WXFF 2020: Ellie Heydon & Lydia Bland
We talk to filmmaking sisters Ellie Heydon and Lydia Bland about their darkly comic film Fred Forever which you can catch at Women X in our Unconventional Connections strand. In this interview, they tell us about the exciting projects they are currently working on, how they balance tragedy and comedy in their storytelling, and their collaborative process as a sister-duo.
Tell us about yourself and the work you do
L: My name is Lydia and I work in the production side of VFX for larger scale projects, whilst creatively producing and directing smaller projects on the side with our production company Pelican Productions. We're involved heavily in the creative process every step of the way from sourcing material to create scripts and commissioning writers through prep, shoot and post; all the way to final stage distribution.
E: And I’m Ellie - I started out as an actor and moved into directing following 3 years working on Hulu/BBC Drama Harlots and becoming increasingly excited by the women behind the camera. I generally work in comedy and am incredibly passionate about working to give women a voice. Alongside filmmaking I am founder of the intersectional, female-centric theatre company Siberian Lights.
What is your proudest moment of your career so far?
L: Completing our latest short film, PELICANS. It was an amazing logistical achievement and it was the loveliest team. Feeling like we had created a film that was super fun to work on and also watch was the most amazing feeling.
E: Ditto what Lyds said really. It was such a wicked shoot. We were filming everything on a beach the first weekend in January and the closing shot on the first day was our entire cast dancing around with sparklers at sunset. As we were shooting the sequence, the sky went this fiery red and purple colour just as we got the shot. It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment, and is my favourite sequence in the film.
How difficult was it to find the right balance between humour and grief for this story?
L: I think it's always a difficult line to tread. In the end people's boundaries are always a little different, we just had to trust our judgement and the judgement of those around us.
E: The story was inspired by a conversation we had with Beth, the writer, about incidents we had both experienced where something seemingly jovial had become completely inappropriate in the face of death. The key was really playing the severity of the suffering the family are feeling when they lose their mother, so that the contrast between what the grieving characters are going through and what Jade is going through creates a space where the audience can laugh.
What inspired your fascination with the fine line between tragedy and comedy?
Both: We had a few deaths in our lives in quick succession and realised through this that tragedy and comedy do tend to go hand in hand. When stakes are incredibly high, as in the case when somebody dies, it facilitates the most brilliant, shocking humour and that is exactly what you need sometimes; to laugh and release the pressure. We generally love work that makes you laugh when you know you absolutely shouldn’t!
The actors playing Jade and Fred work really well together - was that chemistry immediate or did it take some rehearsal?
Both: We were incredibly lucky with our actors in that they are a couple in real life! This was extremely helpful with the lack of rehearsal time because they are so at ease with each other physically, so we didn’t have to spend time choreographing and workshopping to create the romantic language between them. Especially when we were getting Fred to roll around in a tiny thong within the first hours of shooting.
What was the collaborative directing process like? Were there any disagreements?
L: It was brilliant! Ellie having come from a background of acting has a unique and excellent insight into communicating with actors and I offer a technical knowledge that hopefully reflects on screen. We have a similar taste in style and I enjoy working my way through the process with someone who I admire so much. It's great to work together.
E: Being sisters means we have a real shortcut when it comes to communication, so we save a lot of time with that. I think because we’ve entered the industry from opposite ends of the spectrum, it’s super useful to pool our shared knowledge to trust one another completely in those areas. Plus, it’s very cool for me to be able to watch my sibling at work, I really admire what she does. The only disagreement is who will be trusted with the hard-drives (answer: it’s not me!).
What themes do you want to explore in your future work?
L: Relationships between women. From sister relationships, to mothers and daughters, friendships and dating I think there's a hugely complex network of experience that feels like it hasn't been explored enough. As a young queer woman I consumed as much LGBTQ content as I could and realise the importance of these stories in discovery and normalisation of sexuality. It would be lovely to contribute positively to someone else's journey with a film we make.
E: I love films that tickle your mind and make you think whilst also being entertaining, so we aim to create work that gives an alternative outlook on well-trodden stories.
What three things do you always have on your bedside table?
L: A book to read, a book to write in, and my phone.
E: A scented candle, the book I’m reading, photographs.
Tell us three things you're grateful for?
L: My family, my friends, their health and mine
E: My local coffee shop ‘Carbon Kopi’, Parks and Rec, strangers letting me stroke their dogs.
What are you working on at the moment?
L: I’m working on Fantastic Beasts 3 in the VFX department and alongside that I’m producing a short film starring Haruka Abe and Elen Rhys which explores vulnerability in a relationship by juxtaposing the first stages of love and the last moments of commitment.
E: We’re currently creating the press kit to go with PELICANS, which was finished during lockdown. I am also directing a short in a couple of weeks, exec’d by Jason Sudeikis and starring Nick Mohammed and Phil Dunster about a post-graduate compatibility programme set in the near-future. We are working with an entirely female HOD team which has been incredible.
