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short film
FORGIVENESS
How The Shammasian Brothers’ new short Romans 12:20 became part of a healing process
W hen they first screened their now
critically acclaimed short film The Carriageway last year, film making brothers Ludwig and
Paul Shammasian found its themes struck a chord with audiences.
It particularly resonated with BAFTA-winning writer Geoff Thompson, who won his award for his 2003 short Brown Paper Bag. So moved was he by that story of an old man haunted by a loss suffered years before that he offered to write the brothers’ next directorial project.
“He said he’d loved our film,” Ludwig explains, “and felt our styles would complement each other well.”
The story that Thompson wrote was of a man abused in childhood who confronts his abuser many years later, which coincidentally had similar- ities to an idea they had been working on. The difference with Thompson’s treatment was that it was mined from personal experience.
Yet the real twist to this tale, though, is indicated by the title, a Biblical reference that speaks of for- giveness. It is this take on highly charged material that gives Romans 12:20 such a powerful emotional kick.
“It was very poignant for us to touch on this subject,” Ludwig adds. “The moment where the lead charac- ter, Malky, says, ‘I forgive you,’ is a big moment, but the one thing that we thought the character would never expect was a handshake in return.
“It’s one thing saying you forgive someone, it’s another thing stepping up to the man and shaking his hand. That’s probably one of the pivotal points in the film.”
Craig Conway delivers a searing performance as Malky, and veteran character actor James Ellis plays the priest who years before betrayed his position to commit a heinous crime. Which all makes for highly sensitive material to bring to the screen, not least because of the writer’s very per- sonal connection to it, adding a particu- lar burden of responsibility to the crew.
“That’s the right word,” nods DP Charlotte Bruus Christensen, a Danish
born graduate of the NFTS. “We felt it throughout the film, the responsibility to deliver this in the right way. Our goal here was ‘enhanced normality’, because it’s somebody’s story being exposed to the world and we felt our duty was to make it right for him. Pushing it too far in some direction felt wrong.”
Shot over four days, on ETERNA Vivid 160T and ETERNA 250D, cast and crew had their work cut out making an ambitious 26-minute film on such a tight schedule.
“Charlotte had a lot of chal- lenges,” Ludwig continues. “For instance, we have a police interroga- tion scene, and there were different ways of lighting it. It could have been quite harsh, but in the end we opted for something that was quite classic and natural and not too prescribed or artificial. We thought the performanc- es and the writing said enough.
“Malky’s very exposed in that scene. Part of that, with the white brick wall and his white shirt, implied some kind of institution. He’s being interrogated and his character opens up, and explains what happened. We felt that clinical feeling with the whites suited that theme.”
“In the interrogation room I shot on the 160T,” says Bruus Christensen, “which was brilliant with the shadows. I found it amazing with not going too warm in the shadows, which is always a problem if you’re shooting low light. I’m quite careful about using filters, but I did use a half Jade filter there. We also shot with the Cooke lenses, which were really good.”
In the end this is a performance piece, with so much derived from moments where we see recognition flick- er in Malky’s eye, and the turbulent emo- tions awaken within him. He looks, for all the world, like a flint-hard figure with his tattooed body and bouncer’s swag- ger. But a chance encounter in a café with a frail old man suddenly takes this tough guy back to vulnerable childhood.
“In the café scene we slowed everything down ever so slightly,” Bruus Christensen notes, “to try and be with the character in his state of mind at that point. It was interesting because with all the set ups we did
and all the images we tried to capture we were doing it from a performance point of view.”
When Malky confronts the priest he is sat in confession, simmering with rage in the half shadow gloom of that holy place. “In that scene we just wanted some light,” notes Paul, “so that we’re almost not aware that it’s lit, but could just see enough.”
“The ETERNA 250D was great with the mixed light we had in the church,” Bruus Christensen adds, “because with the real candles and our lights there was a huge contrast which worked out really, really well.”
Anyone who saw The Carriageway will recognise the non-linear narrative as a device that has served The Shammasian Brothers well, and it is something they also brought to Romans 12:20. But the story is, and remains, Geoff Thompson’s, which made him the most important audi- ence for the finished film.
“He’s seen the film now,” says Paul Shammasian, “and he’s absolute- ly ecstatic about it.”
Ludwig continues: “What was odd was when he met his abuser and for- gave him and shook his hand he said he thought that was the end of it. But he was still uncomfortable about writ- ing this. But having seen the film now, he can honestly say it has drawn a line under it.”
“It’s been part of his own personal healing process,” co-producer Paul Manwaring observes, “which I don’t think anyone necessarily thought about beforehand. But if it’s true, then that’s even more remarkable.” ■ ANWAR BRETT
Romans 12:20 was originated on 35mm Fujicolor ETERNA Vivid 160T 8543, and ETERNA 250D 8563
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