A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

 

I see this as a Semi-autobiographical, the film  based on Janie’s memories of her father’s illness with cancer 40 years ago. He had been told that his illness was terminal, only to then be miraculously cured when all hope was lost. 'Pure magic’  in the eyes of the young Janie. Her Dad is still alive to this today. I therefore saw the  film as essentially  the Wish of a young child being fulfilled.

 

We observe the isolation our young girl JENNY feels as the adults around her try to protect her from the truth about her father. The film will blur the line between reality and imagination JENNY  has a simple wish …… that her daddy can get better. 

 

Drawing on these themes of reality, imagination and isolation and to emphasise this  internal battle of thoughts going on inside her head  the whole film is shot within contained spaces. 

 

The camera visually records from  within a shoebox theatre, within a classroom within a car and within a cafe. 

 

Maybe the power of imagination is all she needs.

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A NOTE FROM THE WRITER

Janie Price

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I wanted to write a semi-autobiographical short film about a particular event from my childhood that I have in my other work as a song writer touched upon often, but never explored from a true story telling and more visual perspective. Despite the inevitable trauma associated with seeing a parent seriously unwell as a young child, it was during this period that I also discovered the power of my own imagination to help me cope with what would otherwise have been a terrifying time.  After these difficult yeasrs of Covid that we have all inevitably been affected by, I wanted to give the world a little reminder that where there's imagination, there's hope and to some degree, even a little magic.

 

The imaginary shoe box worlds were a very important part of the film for me as they were something I actually made as a child.  I love how our director Phil inspired by that concept chose to always film within a contained space; be it within a shoebox theatre, within a classroom,  within a car or within a cafe.  It never breaks free from this confinement. mirroring the thoughts going on inside our young girl’s head as she tries to work out in her own mind what is going on.  I played with the same concept with the composition and recording of the soundtrack; I recorded many of the sound elements used in the shoe box scenes in an actual box we purpose constructed in the studio to further emphasise the feeling of being inside these imaginary worlds.

 

Whether by the power of imagination, medicine or a combination of both, my father against all odds recovered. This film is in part, a thank you to all the people who's science and dedication helped to cure him. It is also dedicated to the power of hope and imagination, super powers we all have within us....