“All Roads Lead to Here”: Alexandra Punch’s Story of Love & Heartbreak

Three Key Takeaways

Personal stories can reveal universal truths about human connection and heartbreak.
Collaborative energy and trust in the filmmaking process create palpable cinematic intimacy.
Independent filmmaking thrives on versatile, dedicated teams who bring passion and grit to every aspect.

Australian-American writer, producer, and actress Alexandra Punch brings raw emotional depth to her film All Roads Lead to Here, selected for screening at Nòt Film Fest.

Directed by Olivia Gill, an LA-based actor and filmmaker, the film explores the fragile, uncertain terrain of a relationship over one pivotal night.

With a talented crew including DP Scott Sweitzer and production designer Mike Gilchrist, this project showcases a nuanced slice-of-life story rooted in personal experience yet resonant for many.

Q&A Interview

What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?

All Roads Lead to Here is largely based on a personal experience, so there was a sense of urgency when writing it to both remember and reconstruct that night and the feelings that accompanied it. The script came out of me in three or four days, but I sat with it for almost a year before I decided to make it (thanks to a gentle but firm nudge from my beautiful mother). It’s uniquely specific in that it is a very personal story, but I think ironically that is what makes it universal. I think we’ve all felt the nuance of Edie’s heartbreak before; the desire to be with someone, the pain that comes with said someone not feeling the same way, and the intricate intimacy that emerges in that grey area somewhere in between.

“At the core of all my work is a desire to mine what it means to be human in all its messy glory and to feel things deeply and share them with others."

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?

I’m not sure why I was surprised by this, but the two days it took to shoot All Roads Lead to Here in July of last year were two of the best days of my life. As soon Day 1 kicked off, I was acutely aware that we were making something beautiful. The team settled into this cinematic flow state, fostered an energy that was calm, collaborative, energized and free. I think that energy is palpable in this film. I think every frame oozes with the love and care and attention to detail that each and every person who worked on it held it with.

Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?

Tonally, I think the whole film is distinctly “me”. As an artist, I have always been drawn to slow cinema; slice-of-life stories that offer a window into a moment in time, a relationship, a feeling. Both Liv (director) and I, were very united in this vision, which I think is reflected in the film's structure, the length of the scenes, and the nuances of the performances.

What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?

To keep everything in there! It’s a longer short film and very dialogue heavy, but what we found in the editing room was that cutting too much for the sake of a shorter piece sacrificed the integrity of the very story we were trying to build. I think part of what makes this story resonant, relatable, and intricate is how long these characters have to sit in each moment. There is no escape from the conversations and confrontations, so the action and emotions have to play out in real time with real stakes. We knew the runtime might mean we were a difficult project to program, but we also knew that the story had to come first. And I am so very glad we trusted that instinct.

What do you hope audiences take away from your film?

I feel very strongly that I was put on this earth to feel things deeply and share them with others, and I suppose my hope is always that, in doing so, others might feel a little less alone. Like I said, though this story is rooted in personal experience, I think it’s a delicately universal thing. I hope everyone feels seen: the feelers, the concealers, the Romantics. I hope people feel emboldened to honour what they feel and empowered to share those feelings with the world, even if it means putting your heart on the line. It’s always better to have felt something than to have felt nothing at all, don’t you think?

How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?

The intricacies of the human experience, emotion specifically, will always be at the forefront of my artistic pursuit, but I’m entering a period where I want to be a little more imaginative in how I explore those things. I’m drawn to the messy right now; the kooky, the weird. I am developing a project currently that is far more stylistic and heightened in nature, so it will be a fun challenge for me to create outside of this more realistic lane I’ve been working within the last few years. I think it’s a development of and not a departure from the voice that is at the heart of *All Roads*, and I’m excited to use the confidence that this project gave me in everything I do in the future.

What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?

The greatest tool on this production was the team. A combination of dear friends and new ones, people I’d worked with before and people I had been dying to work with, I was utterly in awe of how everyone came together to execute. Every single person lent an extra helping hand where they could, whether that was in so kindly offering personal gear/equipment or simply their time. I will forever be indebted to that group of people for the gift of their skills.

"The two days it took to shoot *All Roads*... were two of the best days of my life."

Similarly to my previous answer, I think indie filmmaking’s greatest strength is the filmmakers. To create with a team of young people, each skillful in their own way and hungry in their own right, is unlike anything else. It’s visceral, electric. No one in indie filmmaking wears one hat – you wear several because you must. With smaller teams, less money, and therefore typically less time, indie artists are always willing to step up and face a project with grace, grit, fierce determination, and love. I will remember the experience of making this film forever, simply because of the people I got to make it with, and if I have any lesson to offer it’s that: choose your people wisely. With the right team, you can do anything. And you can do it with a lightness of being that will embed itself deep, deep into your bones, where it will remain as a feeling that guides everything you do from that point forward.

What does it mean to you to have your film selected for Nòt Film Fest?

As a festival that serves to boldly and consistently push indie cinema forward, the opportunity to share our film at Nòt is something we take immense pride in and will forever. To be recognized alongside so many other incredible filmmakers from all over the world is activating and empowering, and I so look forward to meeting as many of them as I can in Italy. All I am filled with is gratitude. Grazie Mille a million times over.

"I hope people feel emboldened to honour what they feel and empowered to share those feelings with the world."

How do you hope being part of Nòt Film Fest will shape the life of this film?

Our story is one of connection, so I hope that being a part of Not will bring that to life in new and exciting ways. To share our film in another country, with artists from all over, will be a great test of its universality, and I look forward to the feedback from other filmmakers and festivalgoers alike. Everyone who consumes this story shapes it, at least it feels that way in my heart, so I am anticipating this experience being quite a profoundly special one. I hope to meet future collaborators and friends, creatives with shared visions and contrasting ones, people who see the world like me and crack my perspective on life and art open in ways I couldn't have imagined.

Where do you see this film going next?

I went back and forth for a long time about whether I wanted to expand *All Roads* into a feature, but I think for me, at least right now, it exists just as it’s meant to in this form. I’ve lived with this story for over two years now, and I think the ways in which I’m craving to express and challenge myself next don’t necessarily live in these characters or this world anymore. Though who knows what happens down the track… We’re hoping to have another US screening or two before releasing online later this year!