In this insightful conversation, director Helen Hideko and producer Clara Maria Bacher discuss their creative journey behind EVER AFTER, a film that blends personal experience with universal themes of otherness, identity, and fantasy. 

“Ever After” appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Filmakademie Wien, is inspired by a twist on “The Little Mermaid,” and explores the longing to escape adulthood and find solace in childhood innocence.

Could you tell me where the idea came for EVER AFTER? Was it based at all upon your own experience? It feels like a deeply personal film, although touching on topics that a wide audience can probably relate to. 

Helen: I was once a tall, pubescent weird kid in the 90s from Hawaii whose parents suddenly moved to Innsbruck and put her in an Austrian girls school run by nuns–so yeah, that saved me a lot of research. 

The real work was finding a metaphor for the desire I felt back then to regress back into a permanent state of girlhood instead of womanhood–a girl’s Peter Pan I guess–so I eventually decided to try reversing the trope of “The Little Mermaid.” 

I do hope that the film allows people to relate to the feelings of otherness and wanting to disappear, while also suggesting that indulging or romanticising such fantasies doesn’t lead to the happily ever after that we all actually deserve.

The film uses a lot of beautifully shot underwater cinematography. What did it take to create these scenes and to obtain the look and feel you wanted? 

Helen: Since our budget only allowed for one shooting day in a diving pool with performers, we did lots of testing and prep with DoP Felix Pochlatko, underwater camera operator Roland Holzer, safety divers, and swimming doubles for both the protagonist and mermaid. 

After principal shooting, Clara, Felix and I  rolled up our sleeves and dedicated several long, wet days to repurposing Felix’s personal aquarium tank for shooting plates of the “underwater garden” (plus the “fish” puppet in the end credits ; ). 

Lastly, we married the two types of footage in VFX and grading and tweaked them until we’d achieved the dark and dreamy look, which we’re totally thrilled we pulled off.

Could you tell me about your use of the score to the film? How did you source the singer whose voice accompanies so many scenes and how did you work with the composer? 

Helen: Because of the mother-daughter relationship at the core of the film, I chose a Filipino lullaby called “Ili Ili Tulog Anay,” which in context still comes across as mysterious and enticing (without being your typical sexy siren song geared toward sailors). 

One version is a pre-existing recording by Florencia Ristagno Roca. At first we had it on loop during all the underworld sequences, but then Clara had the genius idea to also play it backwards (recorded by Stephanie Schmaus)–not only was the effect perfectly in line with our mirror-world theme, but we feels it really adds to the unsettling and other-worldly atmosphere. 

We asked our composer, Mariya Peleshko, to create a score to bookend the film with lovely but simplistic fairy-tale themes that underline the protagonist’s innocence. 

The young actress, Rada Rae, carries the film in a lot of scenes and gives a really emotional performance. What was the casting process like to find her, and then how did you go about working with such a young actress, ensuring that she was safe and heard during the shoot?

Helen: We initially cast a very wide net through agencies and social media, but when Rada walked in with her aura and even a similar back-story as the character, it was crystal clear that she was “the one.” 

During the following months, she and I bonded over hanging out at the public pool together, practising mermaiding, doing test shoots, and chatting about the character. 

This organically allowed us to establish trust and easy communication while still having fun in the process. In addition, we always made sure to regularly check in with her family for feedback throughout preproduction and the shoot.

Could you tell us a little more about your role as producer on this film. What did it entail? What were the biggest challenges you faced? 

Clara: Being a producer begins with choosing the right script to bring to life. For “Ever After” this meant working with children, animals, and underwater scenes. While I had experience with children and animals, underwater filming and the fantasy genre were new territory—and they immediately sparked my interest. 

I also felt a deep connection to the story, as it brought back memories of playing mermaid as a child and feeling like an outsider at school.

I see myself as a creative producer, and Helen treats me as such, allowing my input to shape all the important decisions we’ve had to make. On a short film, the team is small, and every penny is poured into the shooting, so the core team—Helen, our DoP Felix Pochlatko, and I (later joined by our editor Moritz Stieber)—had to wear multiple hats. 

Over two years, we worked on the film almost non-stop, unpaid, while juggling our jobs in the industry. You really need a lot of stamina and every detail requires a tremendous amount of effort to achieve the final result we are now so proud to present.

What have you gained from the film school experience so far? 

Clara: The Filmacademy Vienna offers an amazing network to share ideas and collaborate. Before diving into our chosen majors, we spend the first three semesters learning all departments (screenwriting, directing, cinematography, sound, editing and producing). This is perfect for understanding the collaborative nature of filmmaking. 

We help each other out, picking up insights and learning how not to trip over cables. What we love most about film school is the hands-on approach—getting to be a Head of Department and bringing your own vision to life. 

Is there anything you have found missing from the film school experience as you move into the film industry?

Clara: Film school teaches you a lot, but some lessons only come from working on larger productions. We’ve been balancing both—learning in class and gaining hands-on experience on bigger sets. Stepping up as department heads might feel daunting, but real growth comes from leaving your comfort zone and figuring it out as you go.

How has the process of distributing the film been for you so far? What have you learned?

Clara: Our film is still waiting for its world premiere, and whether the movie will be better received at drama or genre/fantasy festivals remains to be seen, but the whole experience will probably be different than the drama/horror festival circuit we went through with our last short film, “The Hand That Feeds”.

What do you wish you’d known before you started making and distributing your short films? 

Clara: To produce even more behind-the-scenes material. We got better with each production and took a lot more photos and videos, but when you have a very tight schedule on location, there’s hardly any time for relaxed interviews. But if you neglect distribution while you shoot, you have to create new marketing materials afterwards, so you double your work. 

What are your plans for the future? What comes next? 

Clara: After the film is always before the film! We still have our master thesis film ahead of us, which will be our third film together. And all good things come in threes, right? And as we dive back into pre-production, we will hopefully have the chance to visit many festivals with “Ever After”.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention? 

Helen: We are the stories that we tell ourselves, especially about our childhoods. The lucky ones see themselves as heroes, but you never know who’s carrying an invisible little boy or girl inside them who wants to disappear. So it probably doesn’t hurt to be kind and curious because you just might be able to help them in rewriting their story.

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