Interview – Zoë Eisenberg

Zoë Eisenberg on Messy Romances and the Art of Community

Zoe Eisenberg — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:33:24 +0000

For years, Zoë Eisenberg has supported independent filmmaking in her East Hawaiʻi home. Now, a book and feature film debut brings her creative work into the spotlight.

Hawaiʻi International Film Festival 2024: Zoë Eisenberg on Chaperone

Filmmaker Magazine — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:27:44 +0000

A chance encounter with a teenage Lothario who thought she was still in high school inspired Zoë Eisenberg to begin writing her solo directorial debut, Chaperone, which premiered at the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival and won the Breakouts Grand Jury Prize. “When I was 29, a 17-year-old boy mistook me for a teenager and asked me out to a party,” Eisenberg recalls. “While I declined, I couldn’t help but wonder: what kind of woman would have gone to that party? From there, the questions grew. What happens when a woman chooses not to pursue career or motherhood, the two narrow avenues society has opened for women to hold space in? And how do you respond if your aspirations consistently disappoint those around you?”

Hawaiʻi Island filmmaker debuts solo directorial project ‘Chaperone’

Hawaiʻi Public Radio — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:22:26 +0000

A new indie film that takes place on Hawaiʻi Island's east side has been selected to participate in this year's Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. “Chaperone” was written and directed by Hawaiʻi Island resident Zoë Eisenberg. The film, shot in Hilo, is about 29-year-old Misha, a woman without much ambition. She starts a relationship with high school senior Jake, who thinks Misha is his age, which results in some reckless behavior.

writer on writer: Aaron Kandell + Zoë Eisenberg

The Hawaiʻi Review of Books — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:31:31 +0000

The hot magma chamber of creativity bubbling up on the slopes of Mauna Kea has given us many rich and enchanting voices. Recent novels from Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes and Kaui Strong Washburn arrived on a solid foundation laid by Juliet Kono, Kiana Davenport and Mark Panek. Now Zoë Eisenberg enters the mix with a significant debut novel, Significant Others.

Two Authors, One Subject: Zoë Eisenberg and Rhaina Cohen on Writing Intimate Friendships

Literary Hub — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 23:15:39 +0000

The Author of "Significant Others" and "The Other Significant Others" in Conversation. Novelist Zoë Eisenberg and journalist-turned-author Rhaina Cohen have something in common: they both published books about extraordinarily intimate friendships. Their debut books published in February of this year with strikingly similar titles—Significant Others (Eisenberg) and The Other Significant Others (Cohen). They talk about their books as “literary fraternal twins.”

Sunrise Interview on Hawaii News Now with Zoë, Mitzi Akaha, and Krista Alvarez of Chaperone.

Hawaii News Now — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 21:00:00 +0000

Zoë Eisenberg, writer and director of ‘Chaperone,’ joins actors Mitzi Akaha and Krista Alvarez on Hawai‘i News Now Sunrise to discuss her directorial debut and its Hawai‘i International Film Festival premiere.