Who are your top influences?
Jane Campion, Greta Gerwig and Hayao Miyazaki are some of my top influences. I actually watched Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind for the first time when I was developing the script, and the titular character’s resilience and strength in the face of immense adversity was a vital inspiration for the main character in Shadows. Nausicaä is intelligent and empathetic, continuing to fight for what she believes in despite the world crumbling around her.
What do you hope people take away from this film?
With this film I was interested in exploring ideas of authorship, female community and the question of the truth—particularly in an age where media can be altered, copied and transferred in so many different ways. I hope that my film will be both entertaining, and encourage viewers to think about these concepts.
What’s your personal takeaway from this production?
Making this film was an incredible and stressful learning experience. While it isn’t perfect, it stands today as something I made happen against the odds, and for that I am proud. Moving forward, this film will hopefully stand as both a reminder of what I have made, and a promise of how I can continue to improve. I love stories about women and female communities, and am excited about the prospect of telling more of these stories in the future.