BEST DRAMA - 2017 Euro Shorts International Film Festival
BRONZE PALM AWARD - 2017 Mexico International Film Festival
BEST FOREIGN PICTURE - 2016 Velvet Rope Film Festival
Nominated for Best Narrative Short - Long Beach Indie International Film Festival
After the death of her mother, Claire Jameson makes a shocking discovery whilst clearing out the house. She's soon propelled on a journey to uncover the past, one which takes the audience from the 1970s to the present day. Directed by Esther Hegarty, 'To The Grave' is a compelling tale of dark family secrets and fractured relationships.
Esther Hegarty - Director
This compelling short tells the story of a woman searching for answers, searching for newly discovered family connections, searching for sanity after a gruesome discovery. In a little under 20 minutes Director Esther Hegarty gives us a riveting depiction of shock to pain, confusion to clarity and hope to heart-warming completeness, insightfully exploring the journey from the death of her mother to the unearthing of a whole new family line.
This short film explores family heartache with the key themes of relationships, internal battles and dark secrets. The director and writer have successfully conveyed the main character’s (Claire’s) uttermost horrors and warranted burdens of the discovery of a baby skeleton following the passing of her mother. The story is raw and has a believable edge.
To The Grave begins with a passage showing Claire visiting her desperately ill mother in hospital, close to death and unaware of her daughter’s presence. As she passes, the scene immediately moves to the sad clearing of her mother’s possessions showing a moody undercurrent of alcohol use and undisclosed secrets. These opening shots drive the viewer quickly to the tone of the story and invite them to wonder and consider as the mood deepens on the discovery of the skeleton, tidily placed in a casket like box.
The main characters, Claire and Jim played by Jane Stanton and Mark Frost, have a loving togetherness overcome sometimes by a simmering frustration fuelled by the painful journey they are about to undertake. Mark plays the role of supporter extremely well and his understanding and compassion are portrayed excellently as Claire descends into a mild form of personal demons and past addictions. Her portrayal of the grieving daughter and unwilling detective is fabulous and the screen is filled with power and emotion as she goes in search of the truth, a truth that twists and turns along the way, a truth leaving the viewer in a mixed form of thoughtfulness and misguided knowledge.
As the short continues we see the plot unravel with flashbacks to 38 years before to reveal the absolute truth of the past, a past that is written and produced on screen in an excellent and fulfilling manner.
A short that is filled with surprises, a short that is as compelling as it is shocking, a short that leaves us with the thoughts that although a story can be told in a dark and moody setting the light at the end is more than fulfilling and certainly worth the viewing time, some would say it makes us want considerably more.
Director
Esther's won Best Director for her short film "Hero" in the 48 Hour Film Project. She was commissioned by Bafta and Channel 4 to make a short documentary about the career of Richard Attenborough and her last short, Miriam", played internationally in competition.
Producer
Melissa is an award winning independent producer. Her credits include STEAK KNIFE, GIVE, LONGING and CARRION CROW. She also produced MISSING SOMETHING, a 12-episode web sitcom.
Writer
Marcus has written for stage, screen and radio. His works include: the TV play, A Relative Stranger (BBC2, starring Jason Isaacs); the stage play, Dead Certain; and the short film Miriam. His screenplay, Cuckoo was the winner of the Oscar Moore Screenwriting award in 2002.
Old Lucy
Lucy has extensive performing experience including A Collier’s Friday Night as part of the Royal Court Theatre Company and recently As Good a Time as Any at The Print Room.
Young Lucy
Emma trained at Birmingham School of Acting after graduating from Bristol University. Stage work includes: McQueen and Hayfever, Naomi in Seduced and Serena Love in The Doctors Show.
Claire
Jane has worked in London's West End with directors such as Jamie Lloyd and Philip Seymour Hoffman and acting greats such as Timothy West, Gina McKee and James McAvoy.
Jim
Mark has worked extensively in film, television & theatre for nearly twenty five years both here & abroad.Mark has worked on Prooi and A Hundres Streets films recently and TV work includes Poldark, New Blood and Silent Witness.
Graham
Richard has extensive experience in theatre, tv and film. His credits include Nowhere Boy, Gangs of New York, The Iron Lady, Secrets and Lies, The Duchess and Far From the Madding Crowd.
Production Designer
Daniel studied architecture & set design at the University of the Arts London and worked with the design team of the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Camera
James was trained at The Met Film school in Ealing, where he was mentored by Paul Wheeler, BSC. James' work has taken him all over the world, from Los Angeles to Nigeria.
Makeup / Styling
After 12 successful years in modeling Vale was given the opportunity of being trained as a make-up artist by the legendary fashion designer and Make-up Guru, Mary Quant.
Costume DesignerJeffrey Michael is a London based Costume Designer. His work has been showcased in feature film, theatre, advertisement, TV, red carpet, and shown at London, Paris, Brazilian, and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
Esther Hegarty
Melissa Johnson-Peters
Marcus Lloyd
Laura Windows
J P Martin Mbks
Adriano De Mello
Nina Humphreys
Dave Sohanpal
Daniel Vincent
Jeffrey Michael
Vale
Jane Stanton
Mark Frost
Richard Syms
Emma Bown
Lucy Fleming
Joanna Bending
Jo Cameron Brown
Doreene Blackstock
Daisy Newman
Hilary Burns
Natasha Girardi
Isla Hussey
Lola Hussey
Eleri Jones
Cameron Gray
Indy Hair
Kasia Uscinska
Candyce Veal
Jane Stanton
Carol Wiseman
Anna Hoffmann
Alison B Matthews
Richard Harris
Amber Tordoff-Gibson
Georgina Higgins
Pamela Pifferi
Alasdair Baines
Bradley Stearn
Sira Pocovi
Charlie France
Sam Robinson-Horley
Nick Galbusera
Filipe Pinheiro
Pablo Valverde
Basmah Jolley
Danya Gomez-Douglass
William Andrews
Adam Mcgee-Abe
Natasha Jones
Femi Konteh
Max Walsh
Tim Cavagin
Sophia Hardman
George Dutton
Max Horton
Matt Pamplin
Marie Valentino
Phil Sharp
Tim Curtis
Maeve Diamond
Amy Sykes
Eleri Jones
Jack Cuckson
John Cleary
Darren Hussey
Performance Film & Media Insurance
Deerhurst Road, University Of West London
Arri Rental, Audiolink, Camera Moves, Cinelease, Sixt, Tee2, Vmi
Idailies
Onsight, Twickenham Studios
Anne-Marie Dargan, Hackney Council, Merton Council, Merton Film Office, Kingston Upon Thames Council, Kingston Film Office, Hotel Du Vin, Wimbledon, Raynes Park Library, White Hart Hotel, Kingston, Troy Barbecue, Abm Management, Bonnie & Betty, Creative Artists Management, Curtis Brown, Identity Agency Group, Steve Nealon Associates, Lesley Walker
Andrew Berg, Michael Birch, Gurvir Dhillon , Irene East, Cameron Gray, Jenny Hawes, Bernard Krichefski, Skye Kidd, Alan Mallyon, Mark Poole, Emily Precious, Michael And Jan Smith, Van Peterson Designs
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