Jackie Van Beek is a writer-director and actor who has made seven award-winning short films that have played at international festivals including Berlin, London, Palm Springs, and Melbourne. Her first feature film, “The Inland Road,” premiered in competition at the 2017 Berlinale and is currently on the festival circuit. She recently directed on the television spin-off for “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Wellington Paranormal.”
Writer-director and actor Madeleine Sami has created, co-written, and starred in two seasons of the critically-acclaimed New Zealand comedy “Super City.” Sami also directed the second season of the hit sketch comedy show “Funny Girls.” Her television acting credits include “Outrageous Fortune,” “The Jacquie Brown Diarie,s” and Jane Campion’s “Top of the Lake.”
“The Breaker Upperers” will premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival on March 10.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
JV&MS: A comedy about two women who run a business breaking up couples for cash.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
JV: I got to thinking about the level of dread people have when faced with ending a relationship and I wondered how much people would pay to have that responsibility taken care of by somebody else. I called Madeleine and asked her if she’d like to write a film about it!
MS: Jackie pitched the premise to me four years ago and I instantly thought it was dark and brilliant.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
JV: I hope people fall in love with these ridiculous women and celebrate them breaking romantic conventions.
MS: I want people to feel good about their lives. A big message in our film is that living an unconventional life is okay. Embrace your imperfections as a human and surround yourselves with weirdos that get you and you can be happy.
I hope everyone leaving the theater is thinking about all of the terrible relationships they got out of!
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
JV: Co-writing was a challenge to begin with as Madeleine and I were living in different countries. It became a lot easier when we got in the same room.
MS: Definitely co-directing, co-writing, and co-starring all at the same time. I don’t think Jackie and I truly knew what we had committed ourselves to. We were so stretched that Jackie was sneaking out of meetings during pre-production to try costumes on.
W&H: How did you get your film funded?
JV: We teamed up with Piki Films whose development ethos is to work quickly and collaboratively. The film is financed by the New Zealand Film Commission with some private equity investment also.
MS: We went through a good development process in New Zealand which allowed us to take our time with the writing in between other projects. We were initially funded by the SEED initiative run by the Writer’s Guild in New Zealand. Then Piki Films came on board, and it all fell in place from there.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?
JV: It’s hugely exciting to be part of such a big and busy festival. I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that I’ll only glimpse a fraction of what’s going on while I’m there, but I aim to see as much as is humanly possible without falling over.
MS: I’m so excited! This is the first film festival I have been to and with my first feature, so it’s pretty special. I also love ribs, so I’m stoked to be in Texas.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
JV: Best advice was from my Aunt when I was 12-years-old in a tramping hut full of people. I was struggling to take my bra off without anyone seeing me. She wandered over and explained that everyone else was simply going about their business and no one was remotely interested in what I was doing, so better to get it done quickly and move on. It was a very freeing notion. Remembering that everyone’s caught up in their own affairs helps me to take more risks in my own life.
Worst advice: “I don’t think you should put on the show, it could be a little too crazy and be bad for your career.” I wanted to put the show on, so I did. And it went fine. I’m comfortable with the fact I’m going to make a series of mistakes in my life. I just don’t know which ones they are yet!
MS: Best advice: Judging yourself too hard gets in the way of creative freedom. Give your ideas a chance.
Worst advice: Have you thought about dying your hair blonde?
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
JV: Follow your instincts, do things that excite you, and be confident in your abilities.
MS: Keep doing it! There is so much to overcome in becoming a director as a woman, not least is our own inner lack of confidence. Don’t let lack of experience or knowledge of technical jargon throw you off. Our stories and perspectives have been seriously undervalued, so there is an absolute urgency for us to be out here fixing the imbalance and directing the hell out of everything we can!
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
JV: Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank.” Such a brilliant blend of femininity, testosterone, fragility, and strength.
MS: “The Piano” by Jane Campion. I was an absolute fanatical Holly Hunter fan when I was 11 and I watched “The Piano” with my Mum countless times.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women — and some men — in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?
JV: This movement is crucial. When we’re at work we just want to be able to work — that’s why we’re there. When we feel safe, inspired, confident, and valued, we’re able to work to our potential. Sexual harassment undermines these feelings and there is no justification for it taking place. I am a member of SWAG — a group formed to fight sexual harassment in the New Zealand Screen industry.
MS: I say #AboutTime. It’s so great that this movement is happening now and that women are uniting to force change within these systems that have so long disadvantaged us.
