Trust and betrayal in Kristian Lever’s I Need You to See Me

Kristian Lever’s ambitious short film I Need You to See Me (2024) centres on the relationship between troubled ballet student Hilton (Rory Toms) and substitute teacher Ethan (Sam Salter). In this interview, Lever and I discuss how his company Klever Creatives has expanded from telling stories via dance and dance theatre to film, and we examine this project, which brings it all together. Lever goes over the casting process before delving into the world of the ballet school and how it so often fails to provide young people such as Hilton with adequate support. In the film, Hilton faces homophobia at home, and behind the scenes, he has kicked a boy in the face. However, he weaponizes his vulnerability; and he abuses Ethan’s trust when he blackmails his teacher sexually. Lever and I go over his reading of the film, what Hilton’s actions mean for him and what they mean for Ethan, and the prospects of Lever’s returning to these characters. This interview advances scholarship by introducing Lever’s creative programme, by examining the film’s depiction of the ballet classroom, and by exploring how it might do more.