Short Film (2024)
'In Between'
'In Between' delves into the journey of a sleep-paralyzed girl as she confronts her unconscious fears to liberate herself. This short film, my directorial debut, was written and directed by me, produced by Megha Chakrabarti, and developed in collaboration with creative director Vanetta Hartanto.
Making of 'In Between'
Director's Statement
'In Between' originated from a fruitful collaboration with Vanetta, an upcoming creative director, and was driven by our mutual curiosity to explore the manifestation of societal superstitions in a person’s unconscious via the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. The superstitions depicted in the film range from some more widespread ones such as salt purification and unlucky numbers to ones that are unique to my and Vanetta’s cultures like cleansing oneself with an egg and more.
The film delves into Carl Jung’s theory that dreams are forgotten images sent by the unconscious, and only by deciphering them can the protagonist liberate herself from entrapment. It explores themes of unconscious manifestations and the impact of societal beliefs on personal freedom.
To capture the absurd and disorienting nature of the unconscious, we drew inspiration from the oneiric works of Buñuel and Lynch. The film's physical and audio environments, influenced by Old Hollywood classics like Spellbound (1945) and Rebecca (1940),combined with its Victorian aesthetics help evoke a sense of frightening paralysis. This blend of historical and contemporary elements underscores the character’s stagnation, disrupted only by a revelatory "Lady from Shanghai'' mirror sequence, leading to her release from paralysis and acceptance of reality.
Team
Cast
Lara Girling - Protagonist
Dylan Osborne - Man in a Suit
Crew
Writer | Director: Madalena Prata
Creative Director | Stylist: Vanetta Hartanto
Producer: Megha Chakrabarti
1st AD: Tara Kutay
Samuel Sutandar
DOP: Samuel Sutandar
Production Designer | Photographer: Hristina Tasheva
1st AC: Piyush Sharma
2nd AC | Spark: Ayusha Roy
Gurnihal Singh Chhatwal
Gaffer: Gurnihal Singh Chhatwal
HMUA: Seren Evans
Editor: Hristina Tasheva
Colourist: Samuel Sutandar
Sound Designer | Sound Mixer: Matilde Appleton
Music Composed by Jasmim Teixeira
Costume Designer: Arianna Antoniazzi