Silver Haze tells the story of Franky, a young nurse from a London suburb, who seeks revenge and still searches for answers after a childhood event left her traumatized. When Franky falls head over heels in love with Florence, one of her patients, her life takes a profound turn. Franky is able to build a new life with Florence’s family and is finally able to confront her painful past.  Silver Haze is the second partnership between Sacha Polak (Dirty God) and actress Vicky Knight. Polak who also wrote the screenplay, based the script partly on the life of the actress, who at the age of eight survived a fire and suffered severe burns. This interview was conducted over Zoom.

How important is it for a filmmaker to hold a world premiere at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival?

Very important. I have a very special relationship with the Berlin Film Festival. This is also my fourth film at the festival, so I couldn’t dream of a better place to premiere this film. Especially since this film festival is open to the public, so my entire crew, family and friends can experience my film with a large audience in a full theatre. I also love the fact that during a film festival, a movie can really come to life when people can talk about it afterwards. Film festivals such as Cannes or Sundance are much more closed off and more created for the entertainment industry.

This is a character-based film, why this subject and what was your connection to it?

This movie is loosely based on the life story of Vicky Knight, who is the lead of Silver Haze. I made Dirty God with her and for that movie, I was searching for somebody who had scars from being a burn survivor and so I got to know Vicky and found her to be a very special inspiring person, who was also a great actress with many special stories to tell, so I wanted to make this movie about her. This drama is about somebody who has experienced something traumatic and is learning to come to terms with it, but it is also a big love story. A story about one’s first big love and through that special love, Franky lands into another family, who shows her alternative perspective of life.

How important was it for you to have the love relationship element?

S.P. Vicky is queer, so it would have to be a relationship with a woman. And to me, what was interesting is that these two women both have problems. Vicky’s character Franky is really struggling to get answers and fights to get through the day, while Florence has sort of given up and is trying to commit suicide or attempts to do it. Together we figured out their relationship, particularly each coming from a different background, but I also wanted to tell the story of “a big first love,” the one, that you will never forget. 

Can timing be of importance, when bringing a subject as Silver Haze to the big screen?

Absolutely, whether a film is being seen or not seen has a lot to do with timing. You can touch up on the right subject, on the right time, then something happens in the world, and all of a sudden it may be the wrong subject. Of course, it also has to do with the state of the world, whether or not people are feeling safe and what their needs are, if they need something uplifting or if they can stomach going to the cinema to see a heavy subject.

How lucky do you feel as a film director to be able to work in the entertainment field?

Making films is truly my biggest passion, it’s everything I ever dreamt of. To earn a living by doing what I love most, gives me such joy and happiness! Even if this means occasionally to be away from home for a long time, which can be very difficult for I have two daughters. I love everything about filmmaking, I love the way it goes from writing and being secluded, to being on a set with lots of people, to working with the actors and then go to the editing booth. Everything about the process of making a feature, I absolutely love.