Filmmaker Statement

A hiss of a coffee machine. The cacophonic garrulousness of customers. An annoying, never-changing ambient music in the background. Danielle and Mark struggle to keep up with the orders that keep coming in. Oat macchiato, iced cappuccino, skinny flat white. A customer complains that the toilet’s door is stuck; “I’ll be there in a second,” screams Danielle. When she finally checks it, she finds a dead man. The guy’s death? Just the start of this fast-paced dark comedy short film. Working in a café like the one in Behind the Counter messes with your head—soon enough, you forget you’re even a person. You become this machine, operating on muscle memory alone, and before you know it, you’ve convinced yourself you actually belong there. Like every problem behind that counter is somehow yours to fix… As if a staff discount makes it all worth it! Regardless, before long, your job feels like your whole life. So, how far are you willing to go to keep both—your sanity and your paycheck?