Experiencing Interruptions?

Empty Spaces

Debbie returns home to console Aiden after the loss of their father. Wounds of a family dealing with alcoholism and the secrets it harbors are exposed.

  • Lukas Hanulak
    Director
  • Jess Waters
    Writer
  • Leah Flagg
    Producer
  • Lukas Hanulak
    Producer
  • Amelia Croft
    Key Cast
    "Aiden"
  • Marisa Vieira
    Key Cast
    "Debbie"
  • Joanne Wilson
    Key Cast
    "Mom"
  • Bruce A. Smith
    Key Cast
    "Dad"
  • Daniel Carruthers
    Cinematographer
  • Joyce Kline
    Production Designer
  • Leta Cushing-Woodcock
    Costume Designer
  • Stroon
    Composer
  • Tomas Holocsy
    Editor
  • Milos Hanzely
    Sound Designer
  • Leah Flagg
    Production Manager
  • Jacqui Kaese
    Casting by
  • Sarah Alexander
    Location Scout & Manager
  • Joseph Boutilier
    1st Assistant Director
  • Anthony Kaul
    Script Supervisor
  • Dayna Smith
    Hair & Makeup
  • Patrick Coble
    Location Sound Record
  • Miloslav Saly
    Colorist
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Family, Coming of Age
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 26 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 21, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Lukas Hanulak

LUKAS HANULAK is a highly experienced and award-winning film and TV show director and producer from Slovakia. Since immigrating to Canada in 2019 with his wife and three kids, he has been a member of the Director's Guild of Canada.

With a degree in Film Direction and over a decade of experience in the industry, Hanulak has directed and produced a range of successful crime/drama TV series for major broadcasters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, including the highly-rated Lady & King, which was the most-watched TV show in the Czech Republic in 2018/19. He has also co-created the award-winning co-production documentary The Good Death, which explores the subject of voluntary assisted dying and aired on many worldwide TV markets.

In 2022, Hanulak directed and produced his first Canadian film, the female-centric short film drama Empty Spaces. He is interested in character-driven dramas, rite-of-passage stories, and interactive movies, and is known for his ability to create unique story interpretations and explore different visual styles and film genres.

www.lukashanulak.com

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Director Statement

This film is dedicated to those who are seekers of liberation from unhealthy family patterns; those who do not conform to the traditions of the family system; those who constantly seek to revolutionize beliefs and oppose the pathways marked for them by their parentage and upbringing; those who are criticized, tried and rejected; those who rebel, repair, detoxify and create new blooming branches on their family tree. To those who shout for their ancestors, whose countless unfulfilled desires and frustrated talents manifest themselves in their descendant's rebellion: let no one make you doubt! Take care of your rarity as the most precious flower on your family tree.