Filmmaker Statement

As a dancer, I find that telling stories through action above dialogue can resonate with us in an even more intimate way. The Diver is a story about isolation, loneliness, negligence, and internal conflict, however; it is also about growth and the confidence that comes from learning to be self sufficient. Ultimately, The Diver is a story about 7 year-old Zoe trying to get a dive toy from the bottom of the pool. As many children are, Zoe is shifting between the "real world" and her "dream world." The real world being her parents who hover above her, omnipresent, and the dream world being the pool, her space of play. As an only child, I have created my own worlds in pools many times, and wanted to bring this authenticity into the film. The capturing of authentic moments is what bleeds empathy into the story. I wanted to show a vignette of Zoe’s life, ethereal playful images that sit alongside dialogue that is real, honest and grounded.