Young Filmmaker Wants to Explore Differences to Create Universal Themes

“Dev [Ansari’s character] and his family are shown as Indian-American but are not a complete caricature,” she said.

The cast of “Mouse” is diverse, though they play Armenians, and all were found on Facebook.

“I put out a casting call on Facebook,” she said, specifying male and female actors of various ages. After writing her post, she and her family got on a flight to Florida for a vacation.

“I landed and opened Facebook to find 30 notifications,” she said, with many actors sending videos. She praised her actors as “wonderful,” who not only acted in the film, but in the case of a few of them, lent their houses to the production.

In a recent interview she said that her favorite part of the process is writing dialogue.

As for the “technical stuff” having to do with filmmaking, she said, “I learned it because I had to.”

There is lots of dialogue between parents and children, as well as people within a community as well as outside it. Also addressed are learning disabilities, a theme to which Zeroonian is returning now.

“I primarily consider myself a writer,” she said. Her most recent project which she hopes to complete for television, is based on a play she wrote in high school. The project is called “One Plus One Is Two.” The original play, she explained, took place in the 1960s was about a woman who grew up with learning difficulties. Now, for the TV pilot, as an adult, she is campaigning for special needs students in public schools, in essence, “avenging the way she was treated as a kid.”

The TV adaptation is set in the present day, when the former child has a husband and grown daughter and is writing a story about her.

“The show is about being a real person and making real mistakes. Parents and children plan to do better, step back and readjust,” she said.

Zeroonian characterized her script as a mix of comedy and drama.

One influence on this project is “A Woman under the Influence” by John Cassavetes, about a woman who is acting increasing bizarre and her concerned husband tries to get her help at an asylum.

“He [Cassavetes] is tiring to see if the woman is mentally ill,” she said. “This is the same idea.”

“I really enjoyed his work,” she added.

Another influence is Greta Gerwig, an actress, playwright and director who in 2017 received much acclaim and three Academy Award nominations for writing and directing “Lady Bird.” The film is about the dynamics of a family, specifically a mother and daughter.

As for dialogue on screen, she said she finds “The Sopranos” to be tops, as well as the film “Good Will Hunting.”

The 24-year-old Belmont native has also written and direct other short films, including “Well Water” in 2017and now she has her sights set on a TV series.

Zeroonian received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Boston University. She currently works at an after-school program.

She was briefly a linguistics major before realizing that it did not present a “viable career path.”

“I am a lot happier because I am getting to be creative,” she said.

To watch “The Mouse in the Bread,” visit the link https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Bread-Sharisse-Zeroonian/dp/B07PGWHLRV

To make a donation to her fundraising platform for her proposed television project, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/one-plus-one-is-two-pilot-episode?fbclid=IwAR1i33B7tQcps73Pmr0CPo8-iZBVcwqF955c9JPM9lm6k0SyouNLi5oolKs#/