Friday, September 29th, 2017
DIRECTOR: Connor O’Hara, UK, 15 mins
SYNOPSIS: In his last months alive, a young man calls upon his four closest friends to make his existence infinite, through the assembly of five key elements from his life.
TRAILER: [Not yet available]
STORY: Diagnosed as terminally ill, Sid (22) is physiologically fighting a losing battle in a suddenly bleak and terrifying world. Empowered by the loving support from those closest to him Sid resolves to overcome his predicament with the help of his friends. This coming of age modern story follows Sid’s search for meaning in the life he has little time to come to terms with and the answer to the ultimate finality of his death.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: Infinite is me putting myself on film and representing a time when my closest friends came together to support me. The script began with the same main themes that you can still see in the short. However, what I couldn’t expect was that while I was writing, one of my friends passed away, quickly followed by another friends dad. Suddenly my group of friends were actually living with the same problems that my characters were faced with. What I couldn’t help feeling was the selfish thought that death is so much harder for those who are left behind. And that we all wish we had a little more memories, and something special to remember the deceased by. Alongside this, I felt that those who died would never want us to be unhappy. They would want to be in our thoughts, but would want us to remember them in a positive light. Sid’s character therefore was massively shaped by this idea. Infinite needed to be a film which both represented male friendships in a positive light, away from the streets of London, away from Drugs, Crime and Sex. And also to further explore the fascinating topic of death. Both in terms of coping strategies, and what happens after we die. As a 21 year old writer, writing about 21 year old characters, I found I could very easily give them personalities that would be familiar to the audience watching. From the success of my last film Wander, I knew we had a great crew as well as great facilities in order to make Infinite. The cast was the icing on top of our pre-built cake. All five members of the cast came on board the project for passion, not money, and agreed to stay at my house for the duration of the shoot – something I thought was essential to cement our bond both on and off screen. I continued the theme of music having a key feature in my films, giving Sid a full scene to dance and just enjoy music for what it is – letting it transport him to another place. Furthermore, there is no attachment to time and technology. Similarly to Wander I wanted an audience of any age to be able to relate, so chose not to include any technology that would be associated instantly with a certain era or suggest that these boys would be ‘facebook friends’ as opposed to home grown friends who really have grown up together. Infinite is a coming of age story as these five boys come to terms with the ideas behind death, and complete an event in order to keep their friends memory alive after he has gone. The warmth of the film represents the feeling that, the good times we have with those who eventually pass away will never truly go. And the best times will always be remembered. Therefore, the audience will leave Infinite feeling warm, content, and wanting to spend the rest of the evening with their closest friends.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: To date, Connor has directed 4 short films with Lowkey Films. Wander, which was his first film to be submitted to film festivals, has now played at over 15 festivals across 5 continents worldwide, picking up numerous award nominations along the way. Having built up a very formidable visual style and a distinct way of telling stories, Connor is known for his tales of humanity, relatable to anyone. Infinite will continue with this style, and is cited by O’Hara as his most ambitious project yet. Through his work with Lowkey Films, Connor has also ventured into set decoration, giving him the opportunity to work on some of the largest productions in the world. His credits include; Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), In the Heart of the Sea (2015) and Star Wars: Episode VIII (2017). It is through Connor’s work on these productions that Lowkey Films have been able to connect with some of the most experienced professionals the industry has to offer.
Website: http://www.lowkeyfilms.co.uk/
Facebook: /LOWKEYFilmsUK
Twitter: @lowkeyfilms
Buy tickets to see this film HERE
Posted in: Films, Official Selection, NFF2017
