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Meet the Raleigh-based screenwriter behind the coming-of-age film debuting at The Rialto May 18.
“I would appreciate it if your dialogue and references to popular culture in the script were more in touch with my generation,” NCSU grad and writer Mariana Fabian critiqued of Amazon Prime show The Wilds in a 2021 Technician article. Now, four years later, Fabian is taking bounds toward a more accurate portrayal with her screenwriter debut in coming-of-age film Growing Pains, premiering in Raleigh at The Rialto May 18.
After LA-based director Catherine Argyrople came across the Technician critique, she and Fabian connected to capture the “tumultuous transitions” of maturing on film, seen through two childhood best friends whose stories are loosely based on Fabian and Argyrople’s experiences growing up queer in a Hispanic household and the aftermath of surviving cancer, respectively.
And the May 18 premiere is more than just a screening—a moderated panel of Triangle supporters of the LGBTQ+ community—including the LBGT Center of Raleigh, Wake Forest Pride, and Hope for Teens—are slated to lead a discussion on queer advocacy. See how Fabian and Argyrople flip the script on the dialogue of women and queer communities in real time ahead of the premiere and dive into our chat with the filmmakers below.
Tell us about the inspiration behind Growing Pains.
Argyrople: As a childhood cancer survivor, I had never really seen representation in the media about the aftermath of surviving a traumatic illness and how it impacts your life, so I wanted to touch on the mental health aspect… I was also passionate about telling authentic stories about women, and that’s what led me to Mari. There are a lot of stories in film and TV about women that feel very inauthentic and are from male perspectives. So my mission with my production company, and as a filmmaker, is to uplift women both in front and behind the camera.
Fabian: I started thinking about female stories when I started my film degree at NC State. I took a class called Women in Film—shoutout NCSU Professor Marsha Gordon—and I really enjoyed thinking about how women are not only represented in film, but how directing, writing and editing affects that. And that goes hand in hand with what the film is trying to do. And in terms of my story and coming out in a traditional Hispanic household, facing racism and homophobia was difficult, but this was kind of the perfect outlet for that.
Tell us more about the panel.
F: I’m really just passionate about queer rights and advocacy, especially queer youth, which has been under attack in NC for a long time, like with the Bathroom Bill. I don’t think queer advocacy has to be heavy all the time. There’s so much policy, but having a party instead, that’s epic—just getting the community together and helping people feel seen and heard.
What other films and shows did you draw inspo from and recommend to each other?
A: Ladybird, for both of us, was a big one—it’s raw and it doesn’t really shy away maternal relationships.
F: Real Women Have Curves, which has America Ferrera in it. She wants to go to college, but she has to battle against the views of her traditional parents.
How did you tackle creative differences?
F: I think one of the most rewarding parts of the process is having to handle moments of creative differences. It just started with open communication, and if I was saying something about a line, Catherine wouldn’t take it very personally. Differences are what make us great artists and who we are. catherineargyrople.com; etix.com
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