Developed on the 2022 Film Hub North Script Lab and in August 2024 was shortlisted for funding by Slick Films, Saint Agnes is a story that brings together the over 1000-year-old patron saint of sexual assault victims, and two twenty-year-old girls trying to make sense of their own experiences. 

It’s a relatable short. Everything that happens in this short has happened. It’s our story. 

Award-winning writer-director Kate Driver and producer Hannah Emmett are involved. 
 

Synopsis

Taking place over one night, SAINT AGNES is a drama short that explores the themes of sexual assault, consent and trauma through the relationship of two best friends and a portrait of Saint Agnes.

When invited to a ‘celebrating women’ preview evening at a hipster art warehouse, Avery soon finds herself surrounded by tacky and exploitative work displayed by male artists. Skittish and paranoid, Avery struggles to be comfortable in the situation, and glimpses of a previous night keep pushing themselves into her mind.

Avery forces herself to stay and be a supportive friend to Lola who has modelled for one of the pieces, but it soon turns out that the ‘piece’ is no more than a manipulated, but obviously naked, photo of Lola.

What ensues is two friends being confronted to question the meaning of consent, reflect on their friendship and face their individual trauma together.

Visual Style and Inspirations

Inspiration

In 700AD Agnes, aged 13 at the time, rebuffed the advances of multiple men who were trying to court her, claiming her devotion to God was all she needed. The men were disgusted by this and dragged her through the streets naked, they placed her in a brothel and when they were finished with her, they murdered her.

Saint Agnes is always pictured with a lamb, representing innocence and a martyr's palm, sometimes her fingernails are dirty, representing the treatment she received at the hands of men.

Kate was inspired to write this script after she saw a painting of Saint Agnes and reflected on the parallels between her story and stories of women suffering at the hands of men over 1000 years later.

Budget

Risks and Challenges

Filmmaking is inherently risky, but we have a great team involved and are taking as many steps as possible to mitigate risks to this production. We have some incredible contacts that we're able to lean on, who are willing to support us throughout. We have kept this project as low-cost as possible and believe we're able to bring Saint Agnes to life on the current budget. 

Budget constraints are arguably one of the biggest risks of indie film projects. If we do not reach our target, priorities will lie with production, cast and crew and we will scale back on post-production areas such as festival submissions. 

Our Team 

(Stay tuned for updates!)