Jim Akin talks about making the film THE OCEAN OF HELENA LEE, a semi-autobiographical account of a difficult period in his childhood. Akin tells his story through Helena Lee, a thoughtful and reflective 12-year old who tries to come to terms with her home life and bohemian surf-rat father.

As a child, Akin learned to be self-reliant. Don’t depend on anyone; you will only set yourself for disappointment. “I don’t look for anyone to help,” he says, It’s just not productive.” He took that perspective into his role as a filmmaker and did everything himself, from shooting the film to the final edit. I was a “one-man band,” he tells me.