Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to consider contributing to the funding of this short film. We are incredibly grateful to you for donating, especially in such a time when economics are in such flux - it is not lost on us.

The Story

Ultimately this is a story about an enduring familial love between a father and daughter. It's a portrait of a young woman and her attempts to sustain it even though it has rendered her unable to access so much of herself, including her own rage.

The story is explored through the metaphor of a hug and how it can mean something so carefree and safe to one person and then something so loaded and almost collateral to another. 

A big reference for this film is Sean Durkin's 'The Nest' (2021) in the way that the house itself is used as a device; what goes on in the room next door, the things we see or choose not to see, and the fallout of those decisions.

Writer-Director's Statement (Atalanta Swire) 

This short film was originally conceived as a monologue I was asked to write with the prompt "write about something that's hard for you to say". I walked around for days with this prompt in my mind and looked for catalysts, hoping they would elicit a genuine emotional reaction, nothing did.

Giving up, I remember sitting down on a park bench when I saw a young girl run up and jump into her father's arms. I watched them for a moment and saw how safe she looked. The happiness I felt in observing this was immediately overtaken by a wave of sadness and envy as I realised it was because I wasn't able to do and feel that myself. With this universal access point in mind, a simple hug, I was able to tackle a much more complicated dynamic and wrote the monologue there and then.

I am very lucky to have a very well-established team working with me on this, since it's my debut film I'm honored to be working with such a wonderful group of creatives. Integral to my team has been my script editor Laura Jayne Tunbridge (BAFTA Nominated) who has helped me imbue the script with layers of visual metaphor and cut anything extraneous.

It's been great to hear people's reactions to the screenplay, due to its simplicity it seems to have related to people both directly and in more abstract ways. This is a highly personal film, but in the end, for me, it's always about serving the audience. 

Atalanta studied Screenwriting at The National Film and Television School, London and Filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She holds a bachelor's degree in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Satin Martins (UAL) and a master's in Theatre Studies from East 15 School, London. This is her debut short film.

Producer's Statement (Carolina Cordero)

When I read the script for “Girls Hugging Their Fathers” I connected with it immediately. I was especially drawn to the range of the emotions that our protagonist goes through in such a short time, and triggered by something as simple and unassuming as embracing her father. 

Exploring themes of the family dynamic and complicated relationships is something that Atalanta does very well, always keeping the truth of her characters at heart.

It is widely known that girls and their fathers (as well as boys and their mothers) often have complicated relationships. There is something about the complexity of dealing with a parent from the opposite gender- one’s image of them, one’s expectations, needs and wishes that are often unmet, words that are forever unspoken, that makes it such a universal theme to explore, while also tapping onto an underlying rage carefully concealed under a soft exterior.

Carolina studied Filmmaking in Barcelona, Spain, where she then worked in development for a couple of years before applying and being accepted to the Producing MA at the National Film and Television School. During her time there, Carolina produced several shorts, documentaries, and animated projects. Before graduating, Carolina founded Innerscope Pictures alongside her partner and started production on their debut feature film ‘HAAR’ which shot in Budapest in February 2022. 

The Production

This film is a micro-short, meaning the film will in fact only be about four minutes long, making it more likely to be included in festivals. We plan to shoot in early February and have the final edit by March. 

This will be the inaugural film of Great Dame Ltd - Directors of the company are; Atalanta Swire & Alice Swire. The film is co-produced by Carolina Cordero & Atalanta Swire.

The location is Belmond House in Wiltshire (below). We will set dress the location to the exact specifications of the screenplay but the foundations of the rooms lend themselves very well to the story; from the colour of the paint on the walls and the subtle emotion they elicit to the way the large, yet slightly hollow rooms flow into one another. In such a short film, all these nuances are very important to add layers to the story.

Much like 'The Nest', the lighting will be kept naturalistic with lamps as the main source in the room as well as natural light seeping in through windows.

Why we need your help 

Short films are a wonderful opportunity for filmmakers to experiment, to find and test their authored voice.

Debut films (as this one is) are harder to fund as potential funding production companies don't have evidence of previous work, that is why donations like yours are so important. Our crew, which we are still building, is very much intended to be female-heavy to address the parity issue, meaning by donating you will have a hand in addressing that too.

In order to make this film in the way it has been envisioned we will be shooting on Kodak super 16mm which, though beautiful is also very expensive. We will also need to get the crew out to the Wiltshire location and have enough kit and support while there to keep everyone happy. All this, of course, requires funds.  

We are so grateful to you, whether you have just stumbled upon this project or you are friends and family, thank you!

Atalanta & Carolina