Cuddling A Monster: 24 Hour Cut (Short, 2015)
A child struggles to deal with her emotions after the man of the house moves out of the family home…
Shot in under a day for the 'Five Lamps Films' 24 Hour Challenge (Derby Film Festival, 2015). The brief included a line of dialogue ("It just doesn't add up") and an action (a character looks through something but does not find what they are looking for). This 3-minute version of the film (24 Hour Cut) won the competition.
Review by Elliot Davies of 'Fck London': "The overall winner [of the 24 Hour Challenge] was Cuddling a Monster...in which a young girl clings to the titular toy to help her through her parents’ divorce. I must say, this one didn’t really make an impact during my initial viewing – most probably because it was sandwiched between much louder and more ridiculous fare. But I’ve since watched it again, and I’m struck by its elegance and economy. We’re presented with a series of beautifully filmed, meticulously directed scenes, and we’re left to draw our own conclusions from what little we see. It’s worlds apart from the rest of the entries, which were all defined by their direct approach to storytelling. And when you throw in a number of convincing performances, it really does feel like the best film won."
Starring Marie & Lily Holliday, Cinematography & Sound by Mark Duggan & Alex Gilbert, Music by Lewis Brewster.
Written, Directed, Edited & Produced by Mark Duggan.