A young girl must hide at her mother’s workplace but discovers a startling secret while wandering around.

Director’s Vision for ‘Hiding Place’

Hiding Place grew out of a desire to return to the emotional world of childhood, that mix of curiosity, fear, and longing for adults who were doing their best while carrying pressures you couldn’t yet comprehend. I wanted to tell the story entirely from a child’s perspective, letting her inner world shape the film rather than my adult understanding. That meant keeping the camera at her level, using natural light and limited coverage, and letting her improvise much of her dialogue. I wanted the film to feel discovered rather than directed, the way childhood often feels when you’re moving through spaces you don’t fully understand.

 

The story came out of conversations my sister and I had about the first time we stole something as kids, and from memories of waiting in the restaurants where our mom waitressed. As a child, those places always felt strange, full of adult rules only half understood. I was interested in the border between the child’s world and the adult world, and the moment when that border ruptures, forcing her to confront truths she’s not prepared for.

At its heart, Hiding Place is about a daughter who wants connection and a mother who, despite her best intentions, can’t fully provide it. The film tries to honor the complexity of that bond. I’m interested in how bad decisions can sometimes reveal a deeper truth, how mistakes can pull people closer, and how a single moment of transgression can become a step toward knowing someone you love.