KAELEN OHM TALKS QUEEN OF SPADES

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

Also an artist, music is a medium that allows you to convey any story you want, whereas storytelling in film demands significant resources and back and forth with others. Is it different finding your own voice in the acting-space than with music?

Acting has forced me to build a strong point of view on the world around me, to relationships, politics, the environment, social justice, art and spirituality. It was somewhat of an entry point into finding my own voice as an artist by understanding myself as a human. It is a place where I have learned to become intimate with my own experience as a means to serve a character’s life and the story the script is telling. Music is also a deeply personal means of expression, but in a more abstract sense. It has become a place for me to try and articulate my experience in a structured and relatively concise format. With acting, I can explore one emotion for days or weeks to understand its universal meaning and how it applies to a character’s experience in relationship to my own. With music, I could be trying to express a four year event in my life in a couple of sentences to a simple chord structure.

Do you feel more or less creative when you're all on your own?

I tend to have more access to my creativity when in collaborative environments, on set or in the studio is where I feel totally untethered in my ability to tap into ideas. It might have something to do with feeling accountable to others in the space, but something happens for me in those moments where I can step into a flow that I don’t reach on my own as consistently.

Can music be part of your acting process?

I use music a lot for my acting work, both in prep and on set. I make playlists for the character, and the project. I’ll often choose one song for a particular scene. Music has an access point to my emotional world like nothing else does. I think it has that effect on a lot of artists.

Songs can at times come together very quickly, has a role ever just "happened"?

I think the moment where something "clicks" creatively is an interesting phenomenon. I suppose it’s the notion of becoming a vessel for something greater than yourself, where if you keep showing up to your work, you will eventually tap into something, or it taps into you. I just shot a feature film in Canada late last year called 'Eumenides Falls', and I remember the audition material feeling really easy to access. Sometimes I think the essence of a character can feel really natural to approach, however bringing a character fully to life has never felt instant for me. In fact, the more I learn about acting and the bigger the role I am taking on, the longer and deeper the process has become to bring it to life.

Naturally or not a role come with so many choices. How did you piece together Mary in ‘Queen of Spades’?

Mary was an interesting character to approach. She’s so present in the film, but is really there in reaction to what Anna is going through. As a mother whose child’s life is in danger, the most important thing to me was finding the love for her daughter and the passion to save her. It was also important to me to find the tone of her spirit. She’s a single mom who is extremely exhausted and living a difficult life. There was a lot to explore, even though her role in the film is fairly simple.

Horror’s an intriguing space, what drew you to it?

I think the horror genre is a really great place for actors to cut their teeth and explore emotional range. It was my first significant role in a feature film and I was eager for the opportunity to dive into that process. It was a good challenge, to find a way to access how to be hysterical for three weeks straight and then go home at night and take care of myself. I learned a lot in the process.

How did you connect with this cast, not least Ava?

I love the community and camaraderie that is built on set, it’s why I do what I do. Ava and I hit it off right away. We didn’t meet each other until we arrived in Ottawa to shoot. She’s such a talent and a true professional. I think all the kids in the film had far more acting experience than I did. Jamie and Eric had both done years on the show 'Degrassi' as teenagers. It was like working with these young veterans, it was amazing.

You started dancing at ten?

Yes, I think dance was my first truly creative outlet. I did take piano lessons and figure-skated for a few years when I was younger, but I wasn’t as immersed in creative process as I am now.

What about theatre acting?

My hometown dance studio was run by a very creative woman who included us in stage design and costume design for musical theatre projects we put on for our year-end shows. We did a production of 'Cats' one year and all of us kids were a really integral part of the show’s creation. I did a little bit of drama in high school, but otherwise no.

Would you like to do more?

Theatre is definitely something I hope to explore more in the future.

“There are some things that should not be said in front of a mirror”. How do you find the presence of constantly having to mirror yourself in the business-side of art?

I’ve come to take a very "tunnel vision" approach to my career. If I focus on every project I am not cast in, or every other musician who is more successful than me, I will drown in self doubt and scarcity, and I did for many years. I feel fortunate that my acting career is being established a little later in my life, because I don’t think I was grounded enough to handle all the rejection when I was younger. Being behind the camera was a safe place to explore film and no one had to give me their approval to do that. I think I understand now that the roles I am going to land are mine for a reason and the ones that aren’t, aren’t. It’s really about trust and surrender for me.

Have you got back on set again since this?

I started working on a Netflix original series called 'Hit & Run' in 2019, and we were paused in early 2020 for a year due to the pandemic. We were able to finish shooting in Israel at the beginning of last year. I also mentioned I had shot the feature film 'Eumenides Falls' in Canada last fall. It was really nice to be back on set for a condensed month of work and to be filming back at home.

Any new music for us to look forward to?

Yes! I have a new album for my project AMAARA coming soon. After wrapping 'Hit & Run' in Israel, I went back to Canada to make the record. I will be putting out new songs and videos really soon and the LP, called ‘Child of Venus’, will be released later this year.