The Source: Kim Gehrig

Kim Gehrig, the Somesuch director behind the hotly Cannes-tipped This Girl Can spot for Sport England, gets inspiration where she can when juggling motherhood – with the help of caffeine and online supermarket shopping – and a genre-hopping career. Her music tastes may be parental in nature but she expresses her adult side with hard-hitting psychological dramas and challenging art shows

What is the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen in the last few months?

Tough without choosing Somesuch work… So, I’d have to say Daniel Wolfe’s Honda Type-R spot, The Other Side. I work in the same edit suite and when I saw it, even in its early stages, I knew it was going to be something remarkable. It made me up the ante; it set the bar higher.

What website do you use most regularly?

Sydney Morning Herald. 

What’s your favourite website?

Ocado. I’m a working mum.

What product could you not live without?

Diet Coke and coffee (for the same reason).

What product hasn’t been invented yet that would make your life/job better?

Something that could enable longer days while still getting enough sleep.

What track/artist would you listen to for inspiration?

Embarrassingly I’ve been so busy I’ve neglected listening to music other than my daughter’s Mrs H and the Sing-along Band, in particular Dance Away With Me, which is actually pretty good… 

Mac or PC?

Mac.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

Whiplash. Incredibly simple in its structure but contains such truth about creativity. The psychological warfare, the agony, the blood, sweat and tears. Completely relatable.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

Last week I went to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my friend’s gallery Herald St, curated by the brilliant Sarah McCrory. The art they had on show, and what they’ve achieved in 10 years, I found hugely inspiring.

What fictitious character do you most relate to?

The truth is I always wanted to be Sandra Bullock with a laptop on the beach in The Net. But now I regret realising that 90s dream because it means never getting a real holiday.

What’s your favourite magazine?

Time Out – so I can see all the events that I’m too busy to go to.

If you could live in one city, where would it be?

That’s tough, I adore London but I love the ocean and good weather so I miss Sydney. There’s no better city in my humble opinion.

Who’s your favourite photographer?

Rineke Dijkstra. She captures what it means to be human. I’d love to try and do something similar in the moving image. On a completely different trip I am obsessed with Viviane Sassen.

Who’s your favourite designer?

I have many, but my top few would include: Alexander McQueen for his ability to transcend fashion design into performance and art. Zaha Hadid for being so driven in her vision; inspiring. And maybe Charles and Ray Eames because their chairs make me comfortable everyday.

If you could have been in any band, what band would you choose?

The Velvet Underground. I’d be Nico.