"Into the Shadows"—Female-Directed Dystopian Film on Climate Change Filmed in Portugal
- Tegan Gould
- Jan 28
- 8 min read
When I had the chance to speak with May and Jacy, two of the creative minds behind Into the Shadows, a dystopian coming-of-age story that imagines a worst-case scenario for Earth in the face of climate change, I was struck by how their passion for storytelling seemed to mirror their connection as collaborators. Their dynamic blend of determination, empathy, and creativity is evident not just in the story they tell but in the way they talk about the process behind it.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey into film and what inspired you to pursue this path?
May: I started in theatre and did theatre camps when I was younger and one day someone came in to show us film acting and I found that I was better behind the camera than I was in front of it and that's what got me interested in film. I've also always been a writer, since I was young and in middle school I would do competitions so combining my two passions turned into directing and writing. Later on, i went on my first set when i was in highschool, about 15 or 16, I started out lying about my age to get on sets as a PA. How me and Jacy met was through Tiktok because I used social media to document my film journey.
Jacy: I have always been making films since I was little—I found this out pretty recently when I was going through archives of what my parents kept of us. When I was five or six, I used to make little films with my cousins on my tablet. It’s really funny to me that I’ve always kind of had this passion for telling stories, whether that was with my toys, my cousins, or whatever it was—I was always capturing things. When I was about 14, I was set on being a writer and an author. Later on, I discovered that I could write scripts for movies and actually make them happen. I first went on a set when I was about 16, like May, and I got to see a big, real production. When I got home that day, I wrote my first-ever short film, which never saw the light of day. It was terrible, but I shot it, and it was done. I completely got addicted to the process and never really stopped. I just kept going from there.
Q: How does being female directors affect your storytelling and the way you navigate your work?
May: I think we need more female directors and producers in the industry.
Growing up, as women, we’re often taught to be more empathetic—not that it’s necessarily right, but I think that empathy helps us connect deeply with our characters. Jacey and I call our characters our “brain babies.”
For example, in Into the Shadows, the bond between the two sisters, Cora and her younger sister, reflects my own experience with my younger sibling. There’s an unbreakable strength in that bond—Cora would do anything to protect her sister, even more than for any crush or romantic love.
We also naturally passed the Bechdel test (A test looking at if there is a conversation between women that includes a topic other than men) without consciously trying. It’s not that we set out to make a feminist film—it’s just that, as women telling stories, our experiences naturally shaped the narrative to connect with other women.
Jacy: I think we both feel this maternal instinct toward our characters. We’re protective of them. That emotional connection extends to the actors as well—we’re very intentional about creating a safe and supportive space on set.
It’s about being emotionally honest, which makes it easier to connect with the cast and bring out authentic performances.
Q: You’re a diverse team with members from around the world. How did you navigate creative differences, and how did that shape the film?
May: It wasn’t always easy! Jacy and I come from very different cultural backgrounds—American individualism versus the community-oriented culture of Portugal. I’m Indian-American, and being on set with a team that valued collaboration reminded me of the comfort and connection I feel with my own community.
Jacy: I think the film is a combination of all our styles and all our ideas. It was definitely, probably the hardest part of making the film was dealing with various opinions coming from various places, and we've all have our independent experiences in this field, so trying to like, find a common ground was definitely a challenge. Our creative team of six had different visions for the film, but we trusted each other and respected each person’s perspective. I remember May telling me, “Jacy trust me” and I had to trust her judgment. Sometimes someone else understood a scene better, and just being open to understanding what each one of us brings to the project.
Q? How do you incorporate personal experiences into your work, and does your art reflect parts of your personal life or current social issues?
May: Every time that, at least I write, and I think that Jacy and I have had this conversation, like it's not autobiographical, but parts of yourself go into every character. Parts of yourself go into every story. And some are more on the nose than others. But one thing that was really important to us is that not only should Into the Shadows be a reflection of how we emotionally feel, but also be a reflection of, you know, some like an issue that's really, really important to us, which is climate change. And you know now the now climate activists are saying that the climate clock is basically run out, like we have almost done irreversible damage to the earth, and while into the shadows is not something that would actually happen in real life, it's an imagined worst case scenario of what could happen to our earth if we keep treating it the way that we do.
Jacy: Into shadows came along as something that we wanted to express as a young generation. We wanted to show what we felt through our perspective and through young people's perspective what we see of the planet Obviously, in the shadows is an impossible world, but it is some kind of metaphor about what we feel towards our future.
May: I think great art entertains and tells your message in that subtle way.Just by being true to who you are and keeping your message in mind, that message will come through in that subtle way. And that's what we try to do, because we want people to watch, and we want people to also get the deeper message behind it.
Q: What are your hopes for how audiences will connect with the story?
May: My hope is that they can connect emotionally with the characters, and that they can also see that there's a bigger purpose behind it.Our audience is mostly young women and we can make a difference even if it's not through legislation or voting right now. I also have to shout out Alex Helsby who's an independent artist. He made an original track for the end credits of the film, and it's beautiful, and you can stream it as well. And it basically talks about the relationship between Cora and Issa.
Q: What is some advice you would give to young film makers pursuing their first film?
May: There's three pieces of advice for me.
people have better BS detectors than you think they do. A lot of people can see through fakeness, see through the bullshit, so it kind of goes along with what Jacy was saying. Honesty is the best. So if you don't know if you're doing something, ask for help and don't use people. Genuinely be interested in them, genuinely want to get to know them, genuinely want to learn from them because they will see through it.
There's no right time and Jacy will tell me all the time you're never too small to do something. And that's like, the number one thing that Jacy has taught me, I think I was doing like the thing where in film school, you're taught to limit yourself, and I was limiting myself to what I thought could be done. But Jacy taught me that you can write the craziest things, and we'll find a way to put it in our scope. Don't limit yourself to a small idea based on what you think you can do.
For all the girls out there—don't let a man or anyone tell you that you can't do a specific role just because you're a girl. Girls can be grips, girls can be gaffers, girls can be DPS. Girls can do anything in the industry. We can do sound. We can hold a boom. I've done it. I can hold a boom over my head for an entire day. Did it hurt my arms? Yes, but yes, I can do it. So just because a role is like, traditionally done by a man, that's number three is just, there's no gender to a role in filmmaking.
Jacy: I want to add something to what May said about not limiting ourselves. I think I learned that from my parents—especially my dad, but my mom too. When I was little, they never put limits on my imagination or what I could do. If I told them I wanted to make a film, they never told me it was insane. They just acted like it was a normal part of life, and we made it happen.
For Into the Shadows, I told my dad I needed an abandoned house for filming, something rundown I could stay in for a week. A week later, he showed me a picture of an old family house we could use. He always finds these wild solutions to our problems.
Another time, I wanted a white horse for a film. It wasn’t crucial to the plot, but I just really wanted it. It was too expensive and hard to get there, so I was about to give up. But one day, I sat down and thought, “Why give up? I really want this horse.” I called every horse stable in the area, and one lady picked up. I explained how important it was to my inner child, and she asked, “What color?” I said white, and she said, “Okay, I’ll be there.” And she brought the horse.
That day proved that there are no limits to what you can do if you believe in it. You just have to find the right people and solutions. I think that's what makes me a producer—finding solutions for crazy ideas. It's about persistence, knocking on the right doors, and not getting discouraged when someone says no. Eventually, the right person will say yes.
I even invited the lady who helped with the horse to the premiere, and she brought the horse to walk the red carpet. It was an unreal moment. It’s all about timing, meeting the right people, and aiming high. If you don’t limit yourself, you’ll find a way to make things happen.
Q: Lastly, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or ideas you’re particularly excited about?
May: We’re working on several projects right now—some exciting announcements are coming in 2025!
Jacy: We just wrapped a horror film we both worked on, and we’re so excited for what’s next. We can’t share much yet, but stay tuned.
As our conversation with May and Jacey comes to a close, it’s clear that their passion for storytelling and commitment to creating authentic, impactful work are at the heart of Into the Shadows. Their journey is a testament to the power of collaboration, resilience, and staying true to one's vision.
If you want to support their work, watching Into the Shadows on YouTube, sharing it with your community, and following them on social media are all great ways to help amplify their voices and spread the message of their film. Every view and share counts in making a difference, and as May and Jacey continue to bring their unique perspectives to the screen, we can’t wait to see where their storytelling journey takes them next.
-Tegan Gould, Features
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