DIRECTOR STATEMENT

Winged and Imprint Dark deals with the potential toxicity of co-dependent relationships. Vera and the Mistress both deeply rely on the other to live, the Mistress for her physical needs, Vera for her sense of purpose as a caregiver. We aimed to examine this kind of relationship through these characters, their physical and mental illnesses pushing their co-dependency to the extreme, allowing for a hyperbolic microcosm of the negative impact it can have on both parties. While both well-intentioned, the stubbornness of both characters bars them from meaningfully connecting, unwilling to compromise or adapt to better suit their counterpart, causing the painful (and sometimes comically awkward) clashes between the two. Vera wants the Mistress to be a sick puppy she can take care of, yet she’s a chatty, confident and raucous, defying Vera’s vision of what a patient should be. The Mistress desperately wants Vera to be fun and engaging company, even a friend, her attempts at humor aiming to draw Vera out of her self-serious shell, yet Vera is driven, unable to view the Mistress outside of her job. Consequently, both women find themselves unable to truly connect, the film examining the breaking point of this toxic co-dependent relationship. The film ultimately aims to explore how we cannot have truly meaningful relationships with those around us if we expect them to change for us, yet are unable to examine our own behavior and change ourselves.

A solemn live-in-nurse cares for her enigmatic yet ailing Mistress, however, her devotion soon becomes obsession as her fantasies bleed into reality.

Meet THE DIRECTORs: Henry Fish, Sebastiano O’GRady

Henry Fish and Sebastiano O'Grady are award winning filmmakers and writers who has worked both in the U.K. and abroad as a freelance creatives. Having met at Uppingham school, founding the film society there, they have both been working in the film industry while also studying at University.

Sebastiano has directed several music videos for artists such as Fyn Phoenix and directed the short film, Cleansing, which found success both nationally and internationally at film festivals. He is currently studying at Wesleyan University, also working as a director in London.

Henry Fish has had a script short listed for the Uproar Theatre, having directed the short films The Fish and Pennies, that latter having found distribution through the independent streaming service, PJs and Pixels. He is currently studying Film and English at the University of Southampton.

In 2021, having worked together on the student feature film, June, July, August, they started the production company, S&H Films, which has produced the short films 'Soup', funded by and streaming on PJs&Pixels, and their upcoming film, 'Winged and Imprint Dark' which is currently doing its festival run and has been selected for several awards. Their current aims are to learn and grow through their own films and as a part of other productions.