'Folklore is alive and impossible to pin down, and can be dangerous. It presents people with a mirror to their own face, and can reveal the darker, more primal side of life. It is, after all, a thing written in the wind and the rushing waters.'
- A Treasury Of British Folklore by Dee Dee Chainey
If I Go Down To The Woods Today is a modern fairytale that follows Sarah, a young woman pushed into apathy by an abusive relationship.
This is a theme that we will address with sensitivity and nuance as it something that has affected members of the cast and crew personally.
What's The Story?
Sarah is stuck in a dead end job in a small town in the West Country. Her days blend together as she moves between work, the pub and the cottage she shares with her boyfriend Jack.
Home is not a sanctuary for Sarah, but rather a place of danger. Jack, who was once her respite, is now her captor, and their relationship has become her prison.
Jack's anger is fuelled by the noxious little white packets of powder that he pushes to local punters.
A potential out for Sarah arrives in the form of Darragh, a mysterious stranger who arrives bloodied at her door. He has the potential to not only pull her out of the relationship she is stuck in, but also the world as she knows it...
Why This Is Important
We believe that this is important, not only because we have personal experience with this and feel a need to share the emotional side of it, but because it truly is a large problem in the UK. You can see this in the following statistics:
- Domestic abusive will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in their lifetime.
- On average, domestic abuse leads to 2 women dying every week.
- Domestic abusive has more repeat victims than any other crime. On average there would have been 35 assaults before a victim contacts the police.
- Is the single most quoted reason for homelessness.
- Approximately 400 people commit suicide every year who have attended hospital for domestic abuse in the previous 6 months.
We believe that having an example portraying this kind of relationship that focuses on the emotional journey, rather than the body shock physicality, will help viewers empathise and create a deeper level of understanding.
We hope that people who see this project who are suffering will know that they are not alone.
Who We Are
Florence Kosky - Director & Co-Writer
Florence is an award-winning writer and director. She has directed a number of narrative short films, fashion films and music videos. She is best known for the film All The World's A Stage featuring Jonathan Forbes, Olivia Colman and Amber Anderson which played at multiple festivals internationally including Raindance, HollyShorts and Norwich. She is an ambassador for The Mental Health Foundation and co-owns the production company Waddon Productions with her sister.
Previous Work:
www.atwasfilm.co.uk
https://vimeo.com/353743299
Instagram: @floskyyx
Josh Willdigg - Co-Writer
Josh is a talented screenwriter who has a BA in filmmaking from Ravensbourne and a MA from the London Film School in screenwriting. His first feature film Mortal has just gone into production and he has two other features in development - Whiskers and Wicca - that he also co-wrote with Florence.
Instagram: @JoshWilldigg
Jessamine-Bliss Bell - Lead Actress
Jessamine is an actor who grew up in Paris, lived in NYC and is now based in London. She trained at the Lee Strasberg Academy in New York and is best known for the films Trick Or Treat, Salt, Pure and A Study On Behaviour. Later this year, A Grown Woman and The Way We Were will be released, as well as the short documentary Imogen (premiering at AMDOCs Film Festival and produced by Alma Ha'rel). You can also see her perform in the play Bin Juice at the London Vaults in mid March.
Instagram: @jessaminebliss
Owain Morgan - Director of Photography
Owain is a Welsh cinematographer who trained at Bournemouth and then moved to London. He already has developed a dark, dreamy visual style which he has applied to both commercial and narrative work. He is also working on this project as the storyboard artist, as his visual talent extends to physical work as well as cinematography.
Instagram: @o_e_morgan
Lottie Hayes - Producer
Lottie is a model and photographer, who is using her experience in front of the camera to help her reach behind it. She's worked with Florence on three projects previously: an art film focused on consent called I'm Still I, a music video for the song Thrash Metal Glisten by Hex The Patriarchy and a narrative short shot on 16mm called A Bit Of Fun.
Instagram: @haylotts
April Kosky - Producer
April is Florence's sister and co-owns Waddon Productions with her. She has trained in Journalism at Central St.Martins and Film and TV Production at UCLA. She is currently living between London and LA and is looking forward to setting up an American counter-part to Waddon Productions in the near future.
Instagram: @aprilkosky
How You Can Help
Our creative team has been working hard to develop the right aesthetic for this story. The right kit, costume, props, locations and VFX are all crucial - not only for us to deliver the film we envision but also to give the emotional heart of the story the representation it deserves.
It's an unfortunate fact of the film industry that this all comes at a cost and although we have a highly talented team at work, we still need the resources to make this a reality!
We have a range of rewards, listed on the right, in return for your donations. You can, however, donate without choosing a reward. Or if you prefer, you can also donate anonymously.
TO SEE THE FULL EXTENTS OF THE PERKS, CLICK ON THEM TO EXPAND.
Can't donate money? Here's how else you can help!
- SHARE this page on your social media - spread the message far and wide!
- FOLLOW Waddon Productions on Instagram for project updates.
- EDUCATE yourself and others about domestic abuse - try starting here.
- DONATE something else. Do you have something you think could be useful for our film? Know someone with a fantastic location or piece of kit? Help us out and get a HUGE thank you, as well as a credit in the film!
Experiencing domestic abuse or worried about someone else?
National Helpline: 0808 2000 247
Rights Of Women Line: 020 7251 6577
Men's Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
Galop's LGBT+ Line: 0800 999 5428
Stalking & Harassment: 0300 636 0300
Legal Advice: 0844 8044 999