Jane Kotlyar

At its core, Hollow Ground is a film during the 2009 U.S. recession about toxic masculinity and its impact on a broken family. Michael, our 14-year-old protagonist, enters the film as a lonely teenager who finds solace in talking trash to other gamers on XBox.

The story of this derives from the director's personal experiences dealing with insomnia and depression. For Lianne, living with depression is nothing to be ashamed of. Her film aims to address the bitter parts of life and expose the peculiar "shared trauma" that ALL people have beautiful ties to.