Zoe Hunter Gordon is a writer and film director. Her work has been broadcast on the BBC, commissioned by the BFI, programmed at the Barbican and performed at theatres such as the Arcola and New Diorama. Zoe is currently developing her debut feature, with support from the ICO's inaugural Miles Ketley Fund. Zoe has just finished her latest film, BFI Network funded fiction film "Better" starring Milly Zero (EastEnders) and Ellie James (I May Destroy You) in leading roles. It premiered at London Film Festival in October 2023 and was released online on NOWNESS, and as a Vimeo Staff Pick. She also recently directed Solace Women Aid's Christmas Campaign, starring Milly Zero. The commercial was nominated for a Shiny Award in their Winter edition in January 2024.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your journey to working in film. Did you always want to work in this industry?
I always wanted to be a writer, specifically a playwright. However, I grew up in a family where (understandably!) there was a certain amount of fear around being an artist and making a living... My creativity was encouraged, but as something I could always do on the side. I took myself to some (amazing) young theatre programmes that were still running back then, and wrote my first plays as a teenager. I then studied a so-called ‘real’ degree, Physics and Philosophy, at university, and graduated with a BSc, before creating a theatre company with a friend and putting on fringe theatre.
However, I quickly realised that while theatre is wonderful, it definitely doesn't pay your bills very easily, and so I looked for work in TV and film. The only production companies that got back to me were telly production companies, and I got my first gig with the amazing Knickerbockerglory TV making factual entertainment and reality. A kind Exec there suggested I try to get into BBC Science given my Physics background, and after a certain amount of rejection I landed a gig at Horizon. There I was taught how to use a camera, and suddenly something unlocked: I felt like I was writing, but with images. That was a real turning point for me and I began to fall for cinema. All this time I was still writing plays, and still do. But the power of a shot is something that became apparent to me in my early 20s - cinema wasn't my first love in the way it is for some.
Q: What do you love about writing and directing?
Writing is something that I simply need to do, or I get weird. So, there's that. I don't know if I'd say I "love" writing: it's definitely frustrating, lonely and vulnerable sometimes. But it takes me into a flow state in a way that nothing else in my life easily does. It sounds very woo-woo, but when I write it's almost like I'm following a thread of something outside of myself, like the characters are telling you what the story should be. It's just a very unique feeling. I don't really know who I'd be without my writing practice.
Directing is different. I came to it later and in some ways out of necessity: someone else directed a short film I wrote and I hated it. I realised that (at least in my view) when it comes to cinema, directing is writing: the shot list and the storyboard tell the story. I think David Mamet says something similar - the shot list is an extension of the beats of a scene which are an extension of the script...
That said, directing is obviously deeply about collaboration: and I love working with actors, and working with HODs. It's a cliche but watching brilliant people bring to life a story you've been living with for so long on set is a high unlike any other. This is obviously quite different in documentary: directing documentaries for me feel more like following a thread of a story that has happened to cross my path. With the documentaries I've made I just felt lucky to be on the receiving end of brilliant contributors, and I knew that if I pointed a camera at them and asked interesting questions something would arise.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A director I admire once quoted "success is moving from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm". That definitely resonates, big time. Honestly, I think the most important things in this industry are tenacity and perseverance. On that note - "The Cavalry Isn't Coming" talk by Mark Duplass talk online is excellent - make your film, however you can, then make another one. That's all that counts.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
Like all artists, continuing to make work despite a challenging funding environment in the UK is a big one. I think you have to get inventive about how you can make a film work on a low budget and also engage with how to access finance. Obviously this is the producer's role to some extent, but I do think it's naive as a director to not want to have anything to do with production. If you want to understand the constraints of how your vision is realised you need to have some understanding of how a budget works. And personally, I think it's empowering to write within constraints: thinking about work that you can make with the resources available to you means you're not dependent on the gatekeepers to make art.
I find American indie filmmakers very inspirational: we like to believe we have arts funding in this country, but compared to Europe it's a pittance, and so I like to listen to how Americans make stuff without any public support. And really perseverance - continuing to make work even when it feels like the industry doesn't care. That said, I'm lucky to know that I'd write anyway really…
Q: What’s next for you?
I'm currently developing a couple of feature projects, one of which got some funding from the ICO last year. I'm shooting another fiction short in October, which is part of one of those feature worlds. I'm excited – but I’ve cast both a child and a dog, so I’m also terrified!
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