Wild Geese

Amy is a 35 year old snooty Sloane-ranger. When she catches her husband having an affair, Amy promptly falls down the stairs, bangs her head, and wakes up in hospital believing that she is 16 and that the year is 1999.

Gone is Amy's vocal fry Made in Chelsea accent, and any recollection of the weak-chinned man claiming to be her husband. And instead all she cares about now is tracking down her teenage first love - a woman, Polly.

Amy escapes from the hospital the moment she’s left alone and sets out in pursuit of Polly. Now a 16 year old in an adult’s body, with no real understanding of the world around her and how her city has changed.

She eventually finds Polly, who is working as a teacher in their old high school. And for reasons Amy can’t fathom, the love of her life now vehemently wants nothing to do with her. And Amy simply cannot remember why. 

"The films Director and I developed a fun visual language for the film. Before the accident everything was shot on sticks, slider and dolly - very formal and restrained framing. Shooting really flat at T5.6 on Arri Ultraprimes.

When she wakes up in hospital we switch to vintage Cooke Speed Panchros and the whole film moves handheld, shooting at wider stops and overexposing the image at times.

Also we had a rule that Amy never has a comfortable frame for the whole film, we’re either extremely close to her, or really wide. Often shortsiding her, lots of headroom swamping the frame, and backlighting her whenever we can with flares and artifacts washing her frame. Also, she would dirty other characters frames, but nobody would ever dirty hers, to heighten her isolation.

Along with using a Lensbaby to shoot all her POV moments it hopefully reflects her discombobulated state of mind. Before switching back to Ultraprimes and returning to more conventional framing for the final scene.

It was really fun to play about with these rules within a narrative short. And we stuck to the rules throughout, even when it felt a bit mental."

Director: Susan Jacobson
Writers: Kayleigh Llewellyn & Katie Campbell
Producer: Grant Vidgen
Production Co-ordinator: Jody Tozer
1st Assistant Director: Kris Francis
2nd Assistant Director: Macauly Nixon
Director of Photography: Scott Coulter
1st Assistant Camera: Meg de Koning
Camera Assistant: Jack Longley
Gaffer: Kiri Nicholetts
Electrician: Charles Donnelly
Hair & Make Up: Stacey Williams
Hair & Make Up Assistant: Jessica Brown
Script Supervisor: Craig Lewis
Casting Director: Matthew David