Actress Chloë Grace Moretz and Channel Kindness Reporter Ash López chat about Chloë’s latest role in “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.” The movie is a phenomenal adaption of Emily M. Dartworth’s daring young adult novel. In this film, Moretz portrays Cameron Post, a small town teenage girl who is sent to gay conversion therapy after her love affair with another girl is exposed. During her time in gay conversion camp, Cameron befriends other LGBTQIA+ teens but also endures the brutality of the camp’s abusive tactics. The film opens August 10 in select cities, with more throughout the month of August. For tickets/showtimes, please visit: campostfilm.com/tickets
Q: Your character, Cameron Post, is a rebellious young teenager who is uprooted from her small town after she was caught exploring her queer identity with another girl. What kind of research helped you bring Cameron Post to life in such an engaging and relatable way? How did you prepare for this role?
A: I found it very important that survivors of conversion therapy were accurately depicted. After that, it was really just jumping in head first. We shot the movie within 23 days for a little less than a million dollars. We didn’t have much time for rehearsals. So much of it was just jumping in, feeling, and letting Cameron find her way.
Q: This film centers on the emotional and psychological abuse LGBTQ+ youth endure in gay conversion therapy camps. Were there any scenes that impacted you? Were those scenes more challenging to film?
A: Of course, the difficulty in the film is inherent in the story. But I know the difficulty that I felt filming it was only 1/18th of the difficulty the actual people in conversion therapy would have felt in that moment. As hard as it was, It was also very enlightening, very insightful to me. We depict these characters, these real-life struggles, while also intertwining that with the beauty of the interpersonal relationships – like being a gay person meeting gay people for the first time and realizing that you’re not alone.
Q: In the movie, we saw a diverse range of characters including a queer disabled girl of color, Jane, and a young gay indigenous teen, Adam Red Eagle. Behind the camera is the remarkable, Desiree Akhavan, who is the bisexual Iranian-American female director of “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.” How do you think the diversity in “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” both on screen and behind the camera, will amplify the film’s message and its connection to audiences?
A: I think it’s very important – the perspective that comes from being a queer Iranian-American woman. So having that diversity that she was inherently born into as an Iranian-American and then coming to realize her sexuality, it just made her the perfect director for this project, and I think the only director for this story, in my opinion. And she’s one of the main reasons why I felt safe with being able to take this role beyond. I knew that she could accurately depict this and be able to tell this story in a different light – one that hasn’t been told before.
Q: As a young activist from a small conservative town, I didn’t know much about LGBTQ+ conversion therapy until reading the book. The novel sparked my interest and mobilized me to help LGBTQIA+ youth who are in Cameron’s predicament. What do you hope viewers will gain from watching this film adaption? Do you hope they’ll be inspired to take action against these abusive conversion camps?
A: To educate themselves on the realities of conversion therapy. It’s legal in 32 states in America. In the 14 states where it’s illegal, it’s only illegal for minors. I hope it shows people a new perspective. I don’t think conversion therapy is widely spoken about even within the community. It’s something that needs to be reported on. Stories need to be written about it. These struggles are blatant throughout the country and need to be exposed. Thank you for sharing that!
To learn more about conversion therapy, you can watch the movie at a screening near you, read more on National Center for Lesbian Right’s website here, and get involved in the Born Perfect campaign to end conversion therapy here.
Check out the trailer here:
