Big dreams, mental illness and creating art that makes a difference all weave together in Alex Heller’s directorial debut, The year between, which recently hit Tribeca and is about to wow the audience of the Chicago International Film Festival.
Inspired by events from Heller’s own life and mental health issues, the story centers on Clemence Miller (played by Heller, who also wrote the script), a sophomore who moves home after a nervous breakdown. An unexpected diagnosis of bipolar disorder, coupled with a return to suburban Illinois, forces Clemence to learn to live with her well-meaning but frustrated family – J. Smith-Cameron’s succession, and the ever talented Steve Buscemi among them. The film also stars Waltrudis Buck, Wyatt Oleff and Emily Robinson.
Heller, who is 29, was officially diagnosed 10 years ago and began treatment for bipolar disorder. She said she wanted to create a compelling story about a person and a family mastering the amazing highs and lows of adjusting to a new normal.
“It was very important to me to make a comedy film, and of course it’s dramatic,” Heller said, “but I wanted to shed light on the parts of life that are mundane, normal, funny, or lighthearted.” because most of the images of mental illness that I see are very dark and depressing. They lack hope. Personally, I feel alienated from the rest of the world. I wanted to show that people can live with mental illness; that it can be treated in addition to a ‘normal’ life.”
The journey through mental illness
Produced by Level Forward, The year between was one of five projects selected for AT&T Presents: Untold Stories, the million dollar pitch at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was a creative boost for Heller, whose previous comedic shorts (Grizzlies, 24 and pregnant, never the bride, Doseand Forever home) celebrated – sometimes damned – the process of coming of age.
A 2020 Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Fellow, Heller has been called an “emerging filmmaker every cinephile should have on their radar.”
She is candid about her journey.
“My journey into mental illness started when I was 15. I had problems in high school, but it all came to a head during that first year of college away from home. My mom came to get me and I didn’t think I was I ended up being housebound for a few months – didn’t leave the house at all. I experimented with different drugs and dosages.”
Interestingly, Heller’s best friend, who had attended another university, dropped out of school shortly after due to depression. During her year at home, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Seeing them both navigate different chronic illnesses side by side in different ways impressed me. I went on to write the first draft of the script in a screenwriting class during my senior year of college, when I went back I didn’t think anyone would ever read it. As a film student, I always knew there were certain stories I wanted to tell, but I was never one to always say, ‘I know I’m going to be a director.’ I didn’t have that drive, but I knew I wanted to talk about the subject of depression, I just wasn’t sure how to do it. I was very embarrassed and insecure,” said Heller.
As her twenties progressed, Heller shared her script with more people.
“I became obsessed with it and built my life around it,” she said. “Now I have been under treatment for 10 years. I take four meds every day and I have a very strict routine of what I do. Mental illness has been a big part of my life, and it came with a lot of hard things to navigate, but at the same time, I just tried my best to integrate it as a part of life.
She said she made the film for “everyone.”
“I think everyone is on their own mental health journey and finds what works for them. But that’s what it looked like for me. Everything that has to do with mental illness in the movie comes straight from my life. can make a better person just in terms of your character, beyond the mental illness. And by sharing comedic stories, we’re starting to normalize this topic and, hopefully, reduce the stigma. If the public is looking at something in a more informal way, it becomes easier to talk about it and maybe people who seek help feel a little more comfortable with that or feel more comfortable talking about it.”
Catching Steve Buscemi and J. Smith-Cameron
It took seven years to make The year between and it was a labor of love for Heller, specifically discovering “a million different things” to develop and fund it.
One key thing that made a significant shift was that she was assigned a mentor when she participated in a Sundance lab – Susanna Fogel collaborating Smart book. Fogel became an EP on Heller’s film and eventually introduced her to a casting director she knew. In due course, actor Smith-Cameron came on board to costar.
“She’s amazing, incredible and perfect,” Heller said of Smith-Cameron. “I wanted to discuss the film with her. J. suggested Steve Buscemi. And I was like, ‘What? Why would he ever make a movie of this size? It made no sense.’”
When Smith-Cameron sent Heller’s script to Buscemi, the actor quickly joined the production.
“We clicked,” Heller said of Buscemi. “He connected with the script in a very personal way. So that’s how building this cast came about. But working with Steve was intimidating. I was so nervous because I’m not a trained actor. The only things I ever acted in were short films that I directed and made for no one in my backyard with two friends. I felt it would serve the story to step into this role, especially with my particular sense of humor. Overall it was very humiliating.”
When asked what she hopes the film’s audience takes with them, Heller noted that a diagnosis of mental illness — and even a chronic illness — isn’t just about the person experiencing the personal challenge.
“It’s often something that the other people in their lives take on,” she explained. “I really wanted to shed some light on that, because when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it felt like my whole family was too. It changes everyone’s lives. I wanted to show how important it is to have empathy and compassion for the families and forgive your younger self. For me, filming the movie was very difficult – traumatic in some ways to re-watch certain things – but it was also helpful, so that I could basically move on.”
The year betweencurrently on the film festival circuit, is being screened at the Chicago International Film Festival.