5 Questions with Helen Takkin

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

I decided that I will be a theatre director when I was around 6 years old. Life went another way and I ended up in film school. I am glad I did, because I love the medium of film so much more. After school I worked as an editor and then in visual effects for a few years. From there I went into advertising, directing commercials internationally.

I have always loved stories. I believe consuming stories is a key element in developing empathy and emotional intelligence, because trough them you experience new perspectives. For me film is a perfect medium because I think in emotions and visuals rather then words.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

We started this project from a visual image of a woman drowning in a car filled with water that is parked in an urban area. I have struggled with depression for most of my life and the story of a woman breaking apart just made sense inside this concept. In therapy they tell you to use metaphors in order to explain what you are feeling to your loved ones. The metaphor of drowning is one of the most common ones. I had a wonderful team of close friends and collaborators around me with who we went into small details of how to tell justice to the story while exploiting the water level raising visually. We figured that we need to shoot this and play this as if the water doesn’t exist. We figured out a way to tell this story with emotional honesty without making the water a visual spectacle and I believe that is why this film works in the end.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

The biggest challenge was filling a car with water. We didn’t have a budget so we needed to find a car that would look visually pleasing, cost next to nothing and fit the technical requirements. My production designer and stunt coordinator worked tirelessly and finally they found one. The car was taken apart, made as waterproof as possible and then put together again. The doors were welded shut and they built a system in the back that allowed for a connection with a firehose. Everything you see on screen was done practically.

The easiest part was everything else. I had an absolutely amazing and very professional team. We made no compromises and had a lot of fun doing this.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

I recently rewatched Thomas Vinterberg’s “The Hunt”. This is a film that I keep on coming back to. The story is weaved in a masterful way. It has a lot of emotional nuances. It would be easy to fall into taking sides as a filmmaker, but this one is told with a delicate brush, allowing the audience to empathise strongly with the main character while still understanding the motives of the antagonists. It is simple but so powerful.

5) What’s next for you?

I am developing two ideas into feature films at the moment. At the same time I will keep on shooting small projects that allow me to experiment with magic realism. I also have a wonderful career in directing commercials and I love it a lot.

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helentakkin.com | @helentakkin