Rachel Maxine Anderson is an Australian-Filipino filmmaker based in Brisbane/ Meanjin. Her work explores themes of identity, culture, self discovery and grief with an intention to represent families that look like hers.
Anderson completed a directorial attachment with Jefferey Walker in 2021 and her work has been produced through both the ABC Me’s Kaleidoscope Project and SBS’s Unscripted Initiative.
In this Colour Box Studio interview, Anderson discusses her current semi-autobiographical dramedy project, Ina, which explores grief and connection as a response to family loss; the potential of creative practice to inspire growth; and embracing storytelling to delve into her Filipino cultural identity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
My name is Rachel Maxine Anderson and I am an Australian-Filipino writer and director. I primarily tell identity-led stories about culture, family and self discovery. I have a background in making short films and web series content but in recent years, have shifted my focus towards writing and directing for television. The episodic space is what really lights me up.
How did you start your creative practice and why?
After graduating high school, I started my practice by studying an undergraduate degree at Griffith Film School in Meanjin (Brisbane). Growing up with a huge love for film, I always knew that I wanted to be a filmmaker and film school was where I took those first steps towards developing my voice as a writer and director. After completing my masters with a major in screen direction, I entered the industry whilst continuing to collaborate with the filmmakers that I had established strong relationships with at film school. Ever since, I have been on a parallel journey of self understanding and establishing my genuine voice as a filmmaker. I have always used my creative work as a place to express my findings in the space of self growth, identity and grief and I continue to do that for my own healing but mostly to connect with others who have had similar family dynamics and life experiences.
Where did you grow up and how has it influenced your practice?
I grew up in the coastal town of Hervey Bay, Queensland. Other than participating in school drama projects and shooting random things on my camcorder, I didn’t have much access to creativity nor the art of filmmaking. But my upbringing and my family have always continued to influence my practice as a filmmaker as that sense of integration between personal experience and creative work has always been a place of comfort, emotional processing as well as a strong source of joy for me. I grew up with a Filipino
mother and an older Australian father and have always been eager to represent that sense of difference on screen in ways that I didn’t get to see growing up. After losing my father to a stroke in 2019 and growing even closer to my mum in the process, I have been incredibly moved to tell stories in the space of grief and cultural identity and the ways in which they can intersect.
Tell us about your current project?
I’m currently in development for a drama-comedy series titled Ina, inspired by my own personal story of cultural identity and grief. The loss of my dad first inspired this series and naturally, it has evolved into a story about my mum and I as well. Do we fail to overcome our fears of vulnerability in the face of loss? Or do we move with the emotional undercurrent that pushes us to leave nothing left unsaid and nothing left unfinished? I ask myself these questions all over again as I watch my mum get older and reckon with the feeling that she is my only tie to my Filipino culture. Will I still be Filipino if I don’t have my mum here to teach me how? Just like for our protagonist Madeline, it has felt urgent and important for me to reclaim my cultural identity after a lifetime of assimilating. This is the story that I want to share with the other mixed race Australians just like me who have never seen their unsteady steps towards understanding themselves and their emotional world reflected on screen.
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been your most treasured creation so far?
My most recent project is definitely close to my heart. I directed Viv’s Silly Mango, a vibrant coming-of-age short for ABC ME and Screen Australia’s joint initiative The Kaleidoscope Project. Co-written and produced by Rae Choi and Mary Duong, Viv’s Silly Mango is inspired by 90s riot grrrl DIY ethos that explores friendship, music, and self-discovery through an intersectional Asian-Australian lens. We poured a lot of love into this project and were so lucky to be able to work with an incredible cast and crew. It was a genuine privilege to work with young people to make a film for young people. After it was released, I was sent a video of a small child watching it on their iPad and it melted my heart. It’s really cool knowing that stories like that are continuing to be championed.
Where do you feel most creative and why?
There’s nothing like being on set, surrounded by the incredible talent around you that is your crew and cast, all with the common goal of telling an important story. Where your shared love language becomes creativity and authenticity and you all work together to create an environment for a sense of play and truth telling. The fact that we get to do this and call it work is out of this world!
What do you hope audiences take from your work?
All I ever hope is that people can see themselves in my work, in either small ways or more profound ways. Stories help us to feel seen. And of course, we can only hope that our work inspires others to tell their stories too. Sometimes life feels like an endless string of falling in love with people and the stories that they have to tell.
What gets you through creative challenges or tough industry times?
Therapy (even if you can only afford one session every few months). Leaning on your community (something I’m still practicing in place of self isolation). Dogs. Walks in the park that clear your head. Good coffee. Binge watching TV on a rainy day. Friends who tell it like it is. Honest conversations with collaborators. Reaching out to mentors. Podcasts about creative challenges and getting through tough industry times. Please feel free to find me on instagram and tell me your own tips if I’ve missed anything crucial!
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
The filmmakers from the Kaleidoscope Project blew me away. I would learn something about myself after every single encounter with them or their work. Check out their beautiful films on ABC iview
Gugu naGogo: Taku Mbudzi (writer/director/producer), Namaste Yoga: Ravi Chand (writer/director/producer/actor),Yaz Queens: Lara Köse (writer/director) and William Duan (producer). Viv’s Silly Mango: Rae Choi (writer/producer), Mary Duong (writer/producer).
Where can we find and follow you online?
Website: rachelmaxine.com
Instagram: @rachelmaxinex