The Story 

A Father, newly out of prison after a five-year sentence, is trying to enjoy a peaceful evening, watching television with his wife. However, there is emotional strain inflicted upon him, his wife and his daughter due to the trauma of his sentencing, and many words left unsaid. It isn’t long before what is bubbling just below the surface spills over. We quickly come to learn just how fragile and toxic this new family dynamic has become. Through an argument starting from something as simple as the daughter coming downstairs for a glass of water. We follow our characters through an emotionally torrid evening of arguments and self-reflection. As everything that was initially swept under the rug is thrown out into the open, and our characters are forced to explore even the darkest parts of themselves that were brought about from his imprisonment. Finally, the father and his daughter are able to reach a resolution and can start to build a healthier, more open relationship.

Director's Statement

As someone who has witnessed first hand the difficulties of a loved one readjusting to family life once out of the prison system, I felt that it is not something discussed often enough. There are many a film about those in prison, or attempting to escape, but, in film, it’s often portrayed that the story ends along with their sentence. We assume that once someone finishes their sentence they swiftly move on with their lives, however that is not the case. Many ex-cons, and their families suffer severe emotional trauma, and often due to the nature of the situation, many people still hold anger for these family members for causing such disruption to their lives.  Furthermore, we so rarely get a glimpse into the lives of those who are free but having to suffer the burden of having someone in, or newly out of, the prison system. Having a family member in the system can not only cause strenuous relationships for the accused, but also between those on the outside. Due to this, the audience never find out why the Father went to prison, only the aftermath of his return, as to me, it is simply not important. I want people to see that having a loved one go to prison affects you in ways you wouldn't imagine, and that they are not selfish for having anger towards their loved one for allowing themselves to get into such a position.

Goal

Through "After," we hope to raise awareness about the challenges and emotional struggles faced by families impacted by incarceration. We believe our film can inspire change and encourage dialogue about the importance of supporting these families.

Meet Our Crew

We are a diverse film crew of second-year students from the University of the Arts London's BA Film Practice, united by our passion for filmmaking. With multiple cultural backgrounds and the technical and creative skills we have gained through our coursework and previous projects, we are excited to collaborate and work together to bring our vision for our project "After" to life.

Writer/Director - Isabelle Pollard

Producer - Stephanie Wang

Director of Photography - Billie Liao

Director of Photography - Sammy OORTMAN GERLINGS

Sound Designer - Eureka Li

Sound Designer - Yilin Li

Production Designer - Yuying Zhang

Editor - Semeli A. Strovolide

Visual Influences

Hereditary (2018)

Euphoric (2019)

Zodiac (2007)

Marriage Story (2019)

Prisoners (2013)

Gone Girl (2014)

Midsommor (2019)

Arrival (2016)

Bringing "After" to Life

We invite you to join us in bringing "After" to life and making a difference in raising awareness about the challenges faced by those reentering society after incarceration.

Thank you for considering our film production fundraising campaign, and we look forward to sharing this project with you.

For the latest updates, follow us on:

https://instagram.com/after.production_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=