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| "We knew that we wanted an original, supernatural, terrifying but also strange villain" - Lawrie Brewster |
The tale of a psychologist, a disappearance, an imperilled ballerina and a sinister owl-headed figure, The Black Gloves is a new chiller shot in the Scottish highlands which has attracted praise from the likes of Guillermo Del Toro. Director Lawrie Brewster and writer Sarah Daly are working hard to polish it for ban autumn release in the UK, but took the time to talk with us and tell us a little more about it.
Jennie Kermode: Can you start by telling me a little about the story and where the idea sprang from?
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| "I'd certainly love if The Black Gloves turned out to be part of a Gothic horror resurgence" - Sarah Daly |
Sarah Daly: The Black Gloves tells the story of a psychologist who is obsessed with the disappearance of his young patient, and the menacing owl-headed figure that plagued her nightmares. His investigations lead him to a reclusive ballerina who, just like his patient, is convinced that she is about to die at the hands of this disturbing entity. Essentially, we knew that we wanted to make another film featuring the villain of our first feature Lord Of Tears, and that we wanted a period setting for the film. This film's narrarive concept grew out of the discovery that the villain of the ballet Swan Lake is also an owl-headed figure, a sorcerer in that case. So, we used that to inform and inspire our own story, drawing inspiration from Swan Lake, and also diving into the world of ballet and the particular kind of obsession it requires.
JK: Why did you choose to shoot in black and white? Were you influenced by the critical success of recent films like Darling and The Eyes Of My Mother?
Lawrie Brewster: I wouldn't say that we were influenced to go black and white by those films, but they certainly gave me the confidence to follow my gut instinct that a monochrome look would best serve the story. The film is very much a classic chiller and so, I think the context of black and white helps to put the viewer in the right mindset to experience the film. I had toyed with the idea of doing two versions, but ultimately, the black and white version was so obviously superior, both superficially in terms of the look, and more importantly, in terms of how it fit the story, that I decided to forget about a colour edition.
JK: Do you feel that Gothic horror is undergoing something of a renaissance?
SD: I don't know. There's certainly a lot of great horror coming out at the moment. I'd say it's a good time for intelligent, edgy horror for sure, but Gothic horror? I can't think of too many. Off the top of my head only Crimson Peak and The Woman In Black come to mind. I guess at the low to mid budget ranges, Gothic horror is always going to be challenging in terms of production. Shooting a period film on a shoestring is almost impossible. That said, Brian O'Malley has a new one coming out called The Lodgers which looks really interesting, and I enjoyed The Awakening, a British film from a few years back. I'd certainly love if The Black Gloves turned out to be part of a Gothic horror resurgence. Our next feature will actually just about fit that brief as well, so we'll see!
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| Director Lawrie Brewster with DoP Gavin Robertson and cinemaatographer Michael Brewster |
JK: How much were your story development choices influenced by the locations you had available to you in Scotland?
LB: Luckily, Scotland has a vast array of locations available, so we don't ever feel restricted in that sense, but in this case, we always knew that we wanted to return to the location we used in our first feature Lord Of Tears. The film was written specifically with that location, and the Highland landscapes surrounding it, in mind for the bulk of the filming. For the scenes that didn't take place there, we looked to the rugged coastlines and historical landmarks of Fife. This kind of Gothic, romantic, brooding story lends itself perfectly to a Scottish setting, so really we had no shortage of options and inspirations on our doorstep!
JK: How did you approach casting?
SD: Again, we knew from the get-go that we wanted to work with our past collaborators Alexandra Nicole Hulme and Jamie Scott-Gordon, who play psychologist Dr. Finn Galloway and ballerina Elisa Grey. As well as being an actress, Alexandra is an incredible dancer and choreographer, so we knew there would be no one better suited to the part. And Jamie, we just really think he has something special. Finding an actor who can play a complex, likeable, imperfect leading man, and who just 'gets it' is not easy, so we stuck with Jamie who we've worked with twice before, knowing he would deliver the goods. The part of the ballet teacher was a little trickier as it required a very particular kind of actress. The character, Lorena Velasco, is a formidable, frightening, but also alluring woman. We've wanted to work with Macarena Gomez ever since we saw her incredible performance in a film called Shrew's Nest a few years back, so she was the first actor we reached out to. Luckily for us, she loved the script and the character, and was excited at the prospect of working in Scotland, so she got on board.
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| "We've wanted to work with Macarena Gomez ever since we saw her incredible performance in a film called Shrew's Nest a few years back" - Sarah Daly |
JK: Owls are turning up everywhere due to the revival of Twin Peaks. What drew you to this particular symbology?
LB: We originally came up with the Owlman character back in 2012 for the film Lord Of Tears, and really a number of factors were involved. We knew that we wanted an original, supernatural, terrifying but also strange villain – a character that had the potential to be iconic and memorable. I think there's something deeply unsettling about anthropomorphic characters so that was a starting point. Then, we looked to myths and legends for inspiration, and kept finding references to owls or owl-headed demons, from the Celtic 'cult of the head' who worshipped an owl, to the Carthaginians who supposedly made sacrifices to a god called Moloch, who is actually referenced in the Bible, and is often depicted as having an owl's head. So the Owlman is really the amalgamation of many different inspirations.
JK: I understand that you’re still developing the soundtrack. What would you ideally like to do with the film musically?
LB: The scores for our films are incredibly important to us, and we always put out an original soundtrack CD with every film we make. In this case, we're looking to create a completely original, orchestral soundtrack with all real instruments. So, no mean feat for an indie like us, but we're excited to create something really special. We've drawn inspiration from Hitchcock for the film's visuals and mood, but also for the soundtrack. So, there'll be definite notes of Bernard Hermann in there. Of course, we'll also have some pieces from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake which is quite exciting, as well as a few wild card tracks. Our temp music right now has everything from Radiohead to the Watership Down soundtrack!
JK: Will you be taking the film to festivals?
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| "We looked to myths and legends for inspiration, and kept finding references to owls or owl-headed demons" - Lawrie Brewster |
LB: Absolutely. I can't name names just yet but we've already had enquiries from some of the biggest genre festivals who are eager to see a cut of the film. We'll be pushing very hard to get the film into the best festivals it possibly can, as a strong festival run can really help to generate the buzz an indie like ours needs to 'break out'. I feel like we've got a really good chance with this one, as it's something very different. It's not every day you come across a black and white, period-set, ballet horror! Also, we've got some incredible performances, and Sarah Daly's script is phenomenal, full of unexpected twists and turns and with a truly shocking, subversive ending that I don't think anyone will see coming.
JK: Do you have other film projects underway or coming up in the near future?
SD: Yes, after The Black Gloves, we've got another supernatural chiller lined up, with a very dark, twisted sensibility, but with lots and lots of colour this time, more Argento than Hitchcock! We're also producing a horror anthology called For We Are Many which will see filmmakers from all over the world producing shorts for the project. Actually, if any filmmakers out there want to get involved, it's not too late. You can find out more about the project on our website www.hexmedia.tv.
If you would like to help Lawrie and Sarah raise the money they need to perfect their film, you can contribute to The Black Gloves crowdfunder. We'll keep you up to date on the progress of the film.
