Exclusive Interview: Sisters Libe and Ariela Barer on ‘Disfluency,’ Family Bonds, and Why There’s No “Right” Way to Heal

Libe and Ariela Barer

Libe and Ariela Barer are multifaceted talents and sisters who have already made their mark individually, and now they’re teaming up on-screen in Disfluency. This coming-of-age drama seamlessly balances levity with sensitive subject matter, offering a heartfelt exploration of the unbreakable bond between siblings and the inspiring message that one is not defined by their trauma.

The film follows Jane (Libe Barer), who returns to her Michigan hometown after unexpectedly failing her final college class. While back home, she reconnects with her next-door neighbor Amber, a single mother, and discovers that Amber’s son is deaf. An aspiring speech pathologist, Jane spends the summer teaching him American Sign Language (ASL). Along the way, she begins to process the unresolved pain that disrupted her life, finding connection and understanding through the power of language and community.

In Disfluency, Libe and Ariela infuse their roles with honesty and depth, channeling their real-life bond to portray sisters navigating both shared and personal challenges. Their performances highlight the film’s central themes of empathy, healing, and self-discovery. In this exclusive interview, the Barer sisters reflect on their collaborative process, the importance of stories that foster understanding, and the profound impact Disfluency has had on their lives.

PC: Libe, you’ve been attached to this project since its initial conception as a short film. Your performance in Sneaky Pete caught the attention of Anna [Baumgarten] and Laura [Holliday], who both credit you with taking a chance on them. What was it about Anna’s writing that originally resonated with you and made you want to be a part of this project?
Libe: It was such a smart take on a subject I thought was really important to explore and make a movie about. The short film was incredibly well-written, smart, and poignant without being didactic. I thought, “I want to do this.” And I’m so glad I did—it was a wonderful experience. Anna and Laura are both great collaborators and compassionate women. When they said, “We want to make this into a feature,” I was 100% in.

PC: Your performance in this is so heartbreaking. Ariela, a similar question for you: as the project transitioned from a short film to a feature, it created the opportunity to expand this world and introduce new characters. Outside of working alongside your sister, what was it about this script that resonated with you?
Ariela: For me, it was the short film that initially drew me in. I was so impressed with it and with how the script expanded to explore communication and the societal and gendered dynamics of how we communicate, express ourselves, and listen to one another. I thought that was such a fresh take—something I hadn’t seen before on the big screen or in any mainstream capacity. That aspect really excited me. Plus, it’s a coming-of-age, fun summer movie, which has always been one of my favorite genres. There were so many appealing elements that made this project an absolute no-brainer for me.

PC: What’s so fascinating about the dynamic between your two characters in the film is how it flips your real-life roles—Libe plays the younger sister, and Ariela the older. Were there choices you made with your character that were influenced by qualities or traits you see in your sister? And did stepping into these reversed roles help you discover new sides of each other?
Ariela: I often say—and I even said it today—that older sisters are God’s strongest soldiers. I’m such a little sister. I’ve gotten through life because Libe did it first and then told me what to do. I give her so much credit for my general well-being and development. Being on the other side of that dynamic was so interesting. Exploring the sense of responsibility for another person and the agency that comes with being the one to do it first was really eye-opening. I do think it’s had an impact on how Libe and I continue to navigate our friendship and relationship as siblings.

Libe: On the flip side of that, it was interesting to open myself up to being loved and taken care of by Ariela—and to step into the role of the younger sister.

Ariela: That’s never been done. [laughs]

Libe: [laughs] On some unconscious level, as the older sister, you feel like you have to have your stuff together. You feel like you can’t let yourself be in a vulnerable position with your younger sister. You can be vulnerable, but not in a way that requires being taken care of, like this role did. It was an interesting push and pull—not wanting to let myself be taken care of, which I think Jane also experiences in the movie, and still wanting to be strong.

There’s this really nuanced relationship we created that was a product of flipping these roles. Another thing I’ve been saying is that this was such an amazing social experiment—pretending to be in the opposite role really opened up our sibling relationship in such a beautiful way.

PC: You’re both so convincing in these roles that I had to Google to see who was the older and younger sister in real life. Libe, you’ve mentioned in previous interviews that a big part of your process is stepping into the character’s shoes before you even get to set. While there are similarities between the short and the feature, Anna has said they’re two distinct films. Did that distinction influence your preparation for Jane in the feature? And with this being such a personal story for Anna, how much did you lean on her in bringing this character to life?
Libe: They’re totally different but still the same person in a lot of ways. One thing I really appreciated about working with Anna—and with this being such a personal story for her—is that before we shot the short, I went over to her place with Laura, who directed the short. The three of us sat down, and Anna very openly shared her story with me. It was such a safe and beautiful moment, like she was saying, “I’m handing this to you.”

We had a very open dialogue about everything, and that only deepened as we continued with the project. I really wanted to honor her life and these circumstances, to hold it with the weight it deserves because it’s such a serious subject that affects so many lives. I was very aware of that going into it. I also did a lot of objective research leading up to the feature because I knew I wanted to be fully immersed once we started filming.

With the short, it’s this snapshot of a person’s life in the wake of a traumatic event. But the feature starts out as a fun summer movie and really fleshes out the character’s personality. We get to discover who this person is beyond her trauma, which didn’t exist in the same way in the short. That was such a fun and rewarding aspect to explore—figuring out who this person is at her core.

PC: It was really clever how you were all able to incorporate elements of the short into the feature. Ariela, one of the reasons why this film is so compelling is its rawness. When Jane shares what she’s gone through, Lacey and the rest of the family struggle to find the right words, which feels so true to life. I’d love to hear about the research you did for the role and the conversations you had with Anna to bring that groundedness to your performance?
Ariela: The research for this role was interesting because it’s not about Lacey’s story or her experience—it’s about her receiving someone else’s. Through conversations with Anna about her story, watching the original short, and exploring everything they wanted to convey about communication, I started to understand Lacey’s journey. I also took sign language lessons in preparation, which added another layer to the experience.

Lacey is discovering everything in real time—she doesn’t know what’s going on, what she’s doing, or what the right thing to say or do is. That uncertainty felt so authentic and was such a compelling part of working on this movie. The process of finding those moments with Lacey—her confusion, her struggle, and her growth—was one of the most rewarding aspects of the project.

PC: I’ve got a follow-up question for you about that later. Libe, the film beautifully portrays how it’s up to each person to choose whether or not to share their trauma and how they go about it. Jane expresses this through a mix of nonverbal and verbal communication. How did you approach capturing those different sides of her journey and creating the space for yourself to go to the vulnerable places needed for those scenes in particular?
Libe: A lot of what survivors go through is the process of figuring out what it means to tell their story. It’s about navigating, in real time, how people will receive it, what the best ways to communicate it are—or if there even is a “best” way—and dealing with the pressures of trying to find the “right” way, when in reality, there’s no one way to do it.

For me, it was about opening myself up to those questions and embracing that sense of uncertainty. I allowed myself to discover those moments in real time as we were shooting, letting the experience unfold naturally. It was about staying present in those vulnerable spaces and trusting the process to guide me through Jane’s journey.

PC: Beautifully said. Ariela, you just touched on this, but sisterhood and communication are such important themes in the film. That moment when Jane shares what happened to her highlights the role Lacey plays in holding space and showing how much can be conveyed by simply listening. It’s such an interesting parallel to acting and collaboration. While Lacey’s reactions aren’t seen on screen, they feed into Libe’s performance. How did you approach that scene? What was it like seeing your sister go to those emotional places?
Ariela: Shooting that day was such a powerful lesson for me because my role was mostly about supporting Libe—both in the scene and in the space we were creating. As an actor, watching her go to those emotional depths was incredibly impressive and inspiring, but as her sister, it was also really tough because I wanted to be there for her. It stripped away the element of artifice and became purely about being present for her. That was a meaningful lesson and something I still think about.

We did a couple of exercises that day with listening and repetition, which helped create a sense of connection and vulnerability. There was a level of openness and trust in that space that felt really safe. It’s hard to articulate, but despite the heaviness of the subject matter, it ended up being a really positive and supportive day on set.

PC: It’s such an impactful scene. Libe, I’m such a fan of those quiet, subtle moments. What makes this film a standout, and why I think it will stand the test of time, is its ability to make others feel seen. That final moment between Jane and Dylan beautifully captures the power of this story and the medium itself. What do you hope audiences take away from this film? Have you had the opportunity to see firsthand the impact it’s had?
Libe: I’ve been to one screening, and it was amazing. The energy in the room was palpable—watching people feel it and hearing sniffles in the audience. We put so much of ourselves into making this film. It felt like we were on an island in Michigan, in this little lake town, creating something in a bubble. To then see people deeply affected and moved by it was incredible.

As for what I hope people take away, there are so many layers to this story, but one of the biggest things is that there’s no “right” way to process this kind of trauma or to communicate it. It’s about opening ourselves up to the messiness of processing, and allowing that messiness to be okay. It’s about creating a space within your community or with your people where it’s safe to express those experiences, and having empathy for the imperfection of it all.

PC: I love the connection between your two characters and how they instinctively know when the other needs them, particularly in the scene where Lacey shares why she thought it was important to be home for the summer, reminding Jane that she’s more than her trauma. Has there been a moment for each of you where the other has shown up in an unexpected way that comes to mind?
Libe: Yeah. What were you going to say?

Ariela: I had nothing. [laughs]

Libe: [laughs] We’re very good friends. We’ve always shown up for each other in little ways. I remember one time, I was heading out of town for Christmas to visit my partner’s family, and Ariela was going to watch my cat. She was really sick at the time but still came to take care of my cat despite how she was feeling. I was like, “I’m so sorry, but I need this.” It’s things like that—small gestures that might seem inconsequential—that really matter. They’re important. It’s such a comfort to know that we can rely on each other and show up for one another.

Ariela: Especially now, because we didn’t live in the same place for a while. But now we’re practically neighbors by New York standards since we’re on the same train line. It’s become a constant in our lives. Honestly, I’ve never thought about it this much, which I probably should.

Libe: Especially being in the same industry. It’s such a tough field, but having each other to lean on makes a huge difference. We’ve been in the trenches together, building each other back up and just being there for one another.

PC: I love that you both approach your craft with the art being at the forefront. The combination of performances, writing, and direction in this film is truly a master class. It’s going to stay with audiences long after the credits roll and spark meaningful conversations. With you two being so close, what’s the scene of your sister’s that you’re most excited for audiences to see?
Ariela: I love the police station scene we were discussing earlier. It’s incredible. But honestly, the whole movie is Libe being amazing. That’s one of the major selling points for me when I tell people to see the movie in general.

Libe: Oh, thanks. A lot of the fun in the movie comes from Ariela’s performance. The film works because it’s not just about heavy subjects—it has moments of levity—and so much of that comes from Ariela’s performance.

Make sure to follow Libe (Instagram) and Ariela (X/Instagram). Disfluency is in select theaters now.

Kevin

Kevin is a writer living in New York City. He is an enthusiast with an extensive movie collection, who enjoys attending numerous conventions throughout the year. Say hi on Twitter and Instagram!

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