Hen Overview

Hen is an atmospheric exploration of the brutal intricacies of the relationships between women. Drawing influence from Irish pagan mythology and studies of mass hysteria, it follows a group of women over the course of one night, when innocent bridal party games and group dynamics take a step too far.

ETHOS

The plot and dynamics between the women will be explored through visual composition rather than relying on expositional dialogue. The practices core to the creation of this film will be exploring the script through improvisation and workshopping the central relationships of the characters. The camera observes the actors - finding something naturalistic and entirely non performative in the process.

ACTORS

CREW

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

WRITER

CREW

JJ Sullivan

Aidan Gault

Dylan Knapp

Gregory Burrows

Kevin Freeney

Daire Legaspi

Julia Kemperman

D.O.P

EQUIPMENT LIST

LOCATION

The location should be isolated from the rest of the world creating a microcosm . It should appear in sharp contrast to the the soft lighting and the feminine body.

The Sligo location would be the perfect location for this film as it offers us the ability to shoot from the outside in, to use reflections to our advantage and to truely capture the atmosphere and tone intended for this film.

IMPACT

What we are trying to achieve with Hen is to increase the visibility of women in the genre of thriller/horror and explore the feminine principle in the horror genre from a different perspective.

Women filmmakers are finding a voice in horror, and it’s a specific one. Films like Jennifer Kent’s ‘The Babadook’, Karyn Kusama's ‘The Invitation’ and ‘XX’ (Roxanne Benjamin, St Vincent, Sofia Carrillo etc) have demonstrated the propensity of the female gaze to process the genre. We want to explore this too. Horror is a culturally significant way to organise the chaos of the world and interact with it in a controlled way.

INSPIRATION

Artemisia Gentileschi

Andrei Tarkovsky

Serge Leblon

Scene- o - matic

Let's Talk about Kevin

Gregory Crewdson

IMAGES