Directed by Ailish Castillo & Nicola Morris
A young mother's cry for help in a man's world where silence is a virtue.
THE WIDOW was an Official Selection at The People’s Film Festival earlier this year, nabbing the award for Best Production Design.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH Ailish
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background
I grew up in Cork, Ireland, and worked as an actress, both in theatre, Film and TV. Past productions include, 'Romeo and Juliet' (Olympia Theatre Dublin), 'Spring Storm' (National Theatre, London) 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (Lyric Theatre, Belfast). 'Bachelor's Walk' (BBC and RTE) 'Starfish' (Irish Film Board). Through my experiences on set I found myself being more drawn to the production side of film so I began writing short films that then progressed into the founding of my production company, LionBear Films.
What's your inspiration behind The Widow?
The Widow is inspired by my Grandmother's life. I've always been interested in period drama so bringing this story to life was a real labour of love.
What was it like to co-direct and how did you manage the decision making with two people in the role?
Nicola and I both worked closely in pre production with a similar vision in mind. She was the main director on set for the days of filming while I acted as Nora and I then took on the director's role when it came to the edit.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
I would say time, it would've been so wonderful to have had more time to film the small details. By the end of filming we were lucky to get what we got in the can and we did our best. The whole team really pulled it together.
How did you pull off an authentic period piece on a low budget?
I got as much as possible in various vintage and charity shops and then Rowena Zoro, our Production Designer, married it all together beautifully. My local pub was being renovated at the time and they very kindly let me use their up stairs rooms to film the interior of Nora's house.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
Don't let money, or the lack of, stop you from producing what you envision for your film. Lots of people told me there was no way I could pull off a period piece on a small budget and I'm really glad I didn't listen to them. If you persevere then you will find a way to make your film. I used my home as the base and put some of the crew up in our home too. Crowd-Funding, asking local businesses for help, asking your family or friends if they will help on set with things like cooking the food, washing up etc... put in the blood sweat and tears and I think it will pay off.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
By the time my film was ready to be shown in festivals, COVID 19 had moved everything online so my experience with The Widow has been great but all virtual! It was accepted into 12 various festivals around the world and won awards like Best Cinematography, Best Costume, Best Production Design and Best Actress. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make any contacts but actually I found that the film community really pulled together and I met some brilliant people and like minded film makers online. Thank goodness for social media!.
What are you working on now?
Since The Widow, I produced two more award winning short films and I'm now putting together a pitch for a TV series. I've written the pilot, it's a fantasy drama and I'm very excited about it's prospects.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
These aren't very "current" but some of my favourite films are- Green Book, The Hours, Pan's Labyrinth, Parasite and Elle.