I Shall Visit

'A man that seeks isolation becomes haunted'

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ '...has a spooky, classic feel that renders the viewer transfixed'. - UK Film Review

After it screened at Cannes Film Festival 2015 in the Short Film Corner, 'I Shall Visit' received much critical praise for its atmosphere and minimalist style. Inspired by the M.R James classic, 'Whistle and I'll Come to Thee My Lad', the film follows Thomas, a loner academic who retreats to the South Coast for a spot of beach-combing. Soon after he discovers buried in the dunes an antique bell. After ringing the bell that same night, howling winds and strange noises lead to rising anxiety and claustrophobia.

Starring: Robert J Francis, Sidney Kean and Timothy Harker.

My take: Shot single handedly (except one day) by myself over three days in Kent and Sussex during late 2014. Key to the film's undertow is Thomas' need for isolation. The source of his inner issue becomes revealed when he tells the caravan owner, 'it's not the dead you should be scared of, if anything it's the living'. I used tight framing to depict Thomas' claustrophobia. In one scene Thomas even looks to the edge of frame as if aware that both his inner and outer worlds are closing in. By the end of the film Thomas' face is only half revealed as if he were trying to escape not only what stands before him but also himself.

Premiere: Cannes Film Festival 2015 (Short Film Corner)

Run Time: 8 Minutes
Colour: Black and White
Aspect Ratio: 4:3