In this Dances With Films Press Junket edition of Below the Line, host Judy Nguyen sits down with filmmaker Beth Curry, writer and director of Lemon. Based on the feature script that earned Curry the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting (2020), Lemon tells the haunting yet hopeful story of a six-year-old girl raised by her agoraphobic mother and what happens when she’s suddenly forced to step outside for the first time.

Curry shares the inspiration behind the story, the emotional depth of seeing the world through a child’s eyes, and the challenges of directing young actress Egypt Brooks, whose performance captures both innocence and resilience. They discuss shooting in a decaying house, the film’s warm, color-saturated cinematography, and how imagination and hope thread through themes of fear, grief, and rebirth.

It’s an intimate look at how one filmmaker turned personal reflection into cinematic storytelling and a reminder that sometimes stepping into the light takes the most courage of all.