SAFTA award winning director Tim Greene has become the first to create a film under lockdown conditions.
His film, “Cabin Fever” is set for release on BoxOffice on Wednesday, August 5.
Written and directed by Greene via Zoom, the film was filmed by the cast in isolation.
It tells the story of a family, all under lockdown in different parts of the world, who are brought together by the second wife after she learns that her husband’s first wife is dying of Covid-19.
Family differences and conflicts come to the surface as they each try to come to terms with their emotions which are heightened during the lockdown.
The film is a haunting and emotional tale of a family flung to the far corners of the world, reaching out across the void to find intimacy, understanding and eventually forgiveness.
Greene fell in love with the challenge of making a film under the lockdown conditions.
“I wondered if it would be possible to make a compelling drama told only through video calls, messages and meetings.
“By the time I’d written a pitch document I’d fallen in love with the challenge and wondered if I would be able to write a story that was compelling enough to make a full length feature film, working within these limitations,” said Greene.
He took to Facebook to call out actors who wanted to keep creative and productive and got hundreds of responses.
“I had an amazing talent pool from which to cast, but also a big responsibility.
“So I put out a call to all the writers and directors I knew and before long we had a dozen other movies in the pipeline as well,” he said.
Greene said at the time the idea of a family member dying of Covid-19 seemed to be an interesting script to write.
“It was clear from the outset that I’d need a tight-knit bunch of characters, who’d have reason to keep calling and meeting up with each other online, so a family seemed sensible.
“Given the moment, the idea of a family member dying of Covid-19 seemed an interesting thing to bring them all together. But that was really all I had. Thereafter the characters dictated how the story would unfold,” said Greene.
He described this new experience as an “astonishingly creative chapter of his life”.
“It was completely different. I was both writing the script and editing the scenes as we went along.
“I’d write three or four scenes and send them out, then the cast would gather on Zoom to read, discuss and rehearse.
“Then they’d go off and shoot on their phones and a few hours later, the hi-resolution footage would start arriving and by night time I would be editing the performances together, in such a way that made it seem as if they were talking to one another.
“And then I’d be up at crack of dawn to start writing the next few scenes,” he said.
The film involves cast from around the world including Jenna Upton, Keenan Arrison, Ndoni Khanyile, James Cuningham and Jessica Pietersen Scott among others.
Greene said many of the actors that excited him during auditions happened to live abroad. He simply simply embraced the international scope and wrote it into the script.
“The image of the father Andrew (James Cuningham) looking out over the Abu Dhabi skyline really came to define a profound sense of the loneliness and longing of lockdown for me,” he said.
The film was a labour of love and helped everyone involved keep sane and grounded.
“It’s been an incredibly happy experience for everyone involved.
“No one got paid, it was very much a labour of love, but everyone involved owns a share of the film and we’ve got deals in place to determine who gets what, if the movie makes any money.
“But I don’t think anyone’s expecting to get rich off it,” Greene said.
So far the feedback has exceeded Greene’s expectations.
“The performances are really wonderful, but at its core it's just a little movie with no budget shot on cell phones, you know?
“And yet, there seem to be themes and ideas inside the film which are striking a cord. The reviews have been excellent and the few friends who’ve seen the film have said it’s both moving and thought provoking.
“I guess I also hope it comes over time to help encapsulate a moment,” he said.
Next up on Greene’s agenda is to shoot a micro-budget thriller set in one room in one night.
“The Fury” tells the story of a girl who is unable to find justice for her sister, who killed herself after being raped a decade ago, so she lures the man she believes responsible to an apartment, ties him up and puts on a show-trial, live-streamed on social-media.
“Although there are just three leads, there will be dozens of video-call-ins, and I’m hoping to put all the lessons I’ve learned on “Cabin Fever” into practice on “The Fury”, he said.