Please tell us about your decision to become a filmmaker.  

I decided to be a filmmaker later in life. I was always into the arts and writing, which seemed like good indicators that led me to filmmaking. I didn’t have any icons of female filmmakers until Sofia Coppola. Obviously, she comes from great privilege. I started with journalism and then switched to film studies, and then thought, “Oh, you want to be the artist!”.

I applied for film school and ended up going to Ryerson, which was top of my list. I just listened to my gut; I never looked back. It felt so right and everything clicked into place. For women, I think it’s about confidence. I hope women filmmakers are encouraging young women and teenage girls to pick up a camera.

Which of your scenes was your favourite to write?

From Firecrackers, it would be that scene where Lou watches her mother say goodbye to (her much younger boyfriend) Johnny as he drives away in her car and Lou confronts her mother about it.

There’s something softened about the mother character in that scene compared to earlier scenes. This scene was very successful to me in terms of subtext and meaning where I packed a lot of meaning into short sentences. I was proud of writing that one. 

Which scene was your favourite to shoot?

There are two scenes from Firecrackers. First, the bar scene where Lou and Chantal confront Josh and Kyle. It was a challenge to block that scene. We had the main actors but also a bunch of extras. It felt like orchestrating a musical number, thinking about tension and space like a beautiful dance. I felt like we were all in the right headspace trying to choreograph it.

Also, the barbershop scene. It was a stressful scene to shoot due to several reasons. With ‘non-actors’ there’s a general inconsistency and we only had that one take where David (who plays ‘Johnny’) shaves his head. That scene was loaded with subtext. It worked, thank god. 

How autobiographical is Firecrackers?

I wouldn’t say it’s autobiographical at all, but I myself am pretty much in every character. The character of Leanne is a mix of my father and mother. The dating younger guys thing is from my mom, and my father had these strict ideas about masculinity. I also grew up around girls who were very unapologetic about their sexuality and were labelled as “sluts”. They were problematic, it’s true, but they were shamed for dressing and acting a certain way. I felt like a fly on the wall; I almost looked up to their level of confidence. I also used my own experiences with men to inform intimate scenes. I’ve been journalling for a long time and I’ve pulled inspiration from my journal entries.

What has been the hardest lesson for you while writing?

Writing is full of hard lessons; to me, it’s the hardest part of filmmaking. It’s the blueprint for your film. You can’t start shooting with a crappy script and expect things to fall into place. You need to have patience and spend time with your script. It’s an emotional rollercoaster. That’s just part of what it means to be a screenwriter and filmmaker.

You need to take breaks and walk away from it sometimes and then come back to it. Research and prep is all part of the writing, too. Just understanding the process of writing itself. I learned I need space, time to walk away and research, feel crappy about it. Whatever works for you.

“I had to jump through so many hoops to get to TV (compared to many white male directors). People don’t trust you as much when you’re young or a woman.”

What has been the hardest lesson for you while directing?

Collaborating with the actors. On the day, there might be something that shakes their confidence, and when you’re on a low budget feature where you don’t have as much time… You can’t be hard on them; you have to go to a place of empathy. You have to almost act as a therapist. Especially if they’re new actors, you have to do what you need to do to get them ready for the scene. That’s why prep is so important. 

TV feels more like paint-by-numbers. You can’t really bring as many of your own ideas. I had to jump through so many hoops to get to TV (compared to many white male directors). People don’t trust you as much when you’re young or a woman.

Whose work is most exciting to you right now?

Mati Diop. Céline Sciamma. I really like Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. I’m very excited by what they’re doing. I couldn’t stop thinking about their films after seeing them. They’re changing the game and none of them are getting the attention they deserve compared to, for example, the Safdie brothers.  

What is your go-to feel-good movie or TV show?

My Best Friend’s Wedding. Wayne’s World. Selena. J. Lo, my god. Mrs. Doubtfire. Anything linked to my childhood. Bridesmaids. Rom-com genre but well written. I also love Insecure. To me, it’s a feel-good TV show.

In what specific area would you like to see the industry change?

One hundred percent in the area of trusting and giving opportunities to women, women of colour and non-binary people. I would like to see more POC in positions of power, more showrunners of colour.

There are alot of POC, women and non-binary creators that are “emerging”. I feel like not a lot of doors are being opened for them. The people at the top in Canada are still not giving enough opportunities. There needs to be more inclusion among showrunners, funding decision makers, producers, in the commercial world. 

[BLANK] is a f*cking perfect movie.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Firecrackers is currently streaming on Crave.