Writer/director Andrew Walsh tells us more about his independent film How Deep Is The Ocean.
Who?
How Deep Is The Ocean was my feature debut. I wrote/directed the film and oversaw every single aspect of its creation. However, no man is an island. I never would’ve made it without the guidance of my producers Daniela Ercoli and Dia Taylor from Taymaynari Productions, who kept the ship from crashing.
The film follows four principal characters; Eleanor (Olivia Fildes), Roy (Cris Cochrane), Matt (Will Wetheritt), and Charlie (Adam Rowland) who are supported by a sprawling cast of forty-four people. The film was made without a conventional script, storyboards, or shot list and was heavily improvised.
What?
How Deep Is The Ocean is a story about a mysterious young drifter named Eleanor (Olivia Fildes) who arrives in the city of Melbourne with the clothes on her back, little money, and a difficult past she’d rather not discuss. She takes up residence in a decrepit boarding house sarcastically dubbed “The Hotel California” by her new flatmate Roy (Cris Cochrane). It is located on the volatile outskirts of the city where Eleanor comes across a series of fellow exiles fugitives and outcasts. Over the next year, Eleanor struggles to adapt and finds her feet in this strange new place. She spends most of her time working a series of dead-end jobs and pursuing a futile affair with her married neighbor while remaining totally oblivious to the men and women who do care for her. By the end of the year small victories are won, friendships are formed, relationships rise and fall, lives are lost, harsh lessons are learned, and the world keeps turning.
Where?
The film takes place in my home city Melbourne in the state of Victoria where I have resided for 15 years. Much like the protagonist Eleanor, I migrated here with little money, no plan, no safety net, and didn’t know a single soul. Melbourne is the Australian equivalent to London, New York, or Berlin. A huge urban city of 4 million people and growing by the day. For 7 years in a row it was ranked the world’s most liveable city, however under the facade many of its residents struggle day to day. These are the people whose stories I wanted to tell. The film was autobiographical and it was quite surreal seeing Eleanor, played by Olivia Fildes, wearing my clothes and walking down the same streets and alleyways I’d walked down which defined my twenties and thirties. We were bringing Melbourne to the world and using the city as an emotional canvas to tell Eleanor’s story.
When?
I begun work on the script for How Deep Is The Ocean in late 2018. Altogether from beginning to end it took five years to make. Getting the right cast and crew for the project was a long, frustrating, and excruciating process. Then the Covid 19 pandemic hit us very hard and disrupted every single one of our lives. Through collective strength and determination we survived the pandemic and completed the film, which was released in November 2023. All in all it took five years to make.
Why?
I made five short films and finally felt confident to take on something bigger. I was inspired by independent films like On The Edge, Henry Fool, and The Adventures 0f Sebastian Cole, where the reluctant hero is forced by circumstances beyond their control to embark on a quest often kicking and screaming, facing adversity head on and emerging the other side as a different person. I never saw many female characters like Eleanor, who is flawed and uncompromising, but also vulnerable, so I created my own. I wanted to make a film that truly captures what it’s like to grow up.
How?
How Deep Is The Ocean is represented by Indie Rights and can be rented or purchased on a variety of platforms – Amazon Prime, Tubi, Google Play and most recently YouTube, so there’s an option for everyone.
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Watch Online:
Learn more about How Deep Is The Ocean at its official website.
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