“We don’t often see these complex characters that are not only pregnant, but also have desires, and they have more agency,” cinematographer Ksusha Genenfeld advised us earlier than SXSW.
That intuition to search out and defend the full humanity of a personality on display screen is vital to Genenfeld’s method. The Los Angeles-based DP is a Loyola Marymount grad whose credit span the Shudder horror characteristic A Wounded Fawn and a roster of high-profile music movies. She brings a grounded, intimate visible language to daring, character-driven tales.
Her newest, PERFECT, premiered at SXSW 2026. Directed by self-taught English filmmaker Millicent Hailes, the movie follows Kai, a girl residing out of her automotive after a nasty breakup in a world ravaged by contaminated water. When she discovers a hidden, thriving lake, she finds a neighborhood of misfits and an surprising romance with Mallory, a rich pregnant lady with secrets and techniques of her personal.
We spoke with Genenfeld earlier than SXSW about visible storytelling, shooting intimacy with a skeleton crew, and what occurs when the plan falls aside on set.
Perfect Courtesy of SXSW
Editor’s observe: The following dialog has been edited for size and readability.
No Film School: How did you become involved on this challenge? What drew you to it?
Ksusha Genenfeld: We received related by my agent, so it is not a really glamorous story of how we met. But once we first chatted with Millicent, who’s the director, it was simply love at first sight. We related so quick, and I learn the script in a single go as a result of I actually, actually related with the themes and the matter of the film. I believe I really like coming-of-age tales, and this one is a type of movies.
I believe to me it is a new factor as a result of our most important character, who’s performed by Julia Fox, is a pregnant lady. And I believe we do not typically see these complicated characters that aren’t solely pregnant, but in addition have wishes, and they’ve extra company. I believe oftentimes in our society when folks see pregnant girls, it is virtually like they’re stripped of their identification a bit of bit. And so I simply actually love that this movie was very complicated and delved deep into this character who simply occurs to be pregnant.
And when do you ever get to see a queer story of two girls having intercourse on display screen when one in every of them is pregnant? It simply felt very sort of badass and revolutionary in a manner. So I used to be simply actually excited to do it.
NFS: As you might be clicking along with your director, how did you begin speaking about the imaginative and prescient and visible language of this world?
KG: It was essential tonally and stylistically for us to be on the similar web page. I do know Millicent was actually drawn to essentially naturalistic lighting. And for us, composition and how we shot the movie have been essential as a result of we needed to point out the connection that the two characters have.
At first, they begin to get actually shut, so we needed to do a variety of over-the-shoulder pictures that felt like they’re related.
And then all through the film, there’s a little bit of a disconnect that is taking place. So we needed to separate them. So all the pictures we did have been all very clear. We did not see them in the similar area. And in the event that they have been in the similar area, if there was a two-shot, they have been very far aside, versus at the starting of the movie.
We needed to point out this excessive intimacy that they have been experiencing. So there’s a variety of POV pictures, there’s a lot of closeups to really feel such as you’re virtually—I like this concept of filming one thing the place it feels such as you’re not speculated to be there as a viewer watching it, feeling such as you’re virtually seeing these intimate moments that you simply’re not speculated to see. So we needed to essentially embody that and maintain these intimate moments with them.
And the entire movie is simply very dynamic and actually enjoyable. We did a variety of handheld pictures, and I talked to Millicent about the arc of every character as a result of that was additionally essential to us. We had a reasonably rushed prep, and so we’d meet day by day for six to 10 hours a day and simply dissect the script, and dive in, and attempt to discover as a lot as attainable earlier than taking pictures on set.
NFS: What was your method to utilizing pure mild, and how a lot did you need to form or affect it?
KG: We needed to make use of the pure mild as a lot as attainable as a result of we felt that that is what the world actually deserved and wanted. The entire world that we created was very popular and dry, and we wanted to point out that the solar was sort of blasting on folks’s faces. That was actually vital to us as a result of there is a idea of water shortage there. When individuals are watching the movie, it’s totally heat.
Obviously, pure mild was a giant a part of it. Our gaffer, Kay Zhou, was simply so pretty to work with, and she actually helped us form the mild. So we did a combination of, if in case you have a personality in the backlight, I simply used a bounce card or some unfavorable fill. But once we had straight-on pictures, we used some diffusion. So we did form it fairly a bit.
I believe additionally as a result of our characters had completely different pores and skin tones and complexions, we needed to, for Julia, use a bit of bit extra of softer diffusion, simply so she would not pop and glow an excessive amount of in the solar.
Perfect Courtesy of SXSW
NFS: Can you speak about the challenges of taking pictures intimacy and the way you approached it?
KG: We had a tremendous intimacy coordinator, Darci Fulcher. Especially as a girl DP—and I was an actor, as properly—I believe understanding what it is wish to shoot these intimate scenes, having been on the different facet of the digital camera, I actually needed to make all people really feel very, very snug.
So me, Millicent, Ashley [Moore], Julia, and Darci had in depth prep of simply going by the motions of how every scene goes to transpire. We simply talked rather a lot about what all people felt snug with, which was actually useful. And that manner, in prep, we’re all used to one another, everyone knows one another.
I believe it’s so vital to know the actors and get near them. That’s one thing that I actually get pleasure from as the DP, creating that trusting relationship the place the very last thing they need to take into consideration is, “How do I look on camera?” They really feel that they’ve that belief in me to painting them in a manner that they know they will look nice, and issues are simply going to work mechanically.
And then once we’re really taking pictures these intimate scenes, we determined to simply have them and me on set, and that was it. It was simply the three of us. We did not even have sound on set. Millicent was behind the monitor watching the performances. So I believe that made it actually pure for them to really feel prefer it was simply virtually simply the two of them in the room, and I used to be simply sort of there catching these lovely moments between the two.
I’ve really by no means shot an intimate scene that manner. I really feel like I’ve at all times had much more folks on set, however it felt very natural. And watching the movie now, it appears like we caught these intimate moments that we’re virtually not allowed to see, however we received to be there with them.
NFS: Was there sooner or later or one sequence the place you needed to actually determine a shot, and how did you deal with it?
KG: So, as all of us do, we have been working out of time, and we have been delayed, and it was this actually enjoyable scene that we had—a bonfire scene of all people partying.
Me and Kay Zhou, the gaffer, we received a balloon mild for that scene. So it was an important scene for us to get, and we solely had perhaps an hour to shoot it as a result of we have been simply working a bit of bit behind. The battle was actually to determine, as a result of we had, I do not know, 12 or 14 pictures to do for that one scene, however we had one hour.
And it was sort of a bit of little bit of chaos, however we put the balloon mild up, and we had the bonfire going, and we received it to the proper peak with the pyrotech. And we simply had anyone behind me with a bit of mild simply to present the actors the eyelight.
So we put all people virtually in a circle, and I used to be simply capable of pan round every actor. It was virtually like we have been doing a play. They simply began from the very high to the very backside of the scene, and I simply ran round with the digital camera and received a bunch of moments.
At first, we have been considering, “How are we going to do this?” But it really got here out as such a greater scene as a result of there’s a lot power, and you possibly can really feel the chaos in the digital camera motion. The scene additionally has this urgency in it, and so it simply sort of miraculously all got here collectively.
I really like these moments on set when you have got a plan, and you need to throw it away, and you begin from scratch. I at all times wish to suppose that it is virtually these completely satisfied accidents that occur that make the movie higher. And that is what occurred that day.
Yeah, it was simply balloon mild, fire on hearth, and a bit of Lightsock for eyelights—and truthfully, virtually such as you’re simply dancing round with the actors. So it was very hectic, but in addition very enjoyable at the similar time.
Behind the scenes of Perfect Credit: Ksusha Genenfeld
NFS: Is there one factor you discovered from this challenge that you will take with you?
KG: I believe one factor that I’ve discovered from this challenge is to not be afraid of constructing daring selections.
Our director, Millicent, is simply so unapologetic and has such a transparent imaginative and prescient. Sometimes it could possibly be a giant ask to do sure issues—have a scene transpire in a sure manner, do every little thing in the water, put folks in exhausting mild. So I actually discovered rather a lot from working together with her as a result of she was simply at all times like, “F*ck it, let’s do it.”
And I believe as a DP, I at all times attempt to embody that, however typically I get very treasured with my lighting, and I get treasured with setups. The huge factor that I discovered is that typically throwing away the plan may create magic, and it is okay to strive issues I’m not used to, like placing characters in direct daylight, as a result of in my DP mind, I’m like, “They have to look beautiful, and I have to soften the light.”
But then Millicent’s like, “Well, that’s the point. This film is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable.”
It’s all about youth, and these younger adults are all sort of going by so many adjustments. So having cinematography that feels a bit of bit rougher and grittier is the look—it is the option to go.
And once more, I believe on any challenge I do, I simply be taught a lot from my collaborators. Millicent has additionally simply grow to be such an expensive pal, and I’m at all times impressed by her as a result of she by no means takes no for a solution. She’s like, “We’re doing this. We’re going to figure it out.” Her power is simply so infectious.
