We sit down with documentary filmmaker Katy Scoggin to unpack the decade-long journey behind her deeply personal film Flood. What begins as a curiosity about science, faith, and her upbringing as a young earth creationist evolves into a profound exploration of family, identity, and the limits of belief. Katy shares how a chance opportunity to work in documentary filmmaking, along with a simple ask to a mentor, set her on a path that would ultimately lead her back home with a camera, confronting the most complicated relationship in her life, the one with her father.
As Katy traces her evolution from art student to award-winning filmmaker, we explore the risks she took both professionally and personally. She embedded herself in her family’s world, documented their dynamics, and wrestled with the tension between love and ideological divide. The conversation dives into her experience working alongside acclaimed documentarian Laura Poitras, the challenges of sustaining a creative career, and the emotional toll of turning the lens on your own life.
At its core, this episode is about connection in the face of difference. Katy opens up about coming out later in life, the shifting dynamics with her deeply religious father, and the surprising ways filmmaking became a bridge between them. Through Flood, she asks a powerful question. Even when we fundamentally disagree, is it still possible to find moments of understanding and even love?
Connect with Katy and learn more about Flood:
- IG: @flooddoc
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EPISODE TAKEAWAYS
- Creative breakthroughs often come from discomfort and dissatisfaction, not clarity
- Asking for help at the right moment can completely change your career trajectory
- The stories closest to home are often the hardest but most meaningful to tell
- Documentary filmmaking can become a tool for connection, not just observation
- You do not need someone’s approval to live authentically or tell your truth
- It is possible to maintain some level of connection with people you fundamentally disagree with
- Long-term creative projects require choosing stories that will stay meaningful for years
- Collaboration and trusted creative relationships are essential in filmmaking
- Letting go of expectations can reduce disappointment in complicated family relationships
- Failure is a necessary and valuable part of growth and creative development