IRIS - Short Film

When a forgotten sister turns up at a young woman’s secluded cottage with details of a life she doesn’t recognise, she is forced to question everything she knows and, with her sister’s help, confront the man she thought would always look after her.

A 15-minute drama/thriller short film. Think Don’t Worry Darling/I May Destroy You, with a cottagecore, dreamy look that gets less perfect and darker as the story continues.

Writer/Director: Poppy Sam

I have always been drawn to fast-paced stories where the main character is unsure about who they are, as well as stories that explore character relationships and dynamics. This story is about Iris’s journey to trust her forgotten sister through the confusion she feels and her peace with the life she already has.

This film is backed by a crew of 22 people whose core values include respect, empathy, and authenticity.

The bulk of our funding will go towards the shoot, which includes:

• Food (feeding cast & crew on set)
• Transport (transporting cast & crew to the shoot location)
• Location (Airbnb hire for the cottage)
• Paying actors

Iris is peaceful, content, and happy, caring for her secluded cottage each day and making dinner for her partner Jamie when he comes home each night. However, when a woman arrives who claims she is her sister, Iris begins to have flashes of a nightclub, bright lights, loud noises… She has to figure out whom to trust and how to question her comfortable life with Jamie.

I want to make this film because I am interested in exploring themes such as guilt, love, loss and trust, which my film does through character relationships and our main character’s inner turmoil. I want to unfold information about Iris’s past a little at a time, to keep the audience engaged and supporting her character journey. 
 

There are many significant themes in this film that we have all felt before, including guilt, love, and mistrust. There are existing movies and TV shows about people losing their memories (Memento, I May Destroy You, etc.), but not any with a focus on a sister relationship that carries throughout the story. Iris will especially connect to young sisters and those affected by the loss of memories. Many will be able to relate to Iris and Tilly’s relationship, whether they have siblings themselves or have cared deeply for any other person before.