Nikki Braendlin, "As High as the Sky"

Nikki Braendlin talked with The Film Yap about her debut as a feature film writer/director with "As High as the Sky." For Indy Film Fest showtimes, click here.

The Film Yap: How did you come up with the concept for this film, which I believe is your first feature as a writer/director?

This was a different writing process than my other scripts because I had the location (Caroline’s house), the two actresses (Caroline and Bonnie McNeil) and a ballpark of a budget and needed to create something around those elements.

I used to work in a group home for girls and they were forced to confront every emotion, every memory. I was interested in exploring a character who has been raised with the opposite thought process, to never address anything traumatic. Having struggled with OCD myself, I understand it well and felt that it was something with which this character could definitely be grappling. The minimalist nature of the house (Caroline’s actual home) lent to this decision.

What past experiences or advice guided you in directing this film?

I studied acting at Stella Adler in Los Angeles and began directing theater while I was there. I knew I would be comfortable working with the actors but, having never attended film school, I was less certain about the technical aspects. Basically, I self-studied a lot the year before we shot the film!

Obviously, this movie is very dependent on the success of the three main characters and the women who played them. Talk about the process of casting them.

I chose to self-fund the film so that I could maintain creative control. Caroline and Bonnie are both friends of mine and, I think, really strong, interesting actresses. I wanted them to have a chance to be leads in a film and I wanted, as a first-time film director, to work with actors with whom I felt comfortable. I created the characters for them and then we cast for Hannah. I saw about 50 to 60 young girls for the role as I was still figuring out what age I thought Hannah should be. I decided on 10 because I felt she would still be young enough where she needed a mother figure but old enough to really understand what was happening and how to process it. Laurel Porter was just fantastic in the first audition and subsequent callbacks. She connected well with Bonnie, and we were thrilled to find her.

Caroline Fogarty faced a tough balance in making her character seem alienated but not off-putting. How did you two collaborate to maintain such a difficult tone?

Fortunately, Caroline is very charismatic in person, and I think that helps draw the audience to her. In addition, we talked a lot about her backstory and how this is a person who is more pained than angry, someone who has been through very traumatic events. In a way, Margaret is childlike in her ability to process emotions or really evaluate situations. I think Caroline did a great job of having that underlying innocence come through at the right moments.

Laurel Porter is just terrific as Hannah. Had you worked with child actors before, and what sort of direction did you give her?

I’ve been joking that I still don’t feel like I’ve worked with a child actor because Laurel is more mature than I am! She brought that perfect mix of self-possession and playfulness to the role. We talked a lot about her character during rehearsals so once we were on set, it was more about trying different intentions within the scenes. Laurel was open about her life (as she put it, she was 11 so she “didn’t have any secrets”), which was helpful for me, especially during the more dramatic scenes because I knew what she was drawing from and could help her relate the character to her own experiences.

This is a film in which production design was very important. Tell me about finding and staging Maggie's home to give it that antiseptic look.

I always love this question because … we didn’t do anything! I made two paintings to go on the walls and bought a rug. The rest is how the house always looks. I wrote the script knowing we were shooting there, so I tried to make it one of the characters, or at the least, have it help define Margaret.

One of the things that was most refreshing about "As High As the Sky" is that these three females exist as distinct individuals with inner lives rather than being defined by their romantic relationships. Do you face any pressure or temptation to throw in a love interest for any of them?

Because I self-funded, I didn’t have to answer to anyone, which was wonderful. Matthew’s recent departure is obviously a catalyst for Margaret’s exacerbated symptoms, but I didn’t want him involved past that. I felt this was more a story about sisters and family and reconciling their pasts.

What's next for you?

My producer and friend Lena Bubenechik and I are in development on our next film, "The Great Steed." It’s a script I wrote about a man in a midlife crisis who has to confront it when he’s forced to take care of a 13-year-old girl. We are in the process of attaching an actor for the lead role and then we’ll start securing the financing.