was something I absolutely loved, and that definitely seeped into it. 

There's like a nightmare sequence in the film where we really wanted to go full horror, and that was super fun to play with because we loved films. I loved films like Scream (1996); for example, it was one of my favorite films. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). I was very much in, like, the 90s, early 2000s slasher, where you were sort of exploring these actually quite intense, you know, scenarios, but they were, you know, young people figuring it out. And they were often like teenagers or young adults figuring it out. So I think that really drew me. And then for set, [it] was such a big thing for us in the film. And we had the most incredible production designer, Leo Turnbull. We had the most amazing art director, Louis Mueller. So for me, set has always been so important. But I was also pulling from references that were kind of unexpected. Like I think, for example, Scarface (1983).

W SPOTLIGHT: Really?

REZAI: I think Scarface has the best set design in the world because this film is so camp. I think it's actually one of the campiest films ever made. 

TALPO: You heard it here first!

W SPOTLIGHT: I love that!

REZAI: And that push of like this like excess and this glamour, like that was what we were like trying to strive for as well. So there were a lot of different references. 

W SPOTLIGHT: That's good! And Javid, I believe this is your third short film? I was wondering whether this experience was different from the other ones? Were there new challenges for you while filming The Belladonna?

REZAI: Yeah, it was a really big change and a really big challenge. Like the first two shorts I did were like 10 years ago. And they were almost like I was going in completely blind. I had been working in the fashion industry, and I sort of pivoted and did this, and we didn't have a big production company — it was very just like guerrilla filmmaking. And I loved that experience, but then I went into screenwriting straight away. I didn't get to explore where it could have gone, or also more like maybe I also didn't know myself that much. I was in my early 20s then, so I was going through a lot of different things. I don't think I was telling the stories either that I felt like I was really wanting to tell. So for this experience, I just went full heart in. That was an exciting and scary thing to just put myself completely out there. But having Stella with me was like the best part because we know each other so well that we got to have each other.

It was also challenging because it was big. It was a big-scale production, you know, in a lot of ways, not just costume and set. But also we had a, you know, Dolphragon, which is a really big production company. We had Mustapha Webi, who's our amazing executive producer. So we had a lot of people, you know, there behind us. It almost felt like the stakes were higher.

TALPO: I know this is Javid's answer, but I think when you were saying about knowing yourself, I think there's also something really kismet about this whole experience because as I say, like Javid went into screenwriting and then I went into music and it was only at the time where it was just just right, which Javid was like, "I'm ready to direct again." And I had been returning to acting over the last few years. And then it just kind of met this perfect spot.

REZAI: It just all felt really right! And I actually love to say that we started with like a real passion. We went in and, like I said, within a week we had a script, and we were going, we're doing this, and nothing's going to stop us. And we were like a hurtling train going down the track. And I think that helped a lot actually, because people felt it; anyone we were coming across felt it, and they're like, "I want to get on that train with you." And that's why I think we were so lucky. We had amazing, amazing people from start to finish. Like I said, the production company that they came on board with, our amazing story producers, our amazing set, costumes, and then all the way to post, the casting director, our editor, Beth Wood, our amazing sound mixer, Akiko Haruna, our amazing composer, Adina Nelu — like these amazing people who just got the script. 

TALPO: I don't know how you would describe it — it was like a really magnetic experience where everybody that was attaching themselves to the project was exactly who we needed in that moment. 

REZAI: Yeah, it was weird. 

TALPO: No, I mean... 

REZAI: I mean that... you know, not weird, you know... it was like a weird, I think one... 

TALPO: It felt like super serendipitous!

REZAI: Serendipitous! And I think one, because we were just like passionate and ready to go. And I also think the script and the story lends itself to a certain type of person who would want to join us and come on board. Like I can see, like, some people might have, you know, seen the Paris Hilton quote and ran a mile. And we don't want you running towards us. You know what I mean? So the people who are coming were like the right ones for us.

W SPOTLIGHT: That's amazing, honestly! And also, you mentioned that the production was predominantly queer and female-led, which is something I know you two are proud of. And I believe you also worked with burlesque performers on the short film? So I wanted to know why it was important to you to bring all these people into the project? 

TALPO: I think, well, at first it was also for the question of authenticity, and also there's a booming burlesque industry in London and, you know, we're not a feature film, so we were like, how do we integrate these amazing performers into this short? Because it's not like we can just breathe life into three months of research for me, but also to give back to this community that is creating this world that we've managed to create together.

And it just felt like the right thing. And then, you know, I took lessons with Coco Bell for a few weeks to get ready for the basics, you know, of the dance and like what they go, what they prepare, what they have to do to go into each performance, the decisions they make. And I learned so much. And it just felt like the obvious choice, like these women, these performers, not necessarily women, actually, are so dedicated to this art form. And it's so diverse in the fact that it could be sensual, it could be cheeky, it could be, and it's too nuanced and too many years have gone into them creating these characters that it would feel inauthentic to not have them in the space.

REZAI: 100%. And from the very start, like Petit Poi was the first performer we found and emailed and who wanted to join us on the journey. She came on board as a burlesque consultant from the very start. And she was there from that first read-through we had. And it was because we are not burlesque performers, and we want to ensure that the world we're showing, even though it's a personal story to us, and we got the story, that we're representing in a way, you know, the burlesque community through this film. And I wanted to make sure through every step from script to edit, that everything felt possible and done in a respectful, correct, and honest way. And I remember that first read-through as well, that was even one scene that was at the beginning, and I had written in, like, a character in the audience, and it was like a guy that like sat there, and he was like a bit like, gross, and he was there with a beer, and I remember Petit Poi straight away being like, "You know, it's like women watch burlesque, like, that's our predominant audience, and that doesn't feel like this is like the right thing for the world."

And like, just learning through that was so important. And it's an incredible art form. And it's an incredible world that is not only glamorous and beautiful and sensual and liberating, but it's also political. And it's also incredibly provocative in all the right ways, and makes people talk. So we just had to inject that from the start [and] I'm proud of everything we've done. But I think something I'm so, so proud of, and one of the top things, is having our incredible five Belladonna girls, Turkish Delight, Petit Poi, Miss Coco Bell, Spookey Bones and Donna Podarosa, because they're iconic. And of course, the two girls from J'adore La Vie as well. So yeah, super proud.

W SPOTLIGHT: Yeah, I bet! And I also love the fact that, like you said, the production is predominantly queer and female. That's very nice, because it's kind of rare, actually.

REZAI: We actually tried getting like the exact stat of how common it is, plus like hours, and we're like, very close to like, almost 90% of the film was like queer and/or female. And like, that's crazy!

W SPOTLIGHT: Yeah, it is like! 

REZAI: But at the same time, like, I'm queer. Stella and I grew up together, and these are just the things we loved. And like going back to that previous point, when we were on the roll, you sort of attract this, the energy of people that one. And a film like this, I think, lends itself to that.

TALPO: Yeah, and I think there's also like a question of, it kind of goes back to the first question you asked where Javid said that the authenticity that comes through. It's like, these are all the, like, I didn't realize how campy we were as kids. 

REZAI: I know! 

TALPO: They're all the things that we're so passionate about, and it's so authentic. And in many ways, like us becoming more ourselves in adult life, allowed us to access these spaces that are very much like a part of me, a part of Javid. And Javid allowed me to re-explore that side, that glamour, that joy, that glitter, everything, you know, through this film. And I've rediscovered a part of me that was so much more playful. And I like to say extra. When you're little, you become a little bit shyer; you try to acclimate to society. And I was like, no, I am a bit of this. So yeah, I think there's definitely an authenticity that allowed us to connect with these amazing creators. And it was, of course, a conscious decision to be female and queer-led, because we are underrepresented in the film industry. But also, it happened so naturally at the same time, like, the right DOP happened to be a female-identifying person — it was just conscious, but also, like, they're out there. There are so many queer female creatives that are unbelievably talented. And so it was not like we had to sift through, you know, they were incredible, like from start to finish. And it was like, that's the obvious choice.

REZAI: And also, again, huge shout out to Emmy Ren, our incredible DOP who, like, just got the film. And she is like a pocket rocket. She is teeny tiny. And the second we had our first meeting, I was like, it's gonna be predominantly handheld. And she's like, I'm in, and was like carrying around this huge aria. She was like running around. 

TALPO: She's a badass.

REZAI: She's such a badass. 

The fact that both teams, behind and in front of the camera, are predominantly female and queer-led immediately made me even more interested in the film. Having women and queer people involved in a production isn’t just about representation behind the scenes — it’s about who gets to shape the stories we tell. The people writing, producing, directing, marketing, and reviewing films and television inevitably bring their own experiences and perspectives into their work. When those voices are missing, entire communities can be overlooked, misunderstood, or reduced to stereotypes.

But beyond representation, it’s also about authenticity. One of the things I really appreciated about The Belladonna was the decision to have actual burlesque performers involved in the film. It feels like such a thoughtful choice because it allows the world they created to be grounded in real experiences, with people who truly understand and live that art form bringing their own knowledge and perspective to the film. There’s a level of honesty and care that comes from putting those voices at the centre of the story, and that's something I really appreciate.

I love how important this was to them, and I love that they consciously chose to make it happen. We need more production teams willing to do the same. They’re proud of it, and as a queer, female-identifying person working in production myself, it makes me incredibly happy to witness that.

W SPOTLIGHT: Oh yeah! And also, last question, I wanted to know if you guys had any plans for the Belladonna. Is there any festival run plan? Are you planning on releasing it? And have you ever considered developing it into a feature film? 

REZAI: Right now we are starting our festival journey, so we're kind of very at the start of it. We're excited to see where the next year and a half takes us because we're really in that unknown area. We're going to do several screenings in different places with some other films that we also feel are very like aligned with ours. So we're just building community in that way, which I think is like a huge part. Festivals are great, but like community for us is like such a big thing. So we'll be doing that, and then I always said it would be fun to have like a Belladonna feature, but I think it's one of those things that, like, you never know. It's one of those things I would never say no to. And I'd always keep the door open. If someone wants to make a feature, then hit me up! 

TALPO: I think it's definitely opened the door for like the idea of maybe making more proof of concepts. But Belladonna in the way that it is feels so perfect right now. 

REZAI: Yeah. So we'll see!

W SPOTLIGHT: That's nice. Well, that's great! I hope the screenings will do well for you. And a lot of people will come see it because it's really a good short film! 

REZA: Thank you so much. And I'm sure that after our run at some point next year, I'm sure we'll put it somewhere so more people can interact with it. And that's where the life of a film can also take off in new ways. So let's see.

W SPOLIGHT: Oh, yeah, that would be nice! Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I really appreciate that.

REZAI: Thank you so much.

TALPO: Yeah, thanks so much for having us. 

REZAI: And thank you for supporting us. 

TALPO: It means a lot. 

W SPOLIGHT: Of course! 

REZAI: Thank you so much, Mariane!

It was such a pleasure talking with both of them — I immediately noticed how passionate they are about their art. And the fact that they’re best friends makes this movie even more special. There’s something so beautiful about seeing two people who know each other so well work together to create something significant, pulling from their shared history, childhood memories, the things they love the most, and the little things that brought them together.

The Belladonna feels like a true reflection of their own experiences and influences; every choice feels intentional and deeply personal. And it was even more obvious after talking with them. Whether it’s a shared obsession, a childhood reference, or just something that brought them joy, there’s a real sense of connection behind every frame. And I genuinely hope they will keep working together and make more films!

The Belladonna will be screening at various film festivals throughout the year, with additional screenings taking place in different locations. If you have the chance to experience it on the big screen, don’t hesitate. The visuals are stunning, and the cinematography is truly To Die For.