Talking To: Yasmine Alice
Beginning a career in law, Turkish born Yasmine has many talents. Scouted for TV when she was five years into her law career, she began work as a news reporter before transitioning to acting and now writing. We caught up with her to discuss her new film, Anxious, which is currently making waves on the awards circuit and why putting mental health at the forefront of the film was important to her.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to chat with The Everyday – could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Thank you! I’m an actress, producer, lawyer and writer originally from Istanbul, Turkey. I came to the UK when I was nineteen years old to study law. I qualified and was working as an immigration lawyer in the city for five years. I started working in the film industry about six years ago. Fun fact, I’m a quadrilingual martial artist and I love cats!
How did you get into acting? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I never planned on becoming an actress, hence why I went to law school. I thought, ‘my grades are good, what else is there? Nothing’. But the weird thing is, I always dreamt of being an actress. I remember going to kindergarten and daydreaming; visualising myself on the red carpet, watching myself at the cinema. I used to write stories in my mind and see how it would play out, like watching a movie. I would give award winner speeches in the mirror as a ten year old. But I never joined the drama school, I never took any classes. I just thought acting was a distant dream that people couldn’t really do.
One day I saw a competition online for BAME presenter-wannabes. I applied and won a free TV presenting class which was taught in Pinewood Studios! I had never been on camera, had no clue what it would entail, but I was living for it! I went, did the course and the teacher pulled me to one side and said, “Hey, I think you are actually talented. Why don’t you take this more seriously?”. So I did. It was two months after that conversation that I had quit my job as a lawyer and started working as an entertainment news correspondent, filming nearly everyday and airing on television twice a week.
Being in front of the camera felt so natural and I had bags of experience by that time, so I decided to act. I saw a casting for a popular British TV series called Red Dwarf online. They were looking for a Turkish speaking actress. I was like, ‘okay then! I can do that’. I went to the casting, and boom. I booked it. It was a dream come true. I was on set, just in awe of all the talent and hard work and beauty of set design. I thought to myself, ‘yes, this is what I was made for. This is my purpose for living’. And I’ve never looked back ever since.
You started making documentaries first before transitioning into acting; how different were the two experiences?
They were completely different experiences. I have worked with many actors who can’t present. Presenting is a different ballgame, you need to be super comfortable about the subject matter you are talking about. And we all make mistakes! I stuttered on live TV before! I forgot a politician’s name I was interviewing once; it happens. But what makes a good presenter is someone who is just mega confident and can tackle those mistakes and just move on. I’m an immigrant, English is not my first language, but it doesn’t matter. So long as you know and you have studied the subject of the documentary or the interview or whatever you are presenting and your passion can ooze on camera, you will do just fine.
You’ve also performed on stage – do you have a favourite type of acting? In front of the camera or in front of a live audience?
I was the lead actress in a West End play called Tangled by Rayna Campbell. When Rayna first approached me, I thought to myself, ‘I have not been to drama school. I don’t know any techniques. This is a lead role with so many monologues and an on stage crying/fight scene. Can I actually do this?’. Rayna was an amazing director, and I always say, there are no bad actors, only bad directors. She made me feel super confident and I nailed that performance. I was really anxious before going on stage but once I was up there on stage at Criterion, I was just living as that character in that moment.
The difference between stage and screen is that I never get anxious on set. Even though I have done big productions where there were hundreds of crew and background artists and everybody watching me, I wasn’t nervous at all. But there’s something really thrilling and satisfying about those live performance nerves that I miss, so I would love to get back on stage in the West End again one day.
Are you involved with the process behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera?
I’m a producer and writer. I started my production company Bastet Productions almost a year ago. When I wrote Anxious, I wasn’t a “writer” or a “producer”, I didn’t know what I was doing. I wrote a script, I asked for funding from an Executive Producer I met online, I got my funding and I was like, ‘cool, alrighty then, let’s make a movie’. I started searching for a crew on Facebook, read some articles and what not, and researched about how to safely film during a pandemic.
Anxious did surprisingly really well. It has gotten eight official selections and four awards thus far. We have also recently received a distribution offer. It’s shocking but also a blessing because since Anxious, I made five other short films and have four more in the works for 2022, two of which have received funding! Anxious made me a producer. I never set out on this journey to become a producer, but now I realise that I am one. A whole new dream and a career path was paved for me thanks to Anxious.
What inspired you to write Anxious?
I wanted to write a script about generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder. I’m quite outspoken about my mental health journey and struggles. I was diagnosed in 2017 and have been hospitalised three times. When I was first diagnosed, I had no clue; I felt like I was dying, my heart was about to explode. I had panic attacks ten times a day. And there weren’t enough resources online; I watched some YouTube videos by experts, talked to psychiatrists and therapists, but it didn’t feel genuine because they hadn’t personally experienced it, they only studied it from books. They didn’t understand when I told them “I feel like my throat is constricting” or “my brain is melting”. But when I say those to others who have experienced panic attacks, they tell me “I know exactly what that means”. And that’s what I wanted to create with Lara; a genuine portrayal of anxiety. The anger bursts, the urge to call an ambulance knowing very well that you are actually not dying, the abuse of meds and alcohol, and the never-ending inner chatter.
The first part of the film takes place within a day and all in Lara’s apartment, making it feel slightly claustrophobic at times – was that the aim of the film?
That was definitely the aim. During the pandemic a lot of people have felt this way in their homes. Scared to go out, afraid to catch Covid. Especially those who live alone and needed that social interaction to survive, but couldn’t because of the pandemic. As a filmmaker, I wanted two completely different worlds; one which is during the pandemic inside the claustrophobic space in Lara’s flat, and the other which is in the café with Lara’s friends in an outside space with flowers and sunshine after the lockdown. That difference was vital for me to portray.
Was it important to you to explore the crisis within the crisis of the pandemic – the mental health epidemic?
Yes, it was very important. Statistics show that mental health problems and antidepressant use have increased during the pandemic. Even those who have never experienced a panic attack did so during lockdown. How do I know? Because I have a YouTube series dedicated to my journey with anxiety. These videos are in Turkish and have hundreds of thousands of views. I get a lot of comments and emails from people who tell me about their journeys and struggles. Lara’s experience is not my experience; lockdown was genuinely really good for me as I escaped to my parents who live near the beach. But I was inspired by hundreds of people who reached out to me and I wanted to give their voice representation during such a difficult time.
I have had people who watched Anxious and told me that they could empathise with Lara and that they felt understood; I had people cry after watching the film; I had people recommend it to their partners to watch so that they could really see what it was like to have this condition. During the London premiere of the film, someone even laughed! She thought the film was hilarious! During the scene when Lara was crying, she was cackling like it was a comedy! It’s so interesting to see how various the reactions to the film have been.
The scene where Lara is having a conversation with her friends [they completely dismiss the idea of therapy and mental health] is very poignant, especially with the quote from Glenn Close at the end of the film – do you believe our society could benefit from more open conversations around mental health?
Yes. I remember back in 2018 when I first started meds, I had different reactions from different family members and friends. Some said “Don’t tell people about it. They will think you are crazy”. Some said “Just go to the gym. You are exaggerating”. Some even said “You will never get married if you tell people you are on meds”. I was on meds for two beautiful years and it actually saved my life! When you get a cold, people never tell you any of this; you go and take a pill. Our mental health is exactly the same. And moreover, mental health manifests physically too; it is so painful to have a panic attack. You feel like you are dying, having a heart attack; sweating, trembling, throat constricting, legs and arms going numb, the symptoms are countless. So why wouldn’t we take medication to stop all of that pain? And why should it be embarrassing to do so? We don’t all walk the same path. Some of us have traumatic backgrounds, and that’s okay. It’s okay not to be okay, but it’s not okay to pretend to be okay.
Do you have any advice you can share to those who are still suffering with the effects of lockdown on their mental health?
Go for walks! Oxygen and Vitamin D are the best medicine for anxiety and depression. Of course, some of us have it on a more clinically dangerous level; then see a therapist! Nowadays you can have a therapy session on Zoom, and it’s super affordable; you can even get a trainee therapist with less experience who would be even more affordable. Just don’t ignore your mental health. There’s nothing embarrassing about going to therapy. You can learn so much about yourself, your inner workings, new communication methods, your attachment style. It’s totally worth it.
How has the film been received so far? Will there be a way for the public to view it soon?
The film has been screened at eight film festivals worldwide and won four awards. Three of those awards were for Best Actress for me. We have received some distribution offers recently that I’m going through at the moment. Once she completes her festival route, maybe for another year or so, I do want to publish it on my YouTube channel and make it available for everyone to watch. Follow our Instagram page @anxious_shortfilm where I announce the next film festivals, distribution strategies, and everything else.
What’s next for you? Have you got any projects in the pipeline for 2022?
I have two amazing short films and a documentary film in post-production at the moment. They are a whole different ball game and I hope to focus on more A-list festivals with those babies. I also have four new short films in the works as a writer and producer. I’m currently developing my feature film called Master Fool, which is an absurd martial arts comedy and pitching to executives. I’m working loads as an actress, presenter, voice over artist; you name it I probably do it.
I’m in love with the film industry and I’m so gassed to make new films, it’s unreal. You could say I’m a bit calmer as an actress, much more selective, and usually leave it with my wonderful agents at DBA to make most of the decisions for me. As a writer, I write a new script every week to keep my writing muscles in shape. Bastet Productions and I, as a producer, have decided to become much more selective for 2022 onwards with the projects I take on as well. But I’m always looking forward to meeting new filmmakers and reading new pitches to Bastet Productions.
To find out more about Yasmine’s work and her new short film, Anxious, click here: https://www.yasminealice.com/
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