The Life Across the Way is a poetic documentary about the exploration of loss and absence for a mother grieving baby loss. Those who are grieving these miscarriages, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths are often overlooked and isolated in their loss, which raises the questions: what losses are we allowed to share with one another? How can these absences be quantified, shown, and felt day to day?
We will introduce you to Steph Hobbs, a mother who has experienced the neonatal death of her son, Timothy Hobbs. Discussing the experience of pregnancy, the life changing terminal diagnosis her baby received and the grief that has lived alongside her for eight years. We will observe the familial relationships that have grown beyond grief and have created space in the physical world for a child that has been lost, using mixed media and the marks of children on homely rooms.
The Life Across The Way is a real story of love, loss and the beauty of a child's mark on the world, lending itself to a creative and nostalgic aesthetic.
We are capturing a real world where love and loss intertwine, illuminating the profound impact of both a child's presence and absence. The film will feature intimate, textured cinematography, capturing the subtle beauty of a child's everyday moments—sunlight filtering through a cluttered play space, a child's drawing smudged by crayons, muddy elbows and knees which have just explored the garden. These visuals will evoke a sense of familiar longing, celebrating the ephemeral nature of childhood while honouring those we’ve lost. Each frame will be composed with a documentary's authenticity, utilising handheld shots to create a sense of connection. Our colour palette will be warm, with earthy tones that evoke a sense of comfort and homeliness. Soft focus and natural lighting will enhance the film's intimate atmosphere, allowing viewers to feel as though they are stepping into a safe and cherished environment, but still a space where grief is allowed to be felt.
However, the uniqueness of our visual style lies with the use of mixed media elements—integrating animations that illustrate the juxtaposition of both a playful child's imagination, and the spaces that the loss of a child have changed; the idea of painting in where a child 'should have been'. This combination will not only enhance the emotional depth but also create a dreamlike quality that contrasts the harsh reality of loss. As we navigate through these hard conversations, we are aiming to visually show the duality of joy and sorrow and that they can be co-existent. Moments of laughter will be punctuated by the stillness of absence, allowing the audience to feel the weight of both love and loss in everyday life.
Through this creative and nostalgic lens, "The Life Across The Way" will not only tell a true story but also foster an emotional connection, encouraging audiences to reflect on the beauty and privilege of childhood and the indelible marks children leave on our hearts.
The Life Across the Way is a direct - but gentle - stride into a social taboo, a production that proposes to open a dialogue delicately and frankly about baby loss, a subject often hidden away and kept bottled in close family circles by those who have experienced it. The discussion is a hard one, but director Loren Hobbs is taking a step with her family to gracefully explore love, loss and their interconnectivity, examining the family dynamic that gives shape to a life that did not get to be lived.
The production team aims to create a familiarity for those who have experienced the loss of a baby, hoping that it’ll create a cinematic space for those affected to feel less alone, whilst simultaneously giving people unfamiliar with the tragedy an insight into the psychology of grieving a child with hopes that it’ll open up conversations on small and large scales.
And you could help us make this happen.
We recognise that we are asking a lot of you in a time when many of us are struggling for money just to live, so we want to be able to give something back to you. We have a range of rewards available for the kind souls who help fund our film, made and donated from a range of generous artists and organisations who are helping to bring this project to life.
We are very pleased to have received support from the following artists and organisations who have all contributed to our fundraising efforts:
- S L Laser Inscribe
- Leslie Kwallah
- Mia Savory Designs
- Sands Swindon
- The Village Vine Winery
- Maisie Goodall