Where the Pond Sleeps (2026) follows Louisa a guarded and emotionally volatile young woman, who arrives expecting a quite getaway with her best friend Brianna. Instead, their fragile dynamic is disrupted by her finding out she won't be able to have kids and the unexpected presence of Brianna's boyfriend Anthony and her unpredictable younger sister Rachel. Tensions quickly surface - Louisa's resentment toward Anthony, her judgement of Brianna, and her discomfort around Rachel's chaotic energy create an uneasy atmosphere. When Brianna abruptly leaves for an audition, Louisa is forced into an unwanted situation: spending the day with the very people she resists. What begins as conflict slowly transforms into connection. Through small, absurd, and tender moments - playing games, tending to Rachel after an accident wandering through the woods - Louisa and Anthony begin to see each other beyond their assumptions. Rachel, with her raw honesty and emotional openness, becomes the unlikely bridge between them. As night falls, Louisa's internal struggle comes to the surface when a devastating truth comes to light.

DIRECTORS STATEMENT: This story is partly based on something that happened to me a few years ago, when my best friend introduced me to her boyfriend. After a few meetings, we realized that he and I had a bit more in common than the two of them did. What started as simple, unpretentious communication gradually grew into something that was difficult to understand and control. Eventually I had to put an end to my relationship with him entirely, and later my friend and I also went our separate ways. But that is how this came to be.

I'm a big hypochondriac, so experiencing and processing themes related to health can really unsettle me. At the same time, considering how I relate to life in general, I think this story has helped me come to terms with the impermanence and imperfection of life - something that does not come easily to me. And in a way, it may even allow me to go through the same journey as Louisa, in learning to accept.

I've always wanted to make exactly this kind of film - one that is slow-paced and calm in its own way, yet still carries a clear central idea without being distracted by multiple small storylines. It's a character-driven story, where a small but deeply meaningful change takes place in one person's life. That's what draws me to people, what I love in cinema, and what I want to create overall. This theme of family is very dear to me. I find myself believing that social loneliness is not a dead end. Since even I find answers to some of my own questions through this film. I believe the audience may arrive at similar realizations. I want people to feel that, in this sense, they are not alone.

Film Comparisons: [Before Sunrise (1995)] x [Columbus (2017)] x [The Garden of Words (2013)]