Erin Lee Carr is a writer, director, and producer. She recently directed an episode of Netflix’s “Dirty Money,” an investigation into price gouging tactics revolutionized by pharma giant Valeant. Her prior credits include “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and “Thought Crimes.”

“I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter” will premiere at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival on March 9.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

ELC: The documentary explores the prosecution and defense of a young woman named Michelle Carter who was accused of causing the death of her boyfriend and texting buddy Conrad Roy III. It’s a tale that starts in the true crime spaces, but quickly moves into the psychological realm. Those are always the types of movies I want to watch, so I thought I should keep making them.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

ELC: I love complicated women. I am drawn to women, their stories, and what society says about a crime. “I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter” felt like a perfect follow-up to my last film, which also played at SXSW, “Mommy Dead and Dearest.”

I wanted to know more about Michelle’s motives. Ultimately, I would discover a lot more than her motives.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

ELC: Good question! I guess I would just love to know what they they think about Michelle and her case after hearing the evidence. Did you agree with what the Judge did? Did you understand her a little more? Do you understand Conrad and his family more than you did before?

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

ELC: Oy! Tons of challenges as I’m sure you’ll hear with any film. For me, it was really figuring out how do I tell Michelle’s story while it is ongoing. I knew it would be a long time before she could say anything on or off the record.

We were also the only camera allowed in the courtroom, and we had to share with the news cameras since we were the designated “pool” camera. That issue brought a host of technical issues I had to strategize with DP Bryan Sarkinen on how best to figure out and often in a very fast manner.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

ELC: HBO paid me and Andrew Rossi, my HBO producing partner, to develop stories for features that live in the crime and technology space. This film grew out of the development deal.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

ELC: I loved stories and I loved being in a different world. Documentary always felt like the best of both worlds. I could be a journalist and research and figure out the story, but also creatively show you my hand, ever so slightly. It’s a weird combination of showman and journalist that I love so much. Also, it’s collaborative, and I love working with smart, cool people who teach me something every day.

I recently wrote a book about my father, journalist David Carr, my memoir “All That You Leave Behind,” and while I worked very closely with my editor Pamela, so much of my time was spent in my little office asking myself “Is this terrible?” Then sometimes I’d think “Oh wait, this might be good.” I’m very glad to be working with other people [and hearing their input] again.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

ELC: One of the best pieces of advice to me was given by the filmmaker Aaron Lubarsky, I printed it out and kept it on my wall for years: “In terms of advice for a first-time filmmaker, I’d say: trust your gut. Don’t let others sway you from your vision but keep an open mind. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, people you like and respect. Don’t sweat technology too much but learn as much as you can about gear and how it works– it’ll make you a better filmmaker and a better communicator. Shoot and edit your film yourself if you can. If you can’t, ask yourself why you can’t.”

“If you hire an editor,” he explained, “hire someone who isn’t just a button pusher — you want someone who will push back. Don’t worry about getting in to film festivals or awards or that kind of nonsense. Focus on story and emotion. Ask yourself, ‘Why should I care about this film?’ every now and then. And prepare yourself emotionally that rejection is a perfectly normal, perfectly healthy part of the process. And just keep moving forward. Also, remember this: films are never finished. You can continue to work on them forever, constantly modifying, tweaking, refining, etc. Films are never finished. They are — at some point — abandoned.”

Another great piece of advice came from my Dad: ““Work the phones.”

The worst advice that I got was that a filmmaker has to be completely unbiased, i.e. the director is just an observer. Those are not the types of films I make.

Another piece of bad advice I got is that you have to “assist” to know what you are doing. I totally get that it is a helpful strategy but I feel that women are often relegated to those roles for far too long. Yes you can assist, but also make sure to be “doing” what you love in the meantime.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

ELC: Watch movies all the time with a careful eye towards female-directed works. Ask questions when it comes to the technical aspects of filmmaking. Have a female mentor!

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

ELC: Liz Garbus’ “What Happened, Miss Simone?” absolutely gutted me. As a fan of the singer and, as I mentioned before, complicated women, the film brought me so close to her Nina and her struggles. I related a lot as someone who has dealt with familial addiction but saw them recover. I so wanted that for Nina too. Liz brought her to be fully-dimensional, something so challenging when you make films about your heroes.

W&H: It’s been a little over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

ELC: I notice increased visibility for female directors but also female-driven stories. I am putting out “At The Heart of Gold,” also with HBO, about the sex abuse scandal within USA Gymnastics this spring and I don’t think that would have been possible without #MeToo.

Within a day of the hashtag going viral, I wrote a #MeToo on my personal Facebook. Within hours I considered deleting it, thinking it was so small potatoes considering what others have gone through, but then I thought about what I do for a living and decided I needed to be brave like I have others to be. So I try to a brave, a little bit, every day.