Carina Battrick – Falling

By starrymag | September 14, 2020

By: Robert Warren

 

 

Q) What made you decide to audition for the film Falling? 

A) We don’t normally turn down auditions. We were actually very excited for this one since we knew it was going to be directed by Viggo Mortensen. I have not personally watched his movies since they are mostly for adults, but I saw him in the Oscars in 2019 when he was nominated for an Oscar for Green Book.

 

Q) What did you do for your audition that you think made you stand out? 

A) I think it was one of the emotional scenes between Sarah and her father. I believe I was able to portray those emotions pretty well.

 

Q) What was it like when you first got the news that you were selected to be part of the film? 

A) The audition process was very quick but nerve-racking. I had auditioned for two movies in the same week. I actually got an offer for the first movie and then was recalled for a second audition for Falling At the second audition for Falling it was myself and one other girl. Viggo was actually auditioning us himself, along with the casting director. I was really nervous waiting for my turn, but was excited to meet Viggo. I learned that I got the role that evening, so I had to give up the other movie since it had overlapping dates. I could not stop jumping for joy that night.

 

Q) In this film you play Little Sarah, what is it about your character that makes her special? 

A) Falling is a movie about the relationships we form with our family through the course of our life. I get to portray Sarah who is Viggo’s younger sister in flashbacks. Her character helps show how we never really know a person’s story and should not judge others choices.

 

Q) How do you feel like you connect to your character? 

A) I was able to connect to my character because I was able to relate to the unconditional love a daughter has towards her father. I also have siblings so it was natural to portray that relationship with my on-set brother.

 

Q) What was your favorite part about playing this character? 

A) My favorite part was working with Viggo Mortensen. I think it is the fact that Viggo is an amazing actor and understands what it is like to be on the other side of the camera. He is much more patient than other directors and is very clear about what he wants to see in the scene. He also doesn’t treat you any different just because you are a child actor. He sees you as an actor who wants to deliver the best performance from a director’s perspective.

 

Q) What was it like on your first day on set? 

A) It was really exciting to be working with Viggo. I also got to meet the boy who plays my brother and my onset parents. Everyone was very nice and welcoming. Meeting everyone is one of the things I look forward to the most in being an actress.

 

Q) What was it like working with the other actors in this film? 

A) Sverrir Gudnason who plays Sarah’s dad in the flashbacks is from Sweden and he used to play a harmonica on set. It was super cool. On the last day of filming he gave everyone a harmonica and I have been trying to play it ever since.

 

Q) Have there been any directorial notes that help guide or shape you in creating this character? 

A) My character was supposed to be a bit afraid of her father, which is different to what I am used to in real life.

 

Q) What was the hardest part of playing Little Sarah? 

A) The most challenging aspect of playing was the fact that I could not read the majority of the script because it was adult oriented. My mom had to explain a lot of the story to me in her own words. Also, Sara’s relationship with her dad is not an easy one so I had to imagine what that would feel like to have a dad like that in real life, as he is very different from my own father.

 

Q) What do you hope people take away from your character? 

A) I would like people to see that parents are not perfect and they make mistakes when they raise us, but we still need to love and support them forever because they are family. We should not judge people, as we often don’t know what shaped them to be who they are when they were growing up.

 

Q) What was it like when you got to see the final film? 

A) It is a mature movie so there was a lot of bad language and some parts I could not watch but it was very exciting. I got to see the movie with the entire cast and crew in a movie theatre late last year. It was emotional reliving the filming and seeing myself on the big screen was super exciting.

 

Q) What’s your favorite part of this film?

A) My favorite part of this film is that it shows how a person’s life is shaped from the time they are born to the time they are grown up. Also, that even small events which might seem insignificant at times might become life-changing moments that shape you to the adult you eventually become.

 

Q) What do you have planned next? 

A) Now that things are finally starting to open up again and more productions are starting to film, I am hoping to get a role that will really push me out of my comfort zone and let me explore something I have never imagined. I would really like to get a role where I would need to travel somewhere and get to know more about a different country and culture.