Director’s Statement

Ok, get this: my co-creators and I have each received an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) diagnosis at different times in our lives. We were sitting in the Drama Bookstore––New York’s literary shrine to brilliant ideas and where we feverishly assembled to think up our own––when it came up in conversation. Great Minds emerged from candid observations about our struggles and triumphs with the disorder, and our growing curiosity to explore the inner worlds of characters experiencing psychological conditions like OCD.

Through a vignette-style narrative, Great Minds highlights how rituals and ruminations subtly yet distinctly impact the everyday lives of three women. Ava, Kennedy, and Laine each experience OCD differently, yet their shared residence in the apartment building symbolizes a collective struggle, despite the isolation conditions like OCD may elicit. The film’s title, half of the adage “great minds think alike,” plays on this duality of shared plights and personal solitude.

Great Minds blends nonverbal storytelling and magical realism to portray the three characters’ experiences with OCD. In particular, Dutch camera angles, dramatic lighting shifts, and foreboding music seek to amplify disorienting and distressing moments.

This was my first time directing a film so, naturally, I quaked in my sweaty sneakers as we lined up our first shot. But the whole experience was so rewarding. I had an incredible women-led team to support me and think creatively throughout the process. I hope that Great Minds resonates with viewers, fosters deeper conversations, and challenges stigma.