From the Bottom of the Lake (ATOM Study Guide)

'If you want to cover up, to be safe, then you don't allow the audience in.' – Jane Campion

From the Bottom of the Lake (Clare Young, 2013) is an intimate portrait of Jane Campion and her collaborators at work – a personal and insightful exploration of how the creative spirit can sing. The film shows how artists can create an original vision and bring it into the world.

The film begins in 2010, watching Jane at work during the development and writing of the crime/mystery miniseries Top of the Lake. Sharing this process is her long-time collaborator, sparring partner and co-writer Gerard Lee: 'You create a space where ideas just arrive.' Together, Jane and Gerard nap, argue, get depressed and celebrate. We see the struggle between plot and inspiration, authenticity and cliché, deadlines and perfection. 'You're always working to that bottom line, what can be fixed, what can be improved, what can be moved.'

We jump to rehearsals at the fictional 'Women's Camp' in New Zealand, where Jane and her actors improvise to discover the characters and their relationships. 'Inspiration is always a visitor to the relaxed space inside you, it comes when you're not trying.' We see Jane at work with her leading ladies, Holly Hunter and Elisabeth Moss. Across the diverse landscapes of New Zealand we see the intensities and challenges of the shooting of the show: an army of crew members, actors throwing each other on tables, stunt men jumping off ropes from trees. 'I'm protecting the story, I'm protecting the actors' work