Summary
How far would an addict go to get their fix? How far would a millenial go to recover their stolen phone?
When her phone is snatched, Sam, a smartphone junkie, stops at nothing to get it back.
Our Review:
The best part of this film is the beep beep at the end. How tempting it is to check the notification in spite of the situation one is in. Yes smart phone addiction is real & worst than you can imagine. Most of them have bad cell phone habits & do not have a clue they are in trouble. Living without a phone has become like left stripped of everything. Right from our contacts, receipts, banking, reminders of close family members birthdays, official matters & everything else are locked up in our smart phone. Without it we do not a clue of what to do and how to reach out to anyone because we have continently forgotten to remember even basic details like important phone numbers. Depending on smart phone is one thing but extreme addiction is altogether a totally difficult problem. Short films like this is both entertaining and educational, which is a powerful mix and can expand one’s life by creating one’s awareness.
Director Biography - Jeffrey Louis Salkilld
Jeffrey Louis Salkilld is a producer and writer from Hampton, London, UK. He is a whirl of ideas and in 2021 founded Verve Bee Media, which has a busy slate of shorts for 2022 onwards. He works as a Production Coordinator for the prolific Youtuber Blake Ridder, has PC'd three feature films and Produced his first feature in 2021 (Alba Rosa). 'Disquiet' was his first short film. Jeffrey has a BA in English and Creative Writing from Aberystywth University and a Screenwriting and Film MA from UWL.
Director Statement
Disquiet was inspired by a friend who lost her phone and struggled for several days with anxiety. Having lost an expensive possession and it holding so much private and essential information. In our daily and work lives the smartphone has become a crucial tool for anyone in business, marketing, film or any fast paced professional industry. Then there is the non-essential element, the desire to be connected to our friends and colleagues remotely. As if something would happen in a few hours that, if missed, would change our lives forever. Especially in the age of complex WhatsApp politics, it does really seem like this is true. Being unable to disconnect is very damaging to our mental health, not being able to calm down and forget about the buzz of information flowing through our screens. It also breeds distrust and reduces lifetime friendships into relationships that operate on the same level as short term ones, people who you see daily but would not stick if there was a gap, like work colleagues. Who are they talking to? If we don’t speak for a few days are we even still considered friends? Why are they ghosting me? These are some of the anxieties that our protagonist ‘Sam’ suffers from. In ‘Disquiet’ we explore the loss of the phone as a withdrawal from a drug, ‘Sam’ spirals, desperate for a ‘hit’ of connectivity and she lies and steals to get hold of a phone, any phone, no matter what. Disquiet has only been screened to cast and crew (the first cut Feb 2020 just before COVID and was edited with the feedback) so one of you lucky festivals will get first look! A little bit extra (only if you have the time): I’d love to tell you a little bit about the team members involved. We simply chose the best people for the job, indiscriminately, not at the time being hyper aware about inclusion at the time and looking back I see as a result we had a very diverse cast and crew! Our lead actress Johanna Thea is a Polyethnic (Jamaican, Indian, Swiss, English), Westminster London born, Irish raised actress. Credited as CS Schalbroeck (her own gender neutral choice) our DOP is from Belgium, living internationally in London. Some of our other supporting roles were filled by actors from Ireland, Greece, Spain and of mixed ethnicity. I myself (Jeffrey) am a member of the trans community.
Credits
Jeffrey Louis Salkilld Director
Jeffrey Louis Salkilld Writer
Jeffrey Louis Salkilld Producer
Johanna Thea Key Cast "Sam"
Nicole McBride Key Cast "Embodiment of Guilt"
Louis James Key Cast "Policeman"
Natasha Colenso Key Cast "Policewomen"
Zon Simmons Key Cast "Good Samaritan "
Mo Omar Key Cast "BMW Driver"
Jade Bettles Key Cast "Waitress/Enraged Passerby "
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