Eremos, derived from Greek, means isolation or solitude. This theme lies at the heart of the Eremos Trilogy, a dark comedy-drama anthology of three short films (6–10 minutes each).

Each film follows a different deaf protagonist as they navigate isolation within modern society, exploring challenges unique to the deaf community. Inspired by Wild Tales, the trilogy delivers gritty, thought-provoking stories with a dash of dark humor.

Filmed in the Scottish Highlands, London and Sheffield, the trilogy features a talented, predominantly deaf cast and crew. The post-production phase is led by deaf editor Phoebe Capewell, with an official poster currently being designed by deaf illustrator Ravi Vasavan.

All the images on this page are from the actual Eremos Trilogy shoot.

We’re Sam Arnold and Samuel Ash, deaf filmmakers who took on the ambitious challenge of creating the Eremos Trilogy as a micro low-budget production.

Sam Arnold is a writer-director, and Samuel Ash is a cinematographer. We share a passion for storytelling and a drive to develop our craft while gaining more experience in our careers. With a shared vision to create unique and impactful short films, we collaborated to write and produce the Eremos Trilogy, combining our skills to bring these stories to life.

Initially, we planned for the Eremos Trilogy on one-minute films for submission to 60-second short film festivals. However, as our ideas grew and our passion as guerrilla deaf filmmakers deepened, the project evolved into a trilogy of 5–8-minute films.

Inspired by Robert Rodriguez’s Rebel Without a Crew, we embraced guerrilla filmmaking, doing everything ourselves:

• Writing scripts
• Storyboarding and creating shot lists
• Casting and securing locations
• Managing permits, insurance, travel, and accommodations

We poured everything into making the Eremos Trilogy a reality, and it wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible skeletal crew and cast, who volunteered their time and efforts to contribute to this ambitious project. We are extremely proud to have achieved so much with a micro low-budget short anthology film and to have brought the magic of the Eremos Trilogy to life.

Imagine a blend of Wild Tales and Shane Meadows’ films inspiring the Eremos Trilogy—gritty British short films infused with dark comedy and a touch of eccentricity. Each film explores the theme of solitude but does so with its own unique style in camera work, storyline, location, pacing, and tone.

The trilogy employs a carefully crafted shot list designed to heighten suspense, guiding the audience through the struggles of deaf protagonists as they navigate and challenge societal norms. With each short film lasting 6-10 minutes, the Eremos Trilogy delivers a compact yet impactful cinematic experience that unravels the characters’ stories while subverting expectations.

Here’s a glimpse of our opening storyboard into the visual aspect of the Eremos Trilogy to give you a taste of the trilogy’s tone and style.

The main protagonist of each volume in the Eremos Trilogy

The supporting actors of each volume in the Eremos Trilogy:

This project is a milestone in deaf filmmaking, showcasing how authentic stories can be told by deaf creators. Your contribution helps amplify our voices and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.

We’ve come so far, doing everything we could to bring the Eremos Trilogy to life. However, the challenges of post-production have made it clear that we need your help for the final push to complete this project.

Funding is crucial to ensure the post-production phase meets the highest standards. It will allow us to continue supporting our editor, Phoebe Capewell, who has poured her heart into shaping the trilogy. Additionally, it will enable us to hire experienced colourist and sound designer ensuring the trilogy is polished to perfection and aligns with the director’s vision. This is an important step toward a breakthrough in deaf filmmaking, as it is the first short deaf anthology film ever made.

Beyond completing the trilogy, we aim to host a premiere night to celebrate our talented deaf cast and crew while building networking opportunities for both deaf and hearing filmmakers. With festival submissions in mind, we aspire to bring this groundbreaking anthology to a wider audience.

The Eremos Trilogy stands as proof that films can be created through sheer passion, determination, and self-funding by deaf guerrilla filmmakers. This project champions the voices of deaf guerilla filmmakers, inspiring others to pick up a camera and share their stories while showcasing how deaf films should be made—by empowering deaf artists and amplifying their authentic perspectives.

The producers of Eremos Trilogy would like to share a BSL video with English captions to explain why we need your support in funding the Eremos Trilogy project.