How We Ended Up Here

Director's Statement

At 14 I wrote and directed this film based on what I saw around me every day. People my age are really good at pretending everything is fine. We go out, we laugh, we distract ourselves - but a lot of the time, no one actually talks about what’s really going on. I wanted to show what happens when all of that builds up at once. Each character is dealing with something they don’t feel safe to talk about - family issues, pressure, identity, control - and instead of facing it, they avoid it. Ivy is the one who finally says something. Even though it doesn’t go the way she expects, I wanted to show how important it is to actually ask people if they’re okay - and mean it. This film is for anyone who has ever said “I’m fine” when they weren’t.