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Danishka Esterhazy on the set of Level 16 with actress Celina Martin

Ahead of the theatrical release of NSI Features First-developed Level 16 from writer/director Danishka Esterhazy, I got the opportunity to interview her. I asked her about the development of the film and what she hopes the story will offer viewers, particularly genre fans.

Level 16 is a dystopian science-fiction thriller set in a strict boarding home for girls. Trapped in a sterile facility, 16-year-old Vivien (Katie Douglas) is taught the finer points of ‘feminine virtues’ by a Stepford-like headmistress (Sara Canning) and left to question what fate awaits her when she ages out of the institution. The project was developed through NSI Features First in 2006-07 by Stéphanie Chapelle and Danishka.

The film celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin and has screened at a number of festivals including Vancouver International Film Festival and Blood in the Snow in Toronto, where Danishka was named best director and her writing on the film won best screenplay.

Level 16 is released theatrically in March by Raven Banner in Canada and by Dark Sky Films in the US.

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Tell me about your interest in genre filmmaking. Level 16 feels like an attempt to create that intense, claustrophobic thriller/sci-fi atmosphere without being exploitative, as so many thrillers and genre movies are.

Exactly. I love science fiction. I love thrillers. I love dystopian stories. But there are so few films in those genres told from a female perspective and told by a female filmmaker.

I wrote Level 16 with the goal of breaking the sexist conventions we so often see in these genres. The stories where all the main characters are multi-faceted men and then there are one or two female characters who are objects of desire with no character complexity. I wanted to create a scary and intense sci-fi thriller full of fascinating female characters, devoid of a sexualized male gaze; a story told from the point of the view of young women.

Do you see genre filmmaking and empowering narratives as being at odds or do they mesh well together?

I think genre can be very empowering. It depends on the filmmaker. When I made Level 16, I wanted to show the power that young women create when they come together to support one another. I wanted to show the power of young women challenging authority. Genre is a great way to explore issues of power, conformity and inequality.

Tell me a bit more about the character Vivien and the background or inspiration for her. She has this steely resolve right from the story’s start, but she’s also not the character who instigates the rebellion that happens.

Yes, [main characters] Vivien and Sophia complement each other. They need each other. One is insightful – an observer, thinker and dreamer. The other is brave, practical and a natural leader. But they can’t succeed alone. We are more powerful when we come together.

Level 16 was developed, way back when, through NSI Features First. I understand it took some perseverance and commitment to get it funded. At that early development level, how did NSI Features First help you with the project?

NSI Features First gave me a great set of tools to make the leap from shorts to features. And although Level 16 took a long time to get funded, I used those tools right away on my films Black Field and H&G. And the friendships I made with the other participants have continued to be a source of inspiration and support for me.

In an industry that’s constantly changing in tastes and platforms, what does training and mentorship, specifically for feature film, mean to you?

Technology changes, distribution changes, but storytelling remains the same. The most important lesson is to tell stories you love. You need a deep passion for your stories to see them come to life through all the trials and obstacles of development, funding, production and release.

If you had watched Level 16 or a similar film as a teenager, what kind of impact might it have had on you?

I would have been the film’s biggest fan girl!!! That is the kind of movie I wanted to make: a film that would have rocked my world as a teen girl. I hope Level 16 touches hearts and minds. And I would love to see the characters embraced by cosplay.

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NSI Features First provides development training for writer/producer teams looking to produce their first or second feature film with strong commercial appeal. Over 20 feature films developed through the program have been produced since 1997.

NSI Features First is funded by Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsor Creative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund; and Industry Supporters William F. White and Deluxe. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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