Jackie Van Beek is a New Zealand writer, director, and actor with a background in devised theater. She has made seven short films that have played at numerous festivals including Berlin, London, Palm Springs, and Melbourne, and many have been used as educational resources around the world. Her directing credits include “Uphill,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Go the Dogs.” As an actor she is best known for her role in the vampire comedy “What We Do In The Shadows.” “The Inland Road” is Van Beek’s feature directorial debut.

“The Inland Road” will premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival on February 16.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

JVB: It’s a drama about a teenage girl looking for love in all the wrong places.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

JVB: I started writing with the idea of bringing a group of very different characters together after a fatal accident. I wanted to explore the relationship between mothers and daughters.

What happens to a mother when she’s incapable of mothering? What happens to a daughter when she’s scared of losing her mother’s love? I wanted to tell a story about feeling directionless and not knowing how to take the next step.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

JVB: The incredible capacity we have as human beings for love, kindness, and forgiveness.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

JVB: At one point in production I was sitting in a tent comforting two of our young actors who were crying, cold, and tired. And that night I really struggled with the fact that I’d left my own three children at home in Auckland to go away and comfort other people’s children that I’d made miserable in order to serve my own creative desires. I felt awful.

But the next morning we all cheered up and got on with it! And deep down I knew my own children were excited about what I was doing. They all want to be actors now!

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

JVB: The New Zealand Film Commission is the major investor along with some private equity and sponsorship.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Berlin?

JVB: Our team is very excited about premiering at the Berlinale. I was at the festival in 2011 with one of my short films so already have a relationship with the festival.

I’m especially excited to be part of the Generation 14PLUS category as the film will play to a predominantly young audience who are always more vocal and interactive. My short film starred a snake and when the young audience first saw him slithering into shot they all started screaming at the top of their lungs! I loved it. Adults don’t tend to do this as much.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

JVB: The best advice was from a creative mentor, Brita McVeigh, who told me, “Don’t feel like you need to prove anything to anybody when you’re directing. Direct like a woman. Take time if you need it. You don’t have to pretend to know everything.”

Worst advice was when I was making my first short film . I was told, “It’s good enough; you can just make the next one better. I ignored that advice and worked until I knew I’d found the film’s potential — it went on to premiere at the London Film Festival.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

JVB: Commit to your vision and make it happen! (Oh dear, that sounds like a “Flashdance” quote). And as Jennifer Kent, the writer and director of “The Babadook,” once told me, “Being a female feature film director, you’re going to have to bust some balls.”

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

JVB: “Fish Tank” by Andrea Arnold. It’s so visceral, bold, and tough, yet extremely tender all at the same time. An incredible combination of elements that feel somehow perfectly structured.

W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?

JVB: Yes, in New Zealand there’s been a positive shift to support female practitioners. The New Zealand Film Commission has committed to improving statistics across writing, directing, and producing and these numbers are already looking a lot healthier. This has happened with increased support in development and production funding for projects that identify women in these key roles as well as female-focused initiatives springing up through the various guilds here in NZ.

In terms of growing our numbers as directors, my feeling is we need to build confidence in backing our own visions and leading large teams. I’m sure there are a lot of women out there that would make brilliant directors that simply don’t have the courage to take the next step. I occasionally work as a director’s mentor and I’m often faced with women saying, “But I’m not sure I have what it takes.” I now tend to say, “Who cares if you’re not sure? Just try! It’s the best way to find out!”