The Story

For the Recently Bereaved is a short film set in the familiar yet unplaceable landscape of the English countryside. When Robert, a dedicated and emotional husband and father, dies suddenly, he leaves behind his wife, Cynthia and daughter Darcie. Cynthia is an outwardly cold, unsympathetic woman - a product of her time. Without her father as a bridge between them, Darcie tries to initiate a long-craved bond with her emotionally unavailable mother.

Meet the Crew

Watch our Pitch Video

Writer's Intent

I have always wanted to explore a mother-daughter relationship on screen. It’s a dynamic I'm very familiar with; one in which generational differences and inherent conflict are matched by vast amounts of inexplicable love. I also want to delve into the vastly different ways that people process loss. Grief is a universal and all-encompassing experience; it plays into all the senses and film is a perfect medium to explore it.

For the Recently Bereaved is an exploration of different types of love in difficult circumstances. It also looks at the absurdity in the way we process emotion in a sympathetic and considered manner. The script draws on elements of Yorgos Lanthimos’ work to create a project that is surreal and absurdist and uncanny. Through film form and absurdist, experimental performance styles, we want to create a heightened and immersive sensory experience.

- Nancy

Director's Intent

As a filmmaker, I'm interested in manipulating and challenging conventions to deliver emotional and impactful stories. Through my work, I hope to explore the raw emotions within family dynamics and create films that resonate with people from all walks of life. 

With For the Recently Bereaved, I want to depict grief in a way that captures the nuance and intimacy in the breakdown of parental relationships. I want to bring together Nancy’s beautifully compelling characters with the eerily familiar English countryside to devise a piece that accurately conveys the complex and difficult process of mourning. In addition to providing a captivating story, I believe our project is important as it combines our shared experiences of grief into something in which audiences can see part of themselves.

- Barney

Why We Need You

For the Recently Bereaved is currently in pre-production, scheduled to shoot towards the end of April. The film will be completed in early June, in line with course deadlines. Following that, we intend to enter out film into a number of short film festivals in the UK and Europe. 

The university provides us with a budget of £450, however, we are looking to raise an additional £2000 to complete the project. For the Recently Bereaved is performance heavy. Securing this funding will allow us to pay our actors (including expenses and accommodation) and compensate them fairly for their time. The rest of our funds will be directed towards our art department, transportation, cast expenses, festival fees and production overheads like insurance and production software.

Projected Budget

The Bottom Line

With this film, we hope to capture a nuanced, truthful mother-daughter dynamic and promote the representation of older women onscreen. By contributing to this project, you will be supporting independent filmmaking and unique cinema.

We understand that not everyone can contribute, but we'd ask that you please share our project with your friends and family. Help us get the word out through our Instagram and by word of mouth. With your support, we can push this project as far as it can go and make something we can all be proud of.

Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey!

instagram @fortherecentlybereaved

headshots @ethn._s

graphics @celbowtape