Within
2023
I wrote this film during my sophomore year of college as a response to the concept of victimhood. I wanted to tell a story about someone realizing their whole identity is not defined by an act done to them that they had no control over. My protagonist, Amy, begins her journey by running away. She enters the woods, which becomes a place of surreal and out-of-body experiences. It’s through confronting another version of herself that she’s able to process what’s been done to her. The woods allow her to see herself as something other than a victim. This is a film that meant a lot to me to make, as it allowed me to process my own understanding of my identity, and because it was the first film I ever wrote and directed. Though it is by no means my best work, I am deeply proud of all of time and effort my crew put into it, and of how honest my younger self was always trying to be.
- Emma Baker
Listen to the Within Soundtrack
This project marks my first collaboration with Julian Nowik and my first time making a film while working with a composer. I was lucky enough to have Julian on set recording sound, which I know helped him in writing this score. I remember receiving his first pass and being absolutely blown away. It was heartbreaking incorporating the music into the film as I realized there would not be enough room to include all the tracks. Working with Julian for the first time was an incredible process, and marked the beginning of a continued collaboration and beautiful friendship.
Take a listen below.