Charlotte Native Brings ‘Hekla’ Home for Statesville Film Festival

Portrait photo of Michael Smith, director of 'Hekla' (Courtesy of Michael Smith).

Michael Smith, director and writer of “Hekla,” follows a day in the life of a self-driven actress working to make a name for herself in Chicago while managing the obstacles that are thrown her way throughout her day. A Charlotte native, Smith moved to Chicago and has lived there for 30 years after attending university for his undergraduate degree. “I am incredibly excited to come home for this screening,” said Smith. 

Smith has created five feature films in addition to shorts. All features films written and directed by Smith have been created under microbudgets—a total sum of $100,000 or less. Smith adds that when he is  working on a micro budget, he is always working with time due to wanting to pay crew and cast.  “I don’t think it costs a lot of money to make a good film,” shared Smith. He shares that “Hekla” is his proudest accomplishment yet to date.

Black and white still from the film "Hekla," written and directed by Michael Smith (Courtesy of Michael Smith).

Smith started writing the script in 2016—working on the script for 9 years. Originally not about the main character Hekla but, the inspiration came from a film he made in 2022, “Relative.” The 2022 film was a comedy about a family reunion until one of the characters stood out for Smith—Hekla. “Only after working with Elizabeth Stam, I wanted to dig out the old scripts, change it and make it about this character. The original concept was about the day in the life of an actress and having a chaotic day. After meeting Elizabeth, that is what allowed for it to become what it is.”

“I wanted to make a film about the life of an artist,” shared Smith. “I feel very strongly that most of the work an artist does is not compensated for.” Smith took inspiration from the film “Mulholland Drive,” directed by David Lynch, for the story for “Hekla.” Smith shared how he wanted to make a film about an actor who is a hustler, follow them along for a day and see where it takes him.

A still from the film "Hekla," written and directed by Michael Smith (Courtesy of Michael Smith).

 “I hope people take away that being an actor is not a glamorous life and have more respect for the field,” said Smith. “Even for those who are not artists, it is the difficulty of the work-life balance. We have all been through catastrophic breakups and then had to go to work and try not to think about the hardships.” 

Smith encourages creativity within his projects, including making his cast and crew feel comfortable. “The narrator of the film is a character who also plays in ‘Twin Peaks’,” said Smith, referring to Wendy Robie. “It is a real honor to have her agree to do this because she liked the idea. The film reminded her of when she was younger and I let her do whatever she wanted.” 

Smith shares that at the end of the “Helka” during the Lady MacBeth Scene, Robie went off script and spoke her true feelings about the film and the character. “Wendy was talking off the top of her head because she played Lady MacBeth when she was younger,” said Smith. 

“Hekla,” has been selected for the Statesville Full Bloom Film Festival and is screening on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2:15 p.m. at Iredell Arts Council. Purchase tickets here.