Our story follows James Wallace, a young man who begrudgingly moves in with his friend’s grandmother to earn some much-needed extra cash. His friend is happy to pay him a smaller wage than she would have to pay a professional and not have to drive for an hour to see her grandmother every week. What he thought was going to be an easy caretaking job for a nice elderly lady soon turns into a mystery-filled nightmare.
Edith Muir proves to be anything but simple as she leaves mountains of mess for James to clean up. Any attempts at connecting with her are met with a stubborn and unsettling silence. Even worse, the more he cleans, the more strange things he uncovers. Strange books, markings, and substances seem to be covering every surface of the secluded little cottage that James now calls home. Even the house itself seems to be working against him as he battles with curious happenings day and night. Any concern that he brings up to his friend is dismissed with a: “She’s just a little old lady!”
Is Edith just a little old lady? What is wrong with the house? Will James decide that the experience is worth the paycheck?
With Hag, we aim to make a film about human connection using techniques from dark fantasies and thrillers to make the themes of isolation and loneliness more approachable yet viewed through a new angle.
Loneliness affects everyone in our modern world but is especially prevalent among the elderly. This is only amplified by society’s infantilization of the vulnerable, who often are still capable of far greater independence than we perceive. This film was inspired by a family conversation with my mom and grandmother. They expressed that I will probably feel this age for the rest of my life, regardless of my outer appearance and physical capability, which shaped my approach to this film.
When deciding to make this film I thought about two things; the feelings I often have when missing family after moving abroad and that dichotomy between perception and reality of self. Edith consciously shapes these perceptions through her control of the setting she inhabits. It is interesting to explore the generational gap between James and Edith who could not be more different. We hope to inspire discourse around what it means to grow older.
Hag is a graduate film being brought to life by students from Screen Academy Scotland’s MA Film course at Edinburgh Napier University. Here's an introduction to our heads of department and cast!
Ema Kmecl - Director and Co-Writer
Ema is a Director and Writer currently studying an MA Film course at Screen Academy Scotland. She is interested in exploring difficult topics and incorporating drama into a dark fantasy genre. She also wants to create stories that explore family and unexpected platonic relationships. She looks forward to bringing these elements together in this film and creating a fun but emotive story.
Shannon S - Producer
Shannon is a Producer on the MA Film course and is excited to bring the world of Hag onto the screen. She is interested in working on stories that explore human connection and relationships through unconventional approaches. She is excited to help craft this visual world and work with this team to make it a reality as this is a story rooted in the desire for community.
Diego Hoya - Cinematographer
Diego is a Cinematographer currently studying an MA Film degree at Napier University. He is interested in how different camera movements and positions can add to the storytelling and suspense of a film. He wants to create a narrative solely on how the camera moves around the cast and environments. He is looking forward to use these different techniques to hide and reveal the truth from the audience.
Rachel Fyall - Editor
Rachel is an Editor currently working towards her MA Film degree from Edinburgh Napier University. One of her favourite genres is horror - especially films which subvert expectations and present new ways of looking at complex characters and subjects. With this project, she is excited to help challenge preconceived ideas about the elderly in an interesting way through exploring dark fantasy and horror tropes and visuals.
Logan Eason - Sound Designer
Logan is a recent MA Film graduate, specializing in location & post-sound. He was drawn to the project because of its story, in how it plays with elements of fantasy and horror to tackle ideas surrounding generational gaps, particularly among the elderly and those in care. He is excited to use these genre aesthetics in sound design to create a dynamic and tense atmosphere for the audience.
Lilith Allen - Co-Writer
Lilith Allen is a screenwriter, currently studying for a masters degree in screenwriting at Edinburgh Napier University. Her work typically falls under the comedy drama genre, but she has recently begun branching out into horror and fantasy, bringing along her signature comedy in order to explore big themes and ideas in a grounded and natural way.
Ben Cheetham as James Wallace
Contemporarily and classically trained, Ben has acted in a variety of plays from Trainspotting to A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Summer 2023 he acted in the critically acclaimed original Edinburgh Fringe show: Twenty People a Minute.
Ben is currently working towards his Master of Fine Arts in Stage and Screen.
We are lucky enough to have access to industry standard equipment and editing suites through Screen Academy Scotland and be professionally mentored through this process by our incredible tutors. However, to create the world of Hag as we’ve dreamed it up, we will need your further support!
Your donations will go directly towards all the big and little costs that make successfully crafting this world possible. The money we aim to raise will fund our art department in creating the props, sets and costumes to bring Edith’s home to life. It will also allow us to shoot on location and cover the cost of van rental and petrol to safely transport our camera equipment and team. Speaking of our team, your money will also help us ensure that all cast and crew are taken care of and provided with meals throughout our shooting days.
Every donation, regardless of size, will make a significant impact in helping us achieve our goal of bringing this story to the screen. We are incredibly grateful for your support and can not thank you enough for your contribution!
To further follow our journey please follow our Instagram account @hagshortfilm !