I am inspired every day by what makes us human. I want to capture the intrinsic moments of life and make someone realize that our vulnerability, emotions and imperfections are the things that make us so beautiful and unapologetically human. I want to capture the moments in our lives that linger - long after they’ve happened. It drives me to make fictional films that show an emotion that people may have felt or seen before, but may have forgotten or not yet understood. I want to give people a piece of themselves or someone else in order to better understand and accept our inner world.
Through fiction films I can tell stories that embrace the realistic emotions of everyday life, but with a hint of surrealism and magic to capture those feelings for which words sometimes fail. I focus on theme’s such as intimacy, memory, trauma and time. In my work I often use a non-lineair narrative structure, using intimate camera work and a long scene duration that could equal moments in real life. I often work with mosaic elements to reflect real life - in which we also do not have complete information of what is hidden in the people around us.
For me, acting direction is the most special thing about creating stories. When working with actors, I focus on creating characters that feel lived and authentic. I focus on the psychological part of our human lives - the reactions and emotions we feel during or after an event are central in my work, more important than the event itself. I aim to build my characters backgrounds with thought and care. I love to discuss this in depth with the actors so the characters start to feel real for them too. Improvisation and intuitive direction are principles in my approach, creating spontaneous and real reactions that enrich their emotions. This allows me to explore our human inner world together with my actors and to depict the unspoken layers of our existence. And for that - I am so grateful.