A short film is a piece of text that has been transmogrified into a visual aesthetic in order to portray a story. They are used in order to create a strong effect on the audience and are sometimes dramatised in order for the audience to relate to the piece in a mere couple of minutes. In terms of our short film, ‘Calamity’, it demonstrates the poignant and hard hitting subject of terrorism, due to us exemplifying the 7/7 London Bombings through the life of a teenage couple. We wanted to use a zeitgeist in order for the audience to develop an emotional connection with the characters and the story line due to this event being such a pivotal moment in the history of our society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our short film is a thriller called, ‘Calamity’. It is a five minute short film based on a young couple, Kyle Lang (Liam Wade) and Olivia Wilstone(Olivia Lizzimore) and the development of their relationship. Olivia has always wanted to start a family with Kyle due to her mature and eager persona, as well as her desperation to  grow up. Paradoxically, Kyle has different intentions and wants to stay young; he thinks Olivia is forcing the future on him when they are still living in the present. After Kyle turning Olivia’s family barbecue down but making up for this by buying them both two tickets to Paris, Olivia’s excitement becomes the better of her as she makes a remark on fatherhood and how Kyle has the attributes  a good dad. Kyle responds to this aggressively stating hat Olivia shouldn’t force him to do things they are not ready for. He ends this disagreement by turning off the light and leaving Olivia in the dark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tragedy of the story is the fact that Olivia is pregnant with Kyle’s baby and this is why she pushes the idea of familhood into Kyle’s mind. Despite this, Olivia was at breaking point and therefore writes Kyle a letter explaining that she is going to stay at her mum’s for a little while and she has bought him a train ticket to come too. She states that he should meet her at Liverpool street station at 9:00am. She gives him a choice, whether to accept the fact that she is pregnant and to start a family with her and their unborn child, or face the fact that they were never meant to be. She also left the positive pregnancy test with the note. Pressured by time Kyle packs a bag and runs out to make up with the woman he loves. On his way to the station he rings Olivia constantly, but her phone keeps going to her answer machine. She then picks up her phone and listens to a voicemail Kyle has left her at 8:58am saying how much he loves her and the fact that he cant wait to be a dad. However as she is listening to voicemail the bus that she is on explodes, due to the London 7/7 bombings being evident. Kyle then asks a stranger at Newbury ark station how long it will take for the next train to Liverpool street to arrive. The stranger mentions the bombings to Kyle and shows him the news report. He then hurriedly calls Olivia, to which he is greeted by her answer machine.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

By Tamia Mullaney-Downer

​