June suffers from dementia, but refuses to give up the memory of her first love, and with it her identity.
Written & Directed by Celeste Harper Davis
Home was recently featured at our Short Film Open Mic and it’s bittersweet and simple storytelling certainly brought a tear to many an eye. Recently we caught up with writer/director Celeste Harper Davis to ask her a few questions about her film…
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:
I started off as an actress and writer, performing my own and new writers‘ work with various companies across theatres in London and Oxford. In pursuit of that kind of collaborative method, I signed up to Ecole Jaques Lecoq in Paris. I learnt a lot about the body and how the body alone can create beautiful imagery but I found out how much I rely on text and this inspired me to write even more, and I haven’t stopped since. Then came HOME, my first film.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?:
The film was inspired by my grandmother who is suffering from dementia, and my family whose care for her is tireless. A constant reminder that not everyone can take time off work to care for their loved ones and an awakening for me as to how tough caring for people with dementia is.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?:
I absolutely loved shooting the film and was extremely thankful to have chosen a phenomenal cast who outdid any expectations I had of them. I also had a great camera and sound team who supported me in the editing process, and brought the whole story together. I did struggle marketing the film and keeping up the momentum for the Kickstarter campaign, whilst doing a full time job in TV. To push through, I just kept reminding myself that I will have created a story from scratch by the end.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CREATING QUALITY CONTENT ON A MINIMAL BUDGET:
In HOME, JUNE experiences three worlds, the one she is in physically, the one she remembers and the one she believes she is in. A minimal budget meant we had to shoot in one day, however since more time could be taken designing the sound, we used this to our advantage to establish what world June was in. Mark Elson designed the sound so that each world used a different soundscape of birds and it really takes the film to a different level.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:
My favourite part of thefilmmaking process is putting together a shot list, I like to draw mine out to try and create a feeling in each shot. I also love working with the actors and seeing how they change with my comments. The aim for the next project is to spend longer than a day with the actors!
ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:
I would recommend you watch ‘La Haine’ if you haven’t seen it. If you have some time, you could also try reading the stage play, Pests by Vivienne Franzmann - it’s fantastic.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?