Cannes Short Film Corner - An Open Letter To Uncle Edgar
An Open Letter To Uncle Edgar explores a dark and surreal look into the lives of a husband and wife, seen through the eyes of hands, and the choices they make.
Interview with Writer/Director Troy Galvin
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
After numerous requests by friends and colleagues to return to filming after a departure into Theatre, I decided to put all my prior experiences and knowledge of film making to the side, and explore unrestricted approaches to Cinema language, seeking to capture a mood or atmosphere rather than focus on traditional narrative structures.
Why should I watch this film?
An Open Letter To Uncle Edgar has been crafted for those who love Cinema and its possibilities, for those that don’t rely on narrative constraints and conventional devices in storytelling, and that seek a unique experience in vision and sound.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Edgar is fundamentally a film centred around Domestic Violence. However, it approaches this issue through the portrayal of hands, and the actions they take based on human emotions. Physical violence via the actions of hands is only the end result of a wealth of inner emotions that have not been recognised, acknowledged, understood or aided. The fact that the title of the film refers to an open letter, speaks globally about communicating not only an individual struggle, but to create an awareness of a damaging social issue that needs addressing.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Edgar was crafted over a four-year period, with filming taking place on weekends in a garage in front of two set walls. Originally the script contained more conventional genre elements but during the editing process, they were eliminated to focus on the inner world of the main character played by Sophia Haworth.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The response has been fantastic. Edgar has touched a number of people emotionally due to their own experiences of the subject matter, and the feedback has been that it handles this subject with respect and sincerity. A great portion of the audience has remarked how they enjoyed the pacing of the film, and that it takes its time to hold on moments, as opposed to current cinema trends to hurry along and cater to the plot.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The main thing shining through is the welcoming embrace of a different approach to storytelling. I have learned that I am not alone in craving something different in cinema, that’s hard to find in mainstream circles.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on we are moving stories?
Firstly, to give more exposure to this special little film and secondly to continue to raise awareness for Domestic Violence.
Who do you need to come on board to amplify this film’s message?
Edgar would greatly benefit from Festival Directors and Journalists, keen to both promote awareness for Domestic Violence and also Cinema that is a little more challenging and different from the current narrative climate.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It would be lovely to see Edgar become the doorway of interest into future works, and also be useful in stimulating conversations about Domestic Violence.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do you think the events that unfold provide the right outcome?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for your interest in An Open Letter To Uncle Edgar.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Currently work has begun on the next three short films that will form an anthology feature, inclusive of An Open Letter To Uncle Edgar.
Interview: May 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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An Open Letter To Uncle Edgar
Length: 17 mins
Director: Troy Galvin
Producers: Troy Galvin, Monique Galvin, Hayley Miro Browne
Writer: Troy Galvin
Key Cast: Sophia Haworth, Drew Pearson
Looking for: Film Festival Directors, Journalists, Producers
About Troy Galvin
Troy is an award winning film maker from Australia, with an extensive background in Television and Film, working both for a major television network and film production companies over the last 25 years. He is currently working towards the completion of his first feature film, an anthology film titled 'Symptoms of a Silent Discourse'.
His other interests include being a certified Nurtured Heart Trainer and Counselor. His aim is to create awareness in social issues facing both female and male genders that confront our modern world, from a surrealist perspective, focusing on bottling emotions, rather than expanding on traditional film narratives and approaches.
About Hayley Miro Browne
Hayley is a Melbourne based film editor with ten years’ experience in cutting room. Hayley has fourteen features under her belt, most of which were as Jill Bilcock’s first assistant editor and two of these films ‘Driving Miss Daisy 2014 (Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones)’ and ‘Shanghai Noir 2015 (Bao sou shen tan, Dir Clara Law)’ were Hayley’s feature editing debuts.
Along with cutting television, short films and video clips, Hayley has worked as an assistant editor on notable films such as Blessed (2008), Red Dog (2010), Mental (2012) and Jungle (2017) just to name a few. Along with her extensive film industry credentials and in the spirit of all things visual, Hayley has an equally lengthy visual art cv with almost one large solo photographic exhibition every two years and innumerable contributions to art and artists alike. It is Hayley’s professional and creative preference to be working all the time, hence the two passions which ensure her creative life cannot rest and will constantly demand discipline and commitment, whether the work is on a film or on a picture.