How 'His Three Daughters' Director Used Trick For Secret Communication Between Christina & Katie

‘His Three Daughters’ is a heart-wrenching story that explores the complex bond between three estranged siblings, brought together by the impending death of their terminally ill father. The film stars Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne, portraying sisters who must navigate their unresolved differences while caring for their father. Each sibling brings their own personality and baggage, creating a tension that mirrors real-life family dynamics. At the centre of this emotional journey is the challenge of healing old wounds, all while the shadow of loss looms over them.

Director Azazel Jacobs took a unique approach to showcase the bond between the sisters, particularly between Olsen’s character, Christina, and Coon’s Katie. Jacobs introduced a secret language shared only between these two characters, emphasising their closer connection and shared trauma. The decision to use this exclusive form of communication was meant to highlight how the sisters might have bonded over their shared experience of losing their mother at a young age. This secret language not only added depth to their relationship but also symbolically left Rachel (Lyonne’s character), the adopted sister, feeling like an outsider within the family.

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The use of this language created a noticeable rift in the dynamic, making Rachel’s estrangement from her sisters even more palpable. The film’s synopsis describes it as a "tense, touching, and funny portrait of family dynamics," capturing the emotional complexities as these three sisters come together in a New York apartment to care for their dying father. This secret language, while simple, was a powerful device to illustrate how family members can be bound together in ways that are both beautiful and alienating.

What makes the communication between Katie and Christina even more intriguing is the way Jacobs developed it. In an interview, he revealed that he drew inspiration from various forms of “pig Latin” while trying to create a unique, childlike gibberish for the sisters to speak. This playful language was meant to represent a private world that only they understood, drawing from the director’s own observations of siblings communicating in ways outsiders couldn’t grasp. Jacobs admitted he had never experienced this type of sibling bond himself, which made it all the more fascinating for him to explore.

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The initial challenge was getting Coon and Olsen to understand and deliver the lines in this new language. Jacobs explained that he had written out the script phonetically, leaving it to the actresses to interpret and figure out how to speak it. When the two actresses first saw the script, they were understandably confused, both calling Jacobs to ask how exactly this new language was supposed to sound. Despite the uncertainty, both actresses embraced the idea and brought it to life with incredible ease.

By the time they arrived on set, Coon and Olsen had fully grasped the secret language, giving an authentic performance that resonated deeply with viewers. Jacobs reflected on the experience, saying it was the first time he had heard the language spoken out loud, and he was impressed with how naturally the actresses made it work. Their instincts and commitment to this odd, intimate form of communication added layers to their characters’ relationship, making their bond even more believable on screen.

The use of this exclusive language left a lasting impact on audiences, despite only being featured in a few key scenes. It served as a powerful reminder of the deep, sometimes unspoken connections that exist between family members, particularly those who have experienced significant loss together. The communication between Katie and Christina became a symbol of their shared history and a representation of how they coped with their mother's death at a young age.

‘His Three Daughters’ is not just a film about family reunion but also a touching exploration of sibling relationships, trauma, and healing. The unique language devised by Jacobs adds another layer of emotional depth to the film, making the connection between Katie and Christina feel more real and profound, while also highlighting Rachel's sense of isolation.

-Sushmita Sarkar