An Interview With Stefanie Estes - Soft & Quiet (2022)
Stefanie Estes: Reading ‘Soft & Quiet’ felt like I was getting punched in my stomach with every page turn. I was
horrified yet I could not stop reading. Beth, the writer/director, and I have been close friends for
years. We really love each other as people and have a mutual respect for each other as artists.
During the pandemic we would go on long walks and have lengthy deep conversations about our
frustrations – about what was happening in the world around us and in how the pandemic had
made us feel stagnant creatively. Beth floated the idea of shooting a feature together - keeping
it small and safe given the health concerns at the time. She knew that it would be shot as a oneer, meaning that we would never cut. The entire film would be one take. Her initial idea was to
have my character escaping an abusive relationship in the midst of the pandemic. But after a
few weeks, Beth called me and told me that she was having a difficulty connecting to the subject
matter. Beth is an artist who wants to connect with her work with the entirety of her being. It
has to resonate with her. She explained to me that she was shifting subject matter of the script
and the character, and asked me if I would still be on board if she moved in this new direction.
It was a direction that felt timely and important, and I knew that Beth would approach the
project with honesty and bravery. Reading the final moment of the script – where Anne surfaces
from the water - took my breath away. Knowing Beth, that moment just had so much resonance
for me. I could not stop thinking about it. Honestly, the script was terrifying. Not only were the
characters and the story chilling, but it was so incredibly timely. The character of Emily really
scared me. The idea of shooting it in one shot really scared me. I knew it would challenge me as
an artist and really push me outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes when a project or
portraying a character feels completely insurmountable, that is a cue to me that I need to take on
the challenge. As an artist, sometimes when things really scare us, that’s a sign we need to take
the leap. I knew I wanted to do this. And I knew I wanted to do it with Beth and help her tell this
terrifying but timely and important story.
Disturbing Cinema: How was the entire process of working with Beth de Araújo, and what did you admire most
about her as a director and person?
Stefanie Estes: Beth is amazing. Working with her on this project with a phenomenal experience. Beth and I
have been friends for years and had worked together before. I honestly can’t say enough good
things about her as a person and as an artist. She is brave and bold. She is also supportive and
nurturing. She creates an environment on set where you feel safe as an artist to go to scary
places – to take risks. I so admire the guts it took to write and direct Soft & Quiet. Beth is
unstoppable.
Disturbing Cinema: I truly want to give you a big round of applause for giving us such a gut-wrenching performance
as Emily and for being a part of what must have been an extremely physically and
psychologically demanding film to make. I believe that for an actor to embark on such a role,
they must have a lot of guts, especially in this day and age when Cancel Culture is destroying
art, particularly extreme art. How did you prepare yourself to walk into and walk away from
Emily's very ugly reality, and what was the most difficult aspect of playing her?
Stefanie Estes: Emily was a character that was incredibly challenging. She says and does deplorable things.
However, I needed to find a way to inhabit her. That was the most challenging part – finding a
way in to inhabit this person who I find so revolting. I really worked hard with Beth to find those
empathic aspects of her that I could relate to personally. We talked a lot about what we
imagined her life was like, her childhood, and the things that have gone wrong for her and have
led her down this path. I focused specifically on trying to connect with her struggle with
infertility – which has left her grieving and has also made her feel like a complete failure to the
cause she is trying to champion. I felt that if I could let the audience see a little bit of
vulnerability in Emily that they could perhaps relate to, it made what she says and does even
more terrifying. When you can see some of yourself in a character, even if just the faintest
glimmer, and then you watch them act in a deplorable manner – that is horrific.
Disturbing Cinema: Given how upsetting the subject matter was, how was it to work with your stunning and gifted
cast (Cissy Ly, Melissa Paulo, Olivia Luccardi, Eleanore Pienta, Danna Millican, Rebekah
Wiggins, Shannon Mahoney, and Jon Beavers)? How did you all collaborate and support one
another during the filming process, particularly during the most challenging scenes?
Stefanie Estes: The cast of this film are some of the most talented, generous, and empathetic artists I have ever
worked with. We had each other’s backs from the first read-through. Beth really worked hard
to create a safe space for us, so we felt comfortable going to some dark and disturbing places.
Outside of the essentials of having stunt and intimacy coordinators to make sure we were
physically safe on set, Beth had daily check ins with the cast. We would touch base and share
how we were all feeling and what concerns or issues we had coming off of the last take of the
film. Melissa, who plays Anne, led us all in group meditations and breathing exercises. We were
truly a family. This goes for the crew too. We were making something that was so difficult,
emotionally and technically, that it was imperative that we were there for each other.
Disturbing Cinema: Soft & Quiet is a very controversial film that divides audiences into two. While some people
appreciated it and believed that it should have been made to highlight the world’s vileness,
others even went as far as to suggest that it ought to have been banned. This film is definitely not
going to be everyone's cup of tea, or shall I say slice of pie, but I personally think that as cruel as
it is, it's an important piece of extreme cinema that must be digested by everyone at least once.
Why do you believe this film and others dealing with this subject matter should be viewed by an
audience, and what was the most significant thing you learned as an actor and person by being a
part of this project?
Stefanie Estes: Yes people have been very disturbed by the film, which I believe is its point. It is supposed to
make you uncomfortable. It is confronting. It is ugly. That’s the point. We’ve had pretty intense
reactions at some of our screenings, but those have led to some really interesting conversations.
I hope that someone who watches this film who perhaps has a flicker of a dangerous idea,
instead of letting it simmer, addresses it. I believe that art should challenge you. Art should bring
up emotions. Art can be ugly and disturbing and make us confront and address ugly things. I
would hope this film encourages people to take that leap to start confronting hateful thinking in
their own minds and in the minds of those around them. It is easy to not have difficult
conversations, but hopefully this film sparks some. Thoughts and words have weight. Hateful
thoughts and words have more weight. Violent rhetoric can quickly escalate into real world
violenceI think what was really cool and surprising about working on a project that examined extremely
difficult and dark human behaviour, was that it brought out the best in the group of people
working on it. I can’t say enough about how much this team supported each other and
collaborated in tackling this material. It still surprises me that we were able to accomplish it.
And we couldn’t have done it without the full commitment of each and every member of the cast
and crew. Greta, our DP, trained for 3 months to be able to shoot this film in one take. Every
crew member wore about 5 different hats in order to make this project happen. It was a truly
once in a lifetime experience and it wouldn’t have been possible without the film family we
created.
Disturbing Cinema: I declared this film to be the most disturbing film of 2022, and it is also one of the most
disturbing films I have ever seen. I'd like to conclude our interview by asking you one of my
signature questions: What is the most disturbing film you have ever seen?
Stefanie Estes: What comes to mind is an Austrian film from 2011 called ‘Michael’ directed by Markus
Schleinzer - eeek! That one is pretty up there on my list of disturbing films.
Disturbing Cinema: Congratulations on the film, and thank you once again for taking your time answering my questions, Stefanie Estes. It was an absolute pleasure interviewing you.
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Soft & Quiet (2022) Plot Summary: The thriller, which plays out in real time, follows a single afternoon in the life of an elementary school teacher as she organizes a mixer of like-minded women. When the group heads home, the teacher encounters a woman from her past, leading to a volatile chain of events.
You can buy or rent Soft & Quiet (2022) here:
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