Monico perseus is a short film about the bond between two brothers. When Ash escapes from a juvenile detention centre, he clambers through the marshes in an attempt to rescue his disabled older brother from their abusive alcoholic father. Grey, gloomy and gritty, in the same vein as the work of Shane Meadows (Dead Mans Shoes) this short piece will be a powerful punch full of character, heart and rough originality.

Directors Statement

Ever since I met the legendary Sam Barnard on the set of casualty in 2017, i’ve wanted to write something for us to do together. I was inspired by the ramshackle fishing boats on the marshlands of canvey island (where I live) to write this unique and edgy short film which features three fascinating characters and an intensely climactic day in their lives. 

Ash is a misunderstood criminal who has started to go down a dangerous path due to his justifiable yet unsolved anger issues. Sam is his brother with down syndrome who has a uniquely refreshing outlook on life, loves his brother more than anything but is sadly living under the tyranny of their abusive father - Vic. Vic is a rough and belligerent alcoholic who has been beaten into a state of pure pessimism by relentless misfortune and drug abuse. Sam and Vic live out a strange existence on a small boat which is barely big enough for the two of them. One fateful day sees Ash resort to extreme measures in order to save his brother from the distressing situation he is trapped in.

The film is a very character driven piece that will rely on the performances of the Actors involved. I’ve played to my strengths and used what I already have access to, which is an interesting and atmospheric location and also very experienced actors capable of delivering powerful authentic performances. The story is very short but it’s rich with emotion and the backstories of all the characters create a lot of depth. I believe it will be a very raw and gutsy film with lots of heart and originality. 

Team

Alfie Stewart (Writer/Director/Actor)

First and foremost Alfie is an actor with a wealth of impressive credits including Ripper Street, Merlin, The Village and The Outpost (to name a few). He also starred as the lead in Charlotte Regan's short film ‘Fry-up’ which was nominated for awards at both Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival in 2018. This will be his directorial debut, with a fiery passion for film and the project, he’s certain he can bring his vision to life and create a bold and innovative piece that all involved will be extremely proud of.

Showreel - https://mediaviewer.spotlight.com/artist/showreels?artistRef=M138128

Sam Barnard (Actor)

Sam has put in excellent performances in a number of popular TV shows including Grantchester, Silent Witness and The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher. Interestingly he and Alfie both starred in the same episode of casualty in 2017 playing brothers! This is how they met and seeing as the two already know each other they have a good connection and a lovely bond that will come through on camera as it’s real and won’t need to be fabricated. Sam is a unique talent who perhaps doesn’t receive as many opportunities as others do in this industry and this film will be a brilliant opportunity for him to shine.

Showreel -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo8p03hYA0I

Tara Trangmar (Producer)

Tara works across the spectrum of short form content, including award winning shorts, commercials, music promos and corporate work. This year she has had the honour of being selected as one the of BFI Network x BAFTA Crew. Tara is also Albert Trained.

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