Josh Curran/The Ubyssey

Meghan Gardiner was hit with inspiration for her upcoming short film in an unlikely place—a bathroom stall at the University of Toronto.

The UBC alumna, who has been working as a writer and actress for the last decade, was touring her one-woman show Dissolve when she came across a particularly interesting bit of graffiti.

“The bathroom was a little skuzzy, a little dingy, and in one of the stalls was this whole crazy debate about abortion,” she said.

“It was amazing that people were so forthcoming with their thoughts on a bathroom wall.

“I read it and of course I have my views, and I was shocked by some of the other views,” she said. “And that’s when I realized, wow, this is more anonymous than Facebook.

“No one can ever find out who you are. You just write something on the wall and then it’s there forever.”

Gardiner took some pictures, and then continued on her way. But then she started going into any bathroom at every opportunity she could, to see what else was out there.

“You’d be amazed what I found,” she said.

“I started seeing recurring themes. And those themes were quite devastating. Heart-breaking. I have too many quotes on eating disorders, I have countless quotes on unwanted pregnancy, on drug addiction, on sexual assault. These were little anonymous cries for help,” she said.

At the time, Gardiner was having a hard time coming up with ideas for a new follow-up show to Dissolve.

“I got this Canada Council grant, and of course the minute I got the money I couldn’t think of anything to write about,” she said. Finally, she decided to piece together a show based on her newfound fascination.

“Eventually I decided I wanted to make it exclusively from what I’ve found. Every word. I haven’t added an ‘if,’ an ‘and,’ [or] a ‘but.’ I wanted it to be as authentic as possible.”

And rather than turning her findings into theatre, as originally planned, she opted to make a movie.

The short film, called Stalled, will star Gardiner in a variety of roles. The characters she created include a cast ranging from age 15 to 75, all with diverse backgrounds. One character is a student, another is a heroin addict.

The film will be directed by another UBC almuna, Shannon Kohli. They hope to tour the film through the indie festival circuit.

“These women are reaching out,” Gardiner said. “It’s time that we listen.”

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