“SIREN” By Jess Kohl

Siren is a visual journey into Royal Ballet Principal dancer Francesca Hayward’s relationship with ballet, drawing on her early experiences of the art form to create a contrastingly intimate yet voyeuristic experience for the viewer.

The short film IN MEDIAS RUSH is an experimental cinematic journey into the depths of a manic mind. A poetic retro-sci-fi narrative unfolded in a string of unsettling tableaus that encapsulates the male protagonist’s ambiguous feelings about his birthday. While balancing between realities in his silent struggle with severe mental illness, we plunge into the film at a neatly orchestrated birthday party. The protagonist is accompanied by his girlfriend, and they are drinking cocoa on the couch in their mutual home. The setting breathes pure perfection, but through the voice over we sense that another reality is soon to be revealed. With one foot on the accelerator, he is heading towards the edge. The thematic focal point of IN MEDIAS RUSH is mental health problems among young adults, and the social/personal consequences related to the existing taboo on the subject. The film wishes to formulate an honest cinematic space in which words, sound, and image artistically interprets and articulates some of the perspectives related to especially bipolar, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. IN MEDIAS RUSH was nominated in the category 'Best Danish Short Film' at Copenhagen Short Film Festival in 2020. Original title: IN MEDIAS RÆS Directed by: Esben Persson -------------------- DK: IN MEDIAS RÆS IN MEDIAS RÆS er en filmisk rejse ind i dybderne af et manisk sind. En ung mand fejrer sin fødselsdag, mens hans tanker tordner afsted. Med en uvillig fod på speederen har han kurs mod kanten. FR: IN MEDIA RES IN MEDIA RES est un voyage dans les profondeurs d’un esprit maniaque. Un jeune homme fête son anniversaire tandis que ses pensées se multiplient. Malgré lui, il se dirige vers un point de non-retour. -------------------- Cast: Peter Alexander Bach & Amanda Overby Drew Director // Script writer // Set designer // Costume designer // Editor // Speaker: Esben Persson Photographer // Editor: Lasse Mølsted Producer: Latifa Lykke Ben Mabrouk Assistant producer: Cecilie Creutsberg Music composer: Martin Bejder Sound designer: Mads Hye Chief Lighting Technician: Rasmus Bruun Liboriussen VFX: Jonas Fonnesbæk Lodahl Colorist: Kristopher Paterson Graphic designer: Jakob Toft Kristensen -------------------- Shot on RED Monstro 8K with Lomo Squarefront Anamorphics.

Credits

Director: Jess Kohl
Choreographer: Michael Montgomery
Performed by: Francesca Hayward, Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet
Executive Producer: Jackson Forsythe and Juliette Larthe
Producer: Jackson Forsythe
Co-Production: PRETTY BIRD and UNSIGNED
Costume Designer: Simone Rocha
Stylist: Robbie Spencer
Composer: Isobel Waller Bridge
DOP: Eoin McLoughlin
Hair and Make Up: Celia Burton
Production Manager: Andreja Viskovic
Additional Photography: Jed Darlington-Roberts
Steadi Cam Operator: Junior Agymen
1st AC: Tom Storey
1st AC: Louise Tse
Styling Assistant: Met Kilinc
Drone Pilot: Ibrahim Serra Mohammed
Editor: Charlie Von Rotberg
Edit Post Production: Stitch
Colourist: Alex Gregory
Post Producer: Diego Basualdo
Post Producer: Kirsty Oldfield
Post Production Company: Serena
Flame Colourist: Adrian Aragones
Post Production: Luis Huete, Esther Ceballos y Beatriz Descalzo
Credit Design: Jump Jirakaweekul
PR: DH-PR
Filmed at the Royal Opera House, London.

In Collaboration with: Simone Rocha
Support from: Simone Rocha, Kodak, DH-PR, Royal Opera House, Prettybird, Stitch Editing, No8 London
Special thanks to: Kirsty Oldfield, Rachel Hollings, Daisy Hoppen, Juliette Larthe, Eoin McLoughlin, Marion Abramov, Ryann Foulke, Lizzie Walker, Royal Opera House, Simone Rocha, Charlie Morris

Produced by:
Jacob Jonas The Company
Executive Producer/Creative Director: Jacob Jonas
Producers: Jill Wilson, Emma Rosenzweig-Bock,
Associate Producers: Joy Isabella Brown, Francisco Cruz, Steve Hackman, Emily Kikta, Rubberlegz, Anibal Sandoval, Mike Tyus, Peter Walker
Fashion Director: Christian Stroble

Co-Presented by:
BAM, The Harris, The Soraya, Stanford Live, Stanford Global Studies

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