Brutal | A Traumatised Mother Descends Into a Psychological Labyrinth When Her Baby Is Kidnapped

Brutal is a Psychological, Surrealist Thriller about a mother named MAYA, who absent-mindedly leaves her 8 week year old baby outside a grocery store. When she rushes back to retrieve the child, she discovers it’s been kidnapped. The film then plummets into the mother’s psyche as she’s forced to navigate a 15 story high tow- er block in order to save her child. What we begin to discover in this surreal and disturbing landscape is that the baby was a result of a rape, and Maya cannot save herself from the trauma of such a horrific event and therefore cannot save the baby.
Brutal by Jordan Chandler
jordanchandler...
"The initial concept came from a dream where I was a badass businesswoman in a tight tailored grey suit with kitten heels and a brick of a mobile phone. Now and again I’d pause dramatically, drop the phone from my ear in slow motion and say, “Where is my baby? I’ve had her for two weeks and not fed her once.” I’d run out into the street where I believed I had parked the buggy - to of course find it empty. I look to my right to see a mob of angry women charging towards me who I assumed were out to punish me for being a bad mother, but who had actually in fact also lost their babies. I’d then of course transform into ‘the saviour’ and lead them off on a quest to a tower block in order to save our kin. This dream was a recurring series, but the location and business attire would change. It was clear - I was terrified of being a mother and knew I wasn’t alone in my fear."
Read our full interview with Jordan
directorsnotes...
// Credits //
STARRING Rose Lucas
Director/Writer - Jordan Chandler
Producer - Richard Priseman
Cinematographer - Estefania Carpio
Focus Puller - Lluc Mestre Mas
2nd Assistant Camera - Niels Halle
Production Designer - Nathalie Carraro
Assistant Directors - Amy Leyshon, Sabrina Lena Ildefonso
Production Managers - Caoimhe Sheehan, Sophie Moulton
Production Sound Mixer - Max Riches
1st Assistant Sound - Zac Dixon
Editor - Zak Lawrence-Earey
Sound Designer/Dubbing Mixer - Dan Hibbert
Composer - Mazyar Jalaleddin
VFX Supervisors - Rashela Kokoshi, Ellie Rimell, Aidan Gilfedder, Iris Mota
VFX Producers - Iris Mota, Ellie Rimell
CG Lead/Motion Graphics & Titles - Ellie Rimell
CG Artists - Aidan Gilfedder, Iris Mota
2D Artists - Rashela Kokoshi, Ellie Rimell
Lead Compositor - Rashela Kokoshi
Compositors - James Elkin, Rashela Kokoshi, Ellie Rimell, Daniel Peoples, Karolina Matela
Colourist/Online Editor - Aiden Tobin
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Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#kidnapping #bodyhorror #motherhood #shortfilm

[@keranous1111]

this was such a creative way to display insanity, it really used everything to a good enough extent without being extra confusing, and the ending really stuck with me. oh god that was good film