During summer of 2020, five of us got together to face the challenge of writing, shooting, and editing a short film in 72 hours. This was the first time I had been involved in a film project in a significant time, and also the first time I had ever taken part in such a task.

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We met at Bryanston School in Dorset, where one of the participants worked and lived. Walking around the (massive) school site on the evening we arrived, we quickly found that Bryanston was rich with exciting shooting locations. These included: a church, a boathouse, a stately home, a weir, a swimming pool, a Greek amphitheatre (?!), an equestrian track, an allotment, and countless surrounding fields. As you can tell by the title of the film, it was the modest allotment which most excited our imaginations. There was something decrepitly charming about it, as well as haunting.

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In terms of plot, our initial brainstorm explored themes of family, distance, and community. We talked about someone returning to a rural home from an urban space and noticing small conflicts in their behaviour. Delving deep into the psyche of the person who was 'left behind'. All this until someone suggested a certain starchy spell. At that point, with 24 hours left, our creativity took some unexpected turns and we were left with the family drama / classic horror mash=up (get it?) that became known as 'The Allotment'. 

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Hope you enjoy watching as much as we did creating!