A woman looks at herself in the mirror.

Filmmakers Erin Carter and Sam Coyle talk Hazy Little Thing

Yes, TV, Eh? is devoted to covering Canadian television, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to talk to filmmakers Erin Carter and Sam Coyle. I was introduced to pair after I spoke to Supinder Wraich about The 410, her own excellent digital series about drug trafficking, truckers and the Indo-Canadian community.

I’d also seen a lot of Carter and Coyle on my TV recently. Suck It Up, directed by Jordan Canning, stars Carter, while Coyle stars in and produced The Definites, two superb Canadian feature films you can see on Crave. So when Wraich mentioned she stars in Hazy Little Thing, a new film written and produced by Carter and Coyle and directed by Coyle—it’s currently seeking Kickstarter funding to help with post-production—I jumped at the chance to speak to them.

A woman sits in a bathtub.Starring Carter, Emily Coutts, Jade Hassouné, Wraich and Dayle McLeod, Hazy Little Thing is about Billie (Carter) a writer who is struggling with the fear of failure. A successful novelist living off the proceeds of her first book, she’s been commissioned to write another and is gripped by debilitating fear. Spiralling into depression, Billie’s sister and her friends celebrate her birthday with a weekend get together.

“They come into this with a ‘buck up’ mentality,” Coyle says. “But what’s unearthed during the weekend is this is a whole lot deeper, and Billie’s depression is more complex than anybody ever knew. Everyone is just trying to have a good time and it results in everyone taking mushrooms.” The drugs, Coyle says, are used as a mechanism to explore the psychology of the characters and what they’re going through rather than as a fun, crazy trip.

A woman talks on her cell phone. The sun sets behind her.Hazy Little Thing is the first film Carter and Coyle have written together—they have collaborated in the past—and love the immediacy filmmaking presents, and the opportunity to work on this project. Coyle refers to the “special connection” she has with Carter when they’re writing. They, she says, share similar strengths and insecurities.

“Honesty is such an important part of our relationship,” Carter says. “It’s so easy to say, ‘Listen, I don’t know if this is going to work,’ or ‘I love where this is going.’ There is a trust that exists that can only come with full honesty.”

Back Erin Carter and Sam Coyle’s Hazy Little Thing via Kickstarter.

Images courtesy of Sam Coyle.

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