Stacey Gregg is a Belfast and London based writer, director, and performer working across film, TV, and theater. She is currently developing several original television drama series including “Superbabe” (Sunnymarch/BBC) and “Dark Gene” (Warp Films). Gregg is due to start development on her second feature, “Bukolia,” later this year. She is attached to direct a block of “The Baby” (Sister/HBO/Sky) this summer.
“Here Before” is screening at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, which is taking place online March 16-20.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
SG: When new neighbors move in next door to Laura (Andrea Riseborough) and her family, Laura and the newly arrived little girl strike up a friendship. We learn that Laura lost a daughter of around the same age several years ago. As her interest in the little girl intensifies, so too do tensions between the two households, escalating until what is unspoken must get out as Laura’s own family risks falling apart.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
SG: Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated by ghost stories and the supernatural. I was a precocious kid, like Megan in the film, and know how much trouble they can cause. Also, my upbringing was full of strong women and suppressed trauma; I wanted to meditate on grief and the unspoken between and within families.
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
SG: I prefer not to prescribe what people should think, but I would love people to feel they’ve watched something thoughtful and strange, something that creates space to think about how we deal with grief and the unknown, and the metaphysical dimensions of the everyday. And enjoy the ride in the process!
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
SG: There’s been a surge of films being made in Northern Ireland, but initially this was a real challenge. Thankfully audiences are showing they are curious about unfamiliar regions and voices, about the specificity of less represented landscapes and cultures. Financiers see that it’s less of a risk.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
SG: The film came through the iFeatures program, and we were incredibly fortunate to get the bulk of our funding from BBC Films. Once that was in place we were backed by Northern Ireland Screen and Pia Pressure to get over the line.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
SG: I was always fueled by visual art and culture. I came to filmmaking after establishing myself as a stage and screenwriter and was always keen to take control with the right project. I love films that create space to feel and wonder — that’s the compulsion that’s driven most projects I’ve made, whether for stage or screen.
I felt like an outsider growing up. I became very invested in understanding people, which is very useful for telling stories! The desire to bring certain stories and voices to a wider audience.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
SG: The best advice was probably my mum’s, which is to get over yourself — no one really cares in the big scheme of things, which, harsh as it sounds is also very liberating. I come from a background that is not “industry” or professional, so it’s a useful reminder to keep perspective and inner strength.
The worst advice was that talent will find a way out. The industry has long been one of the worst for recognizing its own blind spots, but I do feel this is starting to change as more diverse people take positions of relative power.
W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?
SG: To women and non-binary directors, to anyone underrepresented I would say take your place, tell your stories, seek out your collaborators and champions, raise up other voices you care about, be an activist in your process, and one day representation might reach a place where we can all just get on with what we do best.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
SG: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is a masterclass on so many levels. I’d been following Céline Sciamma’s work since “Water Lilies,” and “Tomboy” nearly destroyed me. As a young queer, she was about the only filmmaker I knew of telling those stories with such nuance and care. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” feels like a film that could only have been made by her. It was devastating and sublime and I am so grateful to have it in our universe.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?
SG: It is tricky staying creative when you have been denied a creative community for so long, and I thrive on company and the chats. I have found concentration a challenge, working from home with a young child.
But we live by the sea. We go for long walks. We be kind to ourselves and I try to surprise myself by ignoring algorithms and instead selecting random music or films. Often from eclecticism comes inspiration.
W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make Hollywood and/or the doc world more inclusive?
SG: There are so many ways to improve inclusivity but fundamentally we have to all take personal responsibility: to be alert to ways we can act, acknowledge our own blind spots, and ensure there is more inclusivity both in front of and behind the camera, from top to bottom. We should all be educating ourselves on the ways representation matters, and be ready to speak up and to take action in solidarity if that is what is required. Anyone who has experienced being a minority or marginalized will know that we must raise each other up rather than simply focus on things we think affect us individually.
