Tahlia Crinis on set with My Inner Child director Maria Isabel de la Ossa. Photo: Kseniia Torshilova.
There was an irony to the casting of Wollongong’s Tahlia Crinis as a leading lady in My Inner Child, an art-imitates-life feature film from the director of Netflix’s Carmen & Bolude.
Months before filming began, Crinis fell pregnant — an event usually at odds with the rigid scheduling of the film industry.
“I assumed the creative team would recast me,” she said. “Instead, Michelle Rouady, who wrote, produced and withdrew from her own life savings to self-fund the film, made the decision to pause production for months to allow me to have my baby and recover. That’s virtually unheard of in the film industry.”
Now, with My Inner Child wrapping production, Crinis can confidently say that motherhood in fact added depth to her performance.
My Inner Child follows a circle of adults at different stages of life as they confront the ‘child within’ — the part that longs to live more freely, honestly and joyfully.
The film is an exploration of identity, self-discovery and the tension between adult responsibility and inner freedom.
Rouady, who co-stars with Crinis as Michelle, called the journey a ‘labour of love’, with her script loosely imitating her own life. Other stories woven into the film were inspired by the film’s strong female cast, which features women predominantly over 40 (an intentional casting decision).
Rouady also helmed the ambitious 23-track odyssey that formed the film’s heartbeat. She collaborated with rising Australian stars Jono Fernandez and Byron Mark to bridge the gap between cinema and sound, culminating in the My Inner Child soundtrack now streaming on Spotify.
“From the moment I began writing the script, I knew this film would be something special,” she said. “It’s been years in the making, and now, as we approach the finish line, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.”
My Inner Child lead actresses Tahlia Crinis and Michelle Rouady. Photo: Kseniia Torshilova.
Crinis plays Michelle’s sister, Frankie. While the character’s arc wasn’t written at the time to reflect her own journey, Crinis admits there is an undeniable parallel now.
Like Crinis, Frankie is an actress in her 40s balancing career and family. Tied down by life’s responsibilities, she struggles to navigate a path back to her passions.
“The film explores how, as adults, we take on all these new responsibilities, and as we get older, somewhere along the way, we lose sight of the things that bring us joy,” she said.
“I love my baby more than life, but I, like many parents, don’t know how to juggle those responsibilities and my passions. It was fascinating for me to experience that in real time.
“It did inform how I approached the performance. I saw Frankie in a whole new light.”
Director Maria Isabel de la Ossa envisioned the film as more than just a character study. She’s crafting an immersive independent feature that strips away artifice to find the raw, cinematic pulse of introspection.
“What drew me to the project was its sense of whimsical style, which takes me back to that Spielberg, childlike nostalgia. I had goosebumps countless times watching this story come to life and I know audiences will relate in the same way,” she said.
“As this beautiful film moves toward completion, it’s shaping up as a deeply personal feature that speaks to audiences navigating the pressures of adulthood while searching for connection, purpose, and a sense of self.”
My Inner Child is slated to hit the film festival circuit. For more information, follow My Inner Child on Instagram.
