Filmmaker Statement

When writer Sophie Swithinbank sent me ‘Surrender’ it was the first time I had been approached from an external writer to make a film. This was a new and fascinating challenge, tapping into someone else’s story and vision. The film is based on the actor Phoebe Ladenburg's personal experience of motherhood, and for me to be granted the opportunity to immerse myself in someone else's inner world was a hugely engaging and humbling experience. Postnatal depression is not a subject frequently explored on screen, despite it being a very real and very common experience for women. Both Sophie, Phoebe and I wanted to represent that experience, and create a film that was a honest depiction of a woman struggling to come to terms with her new role as a mother. Originally part of a monologue written for the stage, I wanted to honour the strength of Sophie's words, and let the dialogue drive the story forward. This was a new challenge for me, as my previous work was very much image and sound driven.