A film from a supporting actor turned director and producer will make its premiere next month.
Carramar resident Lilliana Benger, 19, was originally cast in the feature-length film Because You’re Mine last year as a supporting actor.
The film is a psychological thriller about grief and its emotional toll.
“Our original director was only available for the first two months of filming, and by that point we still had two more months to go, and then all of post-production,” Benger said.
“I had just directed for a day on a short film and thought ‘Well, I’m here, I can give it a go’. And so I did for the rest of filming and discovered that this is truly what I wanted to do. I just never thought it was possible for someone like me.”
Filming started in July and finished in December.
During that time, Benger said she put a lot of pressure on herself.
“I was 19 and our oldest actors were in their 50s, so I thought ‘What do I know? How can I do this?’. But I trained in musical theatre for three years, so I really understood the mind of the actor and leaned into those skills,” she said.
“I tried to work quite intuitively with my actors and be invested in their internal emotional world as the characters and as people.
“They really trusted me to guide them through rehearsals and when it flowed, it was just magnetic and magical, which created a beautiful atmosphere.”
Benger hopes the film can inspire other young Perth filmmakers.
“We’ve made this movie with no money at all, and I think there’s quite a stigma that you need a lot of money to make a good film, but we’ve made a decent film with no money. So I’m really excited to show the Perth community and the next generation of filmmakers what’s possible,” she said.
As a survivor of family violence and youth advocate, Benger aspires to continue creating art which resonates with others.
“I want to highlight issues within our society and inspire collective change, while representing individuals who have been victim of that sort of violence,” she said.
“I really want to create a world where people can see themselves and feel like someone out there is fighting for them.”
Because You’re Mine will premiere at Luna Cinemas on Wednesday, November 25, at 6pm and will be followed by a Q&A session with the cast and crew.