It’s not every day that a movie is shot on a set comprised entirely of females, from the actors and director to the screenwriter, producer and everyone in between and down the line. But in the case of Below Her Mouth, making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this month, having an all-female crew was an integral part of telling the story in the most authentic way possible.
The film, directed by April Mullen and written by Stephanie Fabrizi, stars Canadian actress Natalie Krill and Swedish model Erika Linder as two women who form an instant connection and then embark on an intensely passionate affair that alters both of their lives.
“It’s a very bold depiction of what our version of sex and love and lust between women is,” says Mullen, explaining that, because of this, it was very important for the film to have an all-female crew.
“We went in with a mission to create an experience through the eyes of a woman. It’s done with a female touch and a full-female voice.”
The plan, to portray such a powerful connection between two women, comes through.
“I have never in my life seen onscreen such an honest, raw true depiction of what women do behind closed doors when they fall in love,” Mullen says of the film. “Writer Stephanie Fabrizi brought a very pure voice to that world, so we were able to really portray what it’s like for two women to fall into each other.”
Mullen has always had an intense curiosity, when it comes to watching people, noting that love and lust in particular are of great interest to her.
“In this film, I loved that it happened in such a short amount of time. I find it fascinating that people can fall in love in 12 hours,” she says. “If you haven’t gone through it, it’s hard to comprehend it happening, but the film shows that rawness.”
The process of directing Below Her Mouth was a transformative one for Mullen, who notes that making the film allowed her to explore new aspects of herself as a filmmaker.
“The actors, writers and crew were so brave, so I wanted to bring as much honesty as possible to the project. I never thought twice about exposing everything I had to give to this film,” she says.
Mullen has been applying to TIFF for over a decade, so she’s understandably thrilled to finally be attending the festival.
“Having a film in TIFF is one of my biggest dreams come true, and I couldn’t be more proud of being there with Below Her Mouth,” she says. “It’s surreal.”
