Kiwi actress Rachel House has built up quite a screen presence, having appeared in many local and big-budget international films.

She's also a dedicated acting coach and she's been a passionate advocate behind getting Disney films translated into Te Reo.

And now, she's making her way into the world of directing through her new film The Mountain, arriving in theatres this week.

Rachel says her experience as an actress prepared her for directing her first full feature film.

"I think more film directors should do theatre, and I think more film directors should do acting as well, because you learn how to break down the beats, you learn how to really dissect a script and you learn how to give performers direction." 

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