Descent

When Triin closes her car door, in a moment of solitude, her depression comes crashing in, threatening to drown her.

Actors: Henessi Schmidt, Meelis Veeremets, Kadi Põder

Production Company: Get Shot Films

Director: Helen Takkin
Producer: Kadi Freja Felt
Line Producer: Aili Maarja
Cinematographer: Meelis Veeremets ESC
Production Designer: Kamilla Kase (Set Set Studio)
Gaffer: Ville Penttilä
Sound Designer: Indrek Soe
Stylist: Angela Aadusoo
MUAH: Piret Kaljuste
Stunt Coordinator: Roman Neso Laupmaa (Ghost Division)
Title Design: Bagel & Lurch

1AD: Oskar Lehemaa

B-cam: Martin Venela
Focus Puller: Erik Õunapuu
2AC: Rasmus Kosesson

Electrician: Laur-Erik Ruus
Electrician: Mehmet Burak Yılmaz

Sound Operator: Siim Skepast

Picture Vehicle Mechanics: Värks Tuba
Utility Stunts: Marko Laaban
Safety Diver: Egert Kamenik
SFX Water: Saku Pääste

Art Department Assistant: Enelin Estelle Grau

Production Assistant: Kadi Põder
Production Assistant/Photographer: Kevin Kohjus

Catering: Siim Pinnonen & Ats Pinnonen (ÖKU Foodtruck)

Music from Musicbed:
Kaina “A Way For Us”
Roland Lewis “Repudium”
#musicbedchallenge

Thanks to:
Laura Killandi, Õismäe 10 Housing Association, Haabersti City Goverment, Location Unit, Marek Hanson, Kopli Couture, Liis Orav, Siim Nikopensius, Triin Valvas, Karlis Jaunzems, Kullar Viimne, Alvar Kõue, Henri Savitski, Jan Viljus, Peter Hacker, Steffen Hacker

Shot on Arri Alexa Mini LF
Camera & lighting equipment provided by High Voltage

I have struggled with depression for most of my adult life. A side effect to this illness is that you always feel alone in your darkness. During the pandemic the feeling of isolation and distrust towards human connection got even more heightened. There are days when you can hold yourself together, just enough, to fool the people around you and  maybe yourself as well. But as the door closes, the panic sets in. It feels much like a wave, an ice cold and salty wave. And then you drown in the hopelessness, slowly and painfully. For someone who has not experienced this, it is hard to imagine the feeling and that is where the misconception of ”This is just sadness” partly comes from. I believe that empathy is very closely tied to personal experience. We wanted to create a visual link that is understandable to everyone.

My cinematographer Meelis didn’t want to make the water into a visual spectacle. In order to achieve a sincere result we framed our shots and the actress played the part as if the water didn’t exist. My production designer Kamilla and stunt coordinator Roman spent a week going trough junk yards and combing the internet for a car that would suit us technically and visually. We did not have a budget, so it also needed to be very cheap. The car, we loved, was old though and it was a lot of work making it more or less waterproof. To give the car a fighting chance to resist the water pressure, the doors were welded and bolted shut. Because of that, the only entrance to the car was trough the roof  skylight. We knew that we only had a limited time before the front and  back glass start giving in, so we planed everything carefully.

I  had an incredible team, composed of industry professionals, who all lent  their free time, passion and know how to this project. I am very lucky  to have so many so talented friends around me who thought that this  message is important to convey. I sincerely hope that maybe it  encourages viewers to be more attentive towards the people around them  or maybe it just helps to start a conversation between two friends, that  would otherwise be hard to start. Because sometimes a knock on the  window at the right time can make a world of difference.