Anyone Who Knows
An onslaught of emotions in the face of a disintegrating relationship.
Directed by Kate Harpootlian
Words by Katie Huelin
Anyone Who Knows, directed by Kate Harpootlian, is an intimate exploration of isolation, grief and loss of oneself. Set in a seemingly ordinary house, the film follows one woman’s emotional unraveling through movement, turning silence and space into something raw and revealing.
A dancer and choreographer turned filmmaker, Kate brings a deeply personal lens to her work, blurring the line between choreography and storytelling. The result is a film that feels both intimate and universal - something that sits with you, quietly, long after watching.
Anyone Who Knows emotively explores isolation, grief, and disconnection through movement. What was your inspiration behind the film, and why did you choose dance as the primary vehicle for storytelling?
The inspiration for Anyone Who Knows came from the kind of ache that lingers beneath the surface—those quiet moments of isolation, disconnection, or grief that can exist even in the presence of someone you love. I was interested in exploring the emotional space between people when words fail, when everything feels just slightly out of reach.
I chose dance as the primary vehicle for storytelling because movement can express what language often can't. It felt like the most truthful way to embody the emotional weight of the story. As a choreographer, I’ve always been drawn to the way physicality can hold complex emotional narratives—and with this film, I also wanted to bring in my new perspective as a filmmaker. Anyone Who Knows was a chance to merge those two worlds—choreography and cinema—and create something that could speak both viscerally and visually.
The way the camera moves through the house creates an intimate connection between movement and perspective. How did you and DP Jon Nazareth approach the cinematography to enhance the emotional weight of the story?
That connection between movement and perspective was really at the heart of how Jon and I approached the cinematography. We knew we wanted the camera to feel like a quiet observer—present, but never intrusive—so it could move with Marla in a way that felt fluid, intuitive, and emotionally in sync. Much of our visual language was built around long, uninterrupted takes that allowed the choreography to breathe and unfold in real time. We choreographed the camera just as intentionally as we did the performers, designing each move to echo the emotional arc of the characters The house itself became a character too. We leaned into its architecture to create a sense of containment, of being emotionally boxed in. Every choice—the framing, the pacing, the proximity—was meant to heighten the feeling that we’re watching something quietly unravel.Working with Jon, who has such a sensitive eye and a deep respect for movement, allowed us to create a visual world that felt both grounded and poetic.
Beyond the dissolution of a relationship, the film also seems to explore the protagonist’s loss of self. How do you see this story fitting into a broader conversation about identity and emotional resilience?
That’s exactly what drew me to this story in the first place—it’s not just about the dissolution of a relationship, it’s about the quiet unraveling of the self that can happen in the wake of grief or emotional disconnection. I’ve always been interested in the parts of ourselves we tend to hide—the shadow selves, the pieces that don’t fit neatly into the curated, polished world we’re constantly surrounded by.In a culture that’s so focused on presentation and perfection, I find real beauty in our darker moments. There’s something profoundly human about them. I think emotional resilience isn’t just about bouncing back—it’s about being willing to sit in the discomfort, to feel the messiness, and to come out the other side with a deeper understanding of who we are.This film lives in that space. It doesn’t try to fix or explain the pain—it just holds it. And hopefully, in doing so, it offers a moment of recognition for anyone who’s felt lost inside their own life. That, to me, is what makes storytelling powerful—when it dares to be honest.
Anyone Who Knows begins and ends with the protagonist’s breath, absent of music. Why did you choose to bookend the film this way, and what impact were you hoping it would have on the viewer?
I wanted this film to stay deeply grounded in reality. One of my biggest frustrations with movement narratives is when dance feels ornamental—like it’s there for its own sake. For me, movement should be the last resort, the moment when words and stillness no longer hold what needs to be felt. It’s the emotional overflow—when something inside the character becomes too much to contain, and it has no choice but to come out through the body.That’s why we begin and end with the sound of her breath. It anchors us in her inner world before anything else—before music, before movement. I didn’t want the score to create a distance between the viewer and what she’s going through. Breath is raw. It’s intimate. It reminds us that, despite everything we see unfold, she’s still just a human being trying to hold herself together. And I think that grounds the film in a truth that’s deeply relatable.
“For me, movement should be the last resort, the moment when words and stillness no longer hold what needs to be felt.”
What’s next for you?
Jon and I just launched Tender Attack, our new commercial directing company, which has been a really exciting evolution of our creative partnership. We’re focused on creating work that blends movement, emotion, and rich visual storytelling—across film, fashion, music, and artist collaborations.I’m also about to release two new movement films, At First Sight and Artifice, both of which had great festival runs and explore different sides of identity and performance. Alongside that, I just launched my first e-book, Short Filmmaking for Dancers—a practical guide for movement artists looking to step behind the camera and bring their visions to life. It’s been really fulfilling to share what I’ve learned and hopefully make filmmaking feel more accessible to dancers.So what’s next is really about deepening that dual path: making bold, expressive work with collaborators we love, and continuing to support and tell stories that live in the space between movement and emotion, polish and vulnerability.
Director/ Producer/ Choreographer: Kate Harpootlian @KateHarpootlian
Director of Photography/ Editor/Colorist: Jonathas Nazareth @jon_a_thas
Producer/1st AD: Mia Como @DrowsyGator
Movement Collaborator: Marla Phelan @MarlaPhelan
Woman: Marla Phelan @MarlaPhelan
Man: Cody Hayman @HaymanCody
Body Double: Evelyn Chen @AngelPumpkinPie
Gaffer: Mario Riquelme @Mario_Nomas
1st AC: Karoline Iverson @karoline_iversen
2nd AC: Nick Shadix @Shot_by_Shadix
Key Grip: Emmet Luciano @definitelyatget
HMU: Samson Smith @SamsonSmithMUA
PAs: Gerianna LoTempio, Greta Villani and Calvin Ryerse @Gerianna_LoTempio, @se_zaar, @Calvin.carter
Music Clearance: Joseph Miller, Can You Clear Me Now @canyouclearmenow
“Anyone Who Knows What Love Is” written by Judith Arbuckle, Randy Newman, Jeannie Seely, Pat Sheeran. Used by Permission of EMI UNART CATALOG INC. All rights reserved.
“Anyone Who Knows” written by Jeannie Seely and Randy Newman, performed by Irma Thomas courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises.