From the initial read of Ali Severs’ beautifully transparent script I felt an immediate connection with the two characters. I saw bits of myself in Lucy in a way that I felt so many women would. Her character is the epitome of numerous young women trying to navigate the adult world. Being independent but also vulnerable. Being self-aware but also blissfully dismissive of adults who have spent decades longer than us on the planet making millions of mistakes. Feelings of utter chaos but trying to hold it together to show everyone that you have grown up and that you are absolutely FINE. We all know no one says ‘fine’ unless they are not fine.
Then there was Dad. I value the power of any human who manages to be impartial in a situation that has so many consequences and emotions. Lucy’s Dad spoke to me from a place of admiration. What is the secret to being a great dad? My dad (an unorthodox father) once surprised me by saying something that made me think that he could be put in the running. He said that he always tried to allow us make mistakes and just be there when it got unsafe. Kindly, silently at times, Dad’s soft humour and stoicism made me fall in love with him in one journey. All I needed to bring this character alive was an actor with all these things and an added twinkle in their eye.
Enter the legendary Owen Teale and the incredible Gwyneth Keyworth, both in a car for two days, acting, for us. What an honour. I loved the idea of stripping back the directorial process to its simplest form: two actors, a great dynamic and fantastic writing. I wanted to cultivate performances and bring every beat, every nuance both said and unsaid, to life. The night before filming when we got down to rehearse in a Premiere Inn car park in South Wales, their talent and professionalism was so apparent. I was finally sparring with two incredible actors who had connected with this story I’d been thinking about for years. Their interrogation of this moment in time left me elated. It wasn’t just me, Ali and Tracey (our producer) trying to bring the story alive, now it had new ambassadors.
The subject matter of abortion is shrouded in so much stigma and we all wanted the film to be about the power of choice. The power of family. The ability to be supported to make your own decision. Lines were tweaked and performances were retuned throughout most of the filming process, ensuring that we were all were moving towards a message of pro-choice.
This drive for a common goal within our film prep, shoot and post was hugely aided by having a female lead team. Countless stories of personal situations punctuated meetings with our writer and editor, assuring me that those telling this story were all connecting with it and adding personal layers to the film.
The importance of having a female voice within the film’s score became obvious during the edit. After watching a rough cut, our composer Abi returned with our bespoke title track. I was overwhelmed by her ability to capture a feeling through her lyrics and style. It reflects Lucy’s journey but also Abi’s, bringing yet another female voice to the film.
My visual aspirations for the project stemmed from securing our Welsh actors. They gave us the ability to set the film in the valleys of the south Wales countryside, a place close to my heart having lived not far away. I had always imagined shots of an old blue Volvo rolling through a vast landscape, so I could contrast this with the closeness inside the car. Once this distinctive car was secured, I could see that the blue of the seats would reflect the mood and theme, as well as telling you what sort of guy Dad was. The coverage was always going to be simple, but by using a 2.39:1 aspect ratio we knew we could intensify the connection between these two characters. Binding them tightly together in this moment in time.
The immediate intimacy of this short but powerful point in two people lives is what first pulled me to tell this story. Now I am so proud of how it has landed on the conversation of abortion. I want to show this film to as many young people as possible, so it allows them to think about this situation. I want those who watch it to laugh and feel everything I felt the first time I read it. And I want people to start talking about it and know that it is okay.