Film director, screenwriter and editor Kelly Reichardt is an author of free, independent, and brave cinema. She is best known for her minimalist films closely associated with slow cinema, many of which deal with working-class characters in small, rural communities. Kelly talks to Futurespectives Gabby Sanderson about why she is drawn to telling stories in which 'characters have to make only one mistake to see themselves sunk', about her continuing partnership and friendship with actress Michelle Williams, and how the animals that feature in her movies 'direct you'. Kelly also shares why she likes to personally edit the majority of her films, and reflects on the challenges she faced early on in her career due to her gender.