EFFIGY HOUSE, 5min., Canada
Directed by Deb Ethier
A meditative journey through the surreal inner spaces of the filmmaker’s mind as passing images and thoughts overlap, yearning to coalesce into a concept.

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Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I had a basic and rather vague idea of rooms in the “house” of my mind; places where ideas for films dwelt, sometimes just on the periphery of my consciousness. By investigating these rooms, the film would materialize, almost in an interactive sort of way. I then created the rooms, not in any particular order. This was a very liberating approach as I didn’t follow a storyboard; the flow between scenes seemed to fall into place as I worked on the edit. The “wind” that blows through near the end is like an idea wafting through the mind that liberates other ideas. It is also a film about making films, and about past films I have made (which are always in the back of my mind, in the rooms of my Subconscious), so there are clips from my earlier films playing in some of the rooms, on walls or in cupboards...and even clips from this film itself tucked away in drawers.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It took about five months, but some of that was finding the right composer for the project.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Mysterious; compelling.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Oddly enough, it was finding just the right composer – I had tried some other avenues, but when I heard Diego’s sketches, I knew he had hit just the right complement to the visuals; ethereal, a bit dark but emotional.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I really loved experiencing the different reactions – some were exactly what I was thinking while making the film, so that was very gratifying. But it was also really interesting to see other reactions that were a bit different but equally valid; all part of the human experience when watching a film.

You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway has been my go-to since I started making films in 2016 (very late in life, as it happens).

It’s been an indispensable tool in my festival experience.

What is next for you? A new film?

I’ve been toying with an idea that would work best in Super8...a whole new adventure!