An Interview with Rae Lyn Lee on Breathing Underwater | Cinemaworld
*Some quotes have been edited for clarity.*
In commemoration of International Women’s Day, we are spotlighting Breathing Underwater in an interview with the film’s Luxembourg-based Singaporean co-writer and cinematographer, Rae Lyn Lee.
Marking her feature film debut, this Luxembourg submission to the 96th Academy Awards is a heartfelt project by Lee and her partner—in work and life—director/writer Eric Lamhène.
The Inspiration Behind Breathing Underwater
Breathing Underwater is a breath of fresh air in its tender portrayal of the lives of residents in a women’s shelter. Starring Carla Juri (who plays Dr. Ana Stelline in Blade Runner 2049) as the film’s protagonist, Emma, the film follows her difficult journey escaping an abusive home and rediscovering herself in a shelter. Told through Lee’s warmth-filled lens, this isn’t your typical, graphic story about domestic abuse and despair, but is instead a story about survival and strength.
The couple’s journey with Breathing Underwater began in 2017 as a trip down to a local shelter to research for a completely different film—a crime-thriller. But their goals quickly changed when Lee and Lamhène found themselves surprised by the realities in the shelter. Met with the open arms of residents who shared their stories openly, their preconceptions of a women’s shelter were soon dispelled. With that first visit, Breathing Underwater began to take shape.
Telling The Women’s “Impossible” Stories
On the film’s poetic title, Lee explained, “The title fit so well because it was exactly the feeling we had while writing the film…and while attempting to tell these stories.”
“And it’s also the feeling that the women have, not being able to tell people what’s happened to understand what’s happened to them themselves.”
With such distinct characters, each harbouring unique experiences and traumas, they are in fact an amalgamation of the different women and stories the duo heard. The intention, says Lee, is to depict a spectrum of women that can and have gone through such experiences, “young, old, Black, White, Muslim, Christian… It’s a full spectrum.”
As for Emma, she is the writers’ creation—the “impossibility” in the story. “White, privileged, who is in a women’s shelter… not likely,” Lee says. She explained that many people presume women like Emma would have the financial means to escape on their own. Emma is hence created to challenge this perception, serving as the perfect character to encapsulate the message that abuse can happen to anyone.
This "impossibility" eventually came to life for Lee and Lamhène during a public screening. An audience member with a background strikingly similar to Emma’s approached them, deeply moved and thankful that her story had finally been told.
“It’s not a sad film.”
Despite its heavy themes, the film does a terrific job at displaying and discussing violence, yet never veers into trauma porn. When asked about the topic of violence, Lee replies, “From the beginning, we were very, very sure that we did not want to glorify the violence… that that was not the story we wanted to tell.”
“It’s more about the relationships, psychology, and strength,” she states, “What matters is that they survived and they continue, and they are stronger from it.”
The cinematography of the film highlights this tenderness and strength that the story resonates. Bathed in warm, gentle light, Lee portrays the house as a character that envelops and takes care of the women, just as they take care of one another.
Taking Breathing Underwater Beyond The Screen
The film has since been shown to the public, the police, the justices, and to schools, reaching youths as young as 12 years old, to raise greater awareness about domestic abuse.
It has also been selected as Luxembourg’s Official Submission to the 98th Academy Awards Best International Feature Film category, to which Lee smiles and shrugs, “Pretty, pretty unlikely that it's going to get anywhere, but I mean it's very nice that we're nominated.”
“But,” she asserts, “[for] Eric and I… it doesn't matter if we win anything or if we go anywhere with this film. What matters is that we gave our all into making this film, and if it saves one person's life in the world, it's all been worth it.”
Breathing Underwater is now available on CinemaWorld. Watch now.
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