Catherine is a US-born and based independent film director, writer, and creative producer running a full-service production company, CATALYZE HER. She is particularly passionate about diversity and inclusion, with a strong focus on female-led film initiatives. Catherine directed two shorts, Fake Camping and Revere Beach: The Musical, in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Her debut feature Growing Pains, which this writer described as “a largely authentic picture of the complications of modern adolescence”, premiered earlier this year at the Boston International Film Festival.

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Victoria Luxford – What first inspired you to tell this story?

Catherine Argyrople – I was inspired to tell an authentic story about teen girls coming-of-age that tackled real issues that young women face. I felt like a lot of media about these experiences are often told by men or people who cannot relate to a current day teen girl’s experience, which creates harmful representation. As a childhood cancer survivor, I also wanted to make a film about the aftermath of surviving cancer. There’s really no media representation for how a traumatic illness like cancer impacts you long-term, especially when you go through your diagnosis and treatment so young.

VL – There are several sensitive subjects within the story – eating disorders, self-image, sexuality. During the writing process, was it difficult to balance all these subjects in a way that felt authentic and sympathetic?

CA – It was definitely ambitious to tackle all of these subjects in a film that’s an hour and a half long, but my writing partner, Mariana Fabian, and I felt it was important to show diverse and real experiences from the perspective of two protagonists. We made Growing Pains as a spec for a television show, so there’s a lot packed in. We leaned on a lot of difficult things that we experienced in childhood to create these characters in a real and authentic light, so I think it all flowed naturally.

VL – Deanna Tarraza and Molly Morneweck feel very natural on-screen as best friends. Was it challenging finding a duo with the right chemistry.

CA – Thank you, I agree! Their chemistry worked out really well, which I think is a testament to their acting abilities but also their dynamic in real life. Deanna and Molly only met one time before we entered production and they had chemistry right off the bat. Casting without a casting director was definitely challenging but I feel like we did a good job with the resources we had to make this indie film.

VL – Did you consult with middle/high school teenagers in order to give the dialogue authenticity?

CA – Yes! I think doing research for writing is very important and vital to authenticity. When I was early in the writing stage, before I started working with Mariana, I consulted a bunch of young women to talk about their lived experiences growing up. I have a lot of younger cousins, so I channeled how they speak in real life, as well as having extensive table reads to get feedback on whether or not things felt authentic.

VL – Social media is used as a storytelling tool within the film. Often computer interfaces can be difficult to portray in a visually interesting way, how do you arrive at the method you used?

CA – This was all thanks to my editor, Chris Clancy! He came up with the whole interface for the text messages and social media used in the film, which is pretty integral to showcase the modern day teen experience in an authentic light. I dreamed of having this film take place in 2010, the actual era I went to middle school so we could rely on older modes of social communication like AIM but I thought this would be a harder approach to make a period piece on a micro-budget.

VL – You’ve discussed this being a female-centered story with female filmmakers in all major creative roles. Did you notice a different energy working on a predominantly female set?

CA – Yes! There is a lot of sensitive material in Growing Pains that relies on our actors to get vulnerable and be seen in a raw light. It was really important to have women telling this story, in front and behind the camera, in order to ensure authenticity and also comfort for our actors while filming. We worked with dozens of kids on the film, so creating a safe space for them was my first priority. Especially when it comes to filming intimate scenes, working with a female intimacy coordinator and DoP was very helpful.

VL – You have also talked about yourself and co-writer Mariana Fabian wanting to see your stories depicted accurately on screen. Do you feel you’ve achieved that goal with Growing Pains?

CA – I do! Of course, there are some things that I would have done differently now that I am a more experienced filmmaker and writer, but I feel like we tackled a very ambitious project from young filmmakers with limited resources and it’s really making an impact in our communities. We both are so grateful for the opportunity to bring this film to life, and excited to share it with more audiences along the way.

VL – Have you experienced any feedback from people who have been on similar journeys watching the film?

CA – Yes! A lot of young people that have struggled with eating disorders, people from the LGBTQ+ community, and student athletes have given us great feedback by telling us that they resonated with the film and how things are portrayed. I also got some good feedback from young women saying that the cringey and awkward first sexual experience for Zoe felt just as awkward in their real lives. Authenticity is really important for me, so I am glad we were able to create a film that resonates with our target audience.

VL – Finally, do you have any new projects coming up?

CA – I am in development on my second feature, The Ocean Calls Me. It’s a coming-of-age surfing drama about a female surfer that has to win an all-male surfing competition in order to save her family home from foreclosure in 1970s’ Florida. As an avid surfer, it’s awesome to be working on a Karate Kid style action film and so fun to be working on a period piece! I am excited to get the ball rolling with the film in 2025.

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Catherine is pictured at the top of this interview. The other image is a still from Growing Pains.