A captivating romance that transcends the boundaries of cinema.
Below Her Mouth was released in 2016 and prompted some controversial discussions. Unapologetically bold and sensual, the Canadian movie captured the essences of Dallas (Erika Linder), a sexually liberated roofer, and Jasmine (Natalie Krill), a Vogue editor on the verge of a wedding who gets entangled in a transformative love affair with Dallas.
Watching as the film captured authentic intimacy devoid of an excessive dialogue was a unique moment for the audiences as it was an unfiltered depiction of a lesbian romance. The same, however, could not be said for the actors, who had to grapple with tremendous risks both in their personal lives and their careers.
Erika Linder: Crossing the boundaries of an androgynous model to a screen
Years prior to Below Her Mouth, Erika Linder was a renowned model able to embody androgyny due to her unique features. The Swedish born new talent had already made bold moves for defying gendered expectations in the world of modeling, and when presented with the opportunity to likeness Dallas, it presented her with a film acting role which was quite the leap for her career.
Because of the iconic attitude, the role required both toughness and vulnerability. It was more than simply the swaggering heartbreak that Dallas was. She was devoted and longed for connection. In large part due to her own life’s experiences, such as her defiance of boundaries as well as her desire and identity, Erika received praise for the authentic performance.
After the film, Erika received ‘queer icon’ status, and her career took on a new trajectory. Overnight, she received this title mostly from the youth of the LGBTQ+ community who seldom witnessed such representation on screen. Like with every bright side, this too came with challenges, she was mainly typecast in roles that focused on her androgyny, her queer identity, and as such, many did not ‘flow’ as one would expect from a debut that makes your headlines. Regardless, she attended many queer festivals and interviews as a representative of boundary breaking cinema and fashion, and embraced her role as the voice for visibility.
Natalie Krill: An Actress Stepping into Risk
Even before taking on the role of jasmine, Natalie Krill was already an accomplished Canadian actress with several TV programs and stage performances under her belt. To her, below her mouth was about taking the biggest risk of her career. It takes emotional depth and ability to nuance act the role of a woman about to marry a man only to realize her truth in a same sex woman relationship. Jasmine’s characterization is not a story of betrayal; rather it is about self realization, fear, and the messy nature of desire.
Krill’s interviews after the film’s release reflected on the excruciating nature of the filming. The role granted her notoriety internationally, but also changed the perception of most casting directors. She still continued to work on various movies and television series. As many actresses experience, a few opportunities seemed to close. However, many people appreciate her for not shying away from taking the most audacious and riskiest decisions.
When the set becomes a cocoon
One of the most distinctive aspects of Below Her Mouth was that it was filmed with an all female crew. From the director, April Mullen, to cinematographers, costume designers, and assistants, every department was run by women. For Erika and Natalie, this created a unique atmosphere. The vulnerability of intimate scenes — often the toughest part of shooting — started to feel less like exposure, and more like collaboration.
Natalie Erika describe the set as a ‘cocoon’ which they perceived as safe, and devoid of the pretentiousness that usually accompanies such highly charged scenes. For someone like Erika, with a history in the fashion industry which is highly populated with men, this was a breath of fresh air. When Natalie discusses the love scenes, they weren’t about voyeurism, rather they were about the emotion and connection that the female gaze fosters.
The crew in attempt to maximize on the minimal budget, worked as swiftly as possible and this resulted in savings on the crew’s own personal comfort, with long hours of work and little rest. However, the bonding that occurred as a result of the closeness of the team resulted in positive outcomes. By the conclusion of filming, the bond between co-stars Erika and Natalie extended beyond the professional and into the personal as a result of the mutual trust that came from the courageous work they did together.
Typecasting, struggles, and new doors
Below Her Mouth was, in equal measure, both a visible and challenging veil for of the two new leads.
To this day, it is hard not to recognize Erika Linder, and yet, as a result of her fame, she cubicalized herself. Quite a number of producers were eager to cast her as a dallas character: edgy, spellbound, and queer. Although her mentality was appreciative of the image, she yearned for more opportunities with greater ranges beyond that. As she continued to do modeling, she had a renaissance of sorts and began taking on more creative endeavors. For example, music videos and select indie films that were willing to light her unique aura.
Compared to the former, Natalie Krill continued to work in Canadian television and film, although in many of her interviews, she was unfortunately faced with the reality that questions were frequently asked that had nothing to do with her work, and rather more about her sexuality: a common answer for many actresses that take on bold roles. Natalie has always been adamant about the fact that there was no “self-labeling” done when it came to playing jasmine with the reasoning that the plot being told was honest and real. For this reason, the ‘type cast’ reality was the one that was most relevant to what she wanted for her career.
The cultural aftershock
Though it didn’t set any box office records, Below Her Mouth certainly garnered a cult following, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. For a number of viewers, it was one of the first films to portray lesbian intimacy without toning it down, hiding it, or fetishizing it for the male gaze. The performances turned Erika and Natalie into, quite without intention, pioneering legends.
Long after the film’s release, the cultural influence of the film remained. At film festivals, fans would come forward and share the ways in which the film changed their lives and enabled them to openly express their sexuality. For the audience, this may have been the most fulfilling aspect of the film: the fact that a Canadian indie film that was made on a tight budget is capable of transcending boundaries and affecting people living on different continents.
Even in the years that have gone by, Below Her Mouth has remained a defining feature in the careers of Erika and Natalie, who have since then moved on to other ventures. To Erika, it meant a move from modeling to acting, and a sign that one is willing to accept unconventional roles. To Natalie, it signified that taking risks, even in the name of complicated career discussions, is sometimes the best way to jump start a conversation.
One thing is certain, Below Her Mouth offered the two actresses much more than a point of reference in their resumes. It provided a testament of bravery for agreeing to a narrative that many would have turned away from. As the discourse around film and feminism and around the representation of LGBTQ people continues to grow, their decision to portray Dallas and Jasmine becomes more and more profound.