Lamb
An ordinary day takes a sinister turn for a woman and her child when a stranger walks into their isolated rural home.
Interview with Writer/Director Sinéad O'Loughlin
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I had been interested in the themes of the film for a long time so when the idea for the film came to me I was hooked on it. That instinct is always my main motivation as I trust it now having made a few shorts. I felt it was a really strong premise for a short film and that an audience might really respond to it.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I would love to encourage an audience to watch Lamb if they enjoy psychological thrillers and the question, "What would you do if....?"
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think many people, especially women, can relate to the constant hyper-vigilance around safety and the threat of violence which is an unfortunate reality. I also feel the psychological negotiation that happens with yourself in those traumatic moments and in your attempts to cope will resonate with many people. Paul's performance of his masculinity and his mental health issues are definitely universal themes and one theme that some audience members have commented on is the theme of consent and Paul's understanding of that and his own entitlement through his actions in the film.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I usually work out the story and characters for a long time in my head before I sit down and write a full draft but with Lamb, I had an image in my head of the opening and then the scenario that was playing out in the room and so I started writing it without knowing the ending yet which was new to me. I think as it's my third film I had a trust that the ending would emerge, which it did. I developed it with my long-time collaborators Arcade Film (Kilian Waters & Dan Keane) and our fantastic producer Lara Hickey (Copper Alley Productions) came on board and we secured funding from Screen Ireland.
I had a fairly solid draft when we went into rehearsal but as a director and a writer I always like to leave space for performance as actors can just bring something to a character or a piece of dialogue that you never even imagined so after rehearsal, we polished the script even more. The final draft is always in the editing room and Kilian Waters is an amazing editor. I would have said that there was nothing we could cut from the script at that point but we still ended up cutting half a page of dialogue. Watching the script evolve from page to screen is a really enjoyable part of the journey.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've had great feedback so far, people have commented on how stress-inducing it is which I take as a compliment! It's also great to have people recognise our incredible cast and comment on their performances. We're still on our festival journey but we picked up First Prize for Best Screenplay at Rhode Island International Film Festival which meant a great deal to me as a writer. We also won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at Cork International Film Festival. As I am based in Cork now and we shot Lamb there, having a Cork audience get behind the film like that was fantastic.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I always think that when you release the film you have to hand it over to the audience and allow them to bring whatever they bring to it in terms of how they respond, and what they think or feel. You can't control that, your job is done at that point. That's why it's great to bring it to as wide an audience as possible through the festival circuit and attend the screenings, you can't beat experiencing it with an audience and having the chance to get that feedback first-hand. I have been pleasantly surprised at how people respond to the ending of the film, I knew the ending felt right to me but you never know how audiences will feel - without giving too much away, it was a gamble!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love for the film to reach as wide an audience as possible so if there is anyone out there who would like to support us to achieve that please get in touch!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would be happy to connect with anyone who is interested in the film and its journey or future collaboration.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I always want people to feel that it is a strong story well told with great performances. That was our aim but now it's up to audiences to tell us whether we achieved it!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think some of the questions that the film raised for me when I was creating it was this idea of public and private space and how we police women around safety and put the responsibility on them to remain safe rather than tackling the wider question of who or what is making them unsafe. It was something that came up often in rehearsal the idea that if the character of Sarah was telling people what had happened - the questions would automatically be - "why did you...?" or " why didn't you". I also wanted to explore what happens psychologically when you are in a situation where you appear to have no power but you are trying to survive. And that psychological violence I think is very interesting. Physical violence is often focused on in conversations around violence but there are many more insidious ways to diminish or disempower people.
Would you like to add anything else?
Just to encourage anyone who sees the film to let us know on socials - it means so much to hear from an audience member.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am in development with Copper Alley Productions on my first feature screenplay Vocation, funded by Screen Ireland. I am shooting my next short film Misread in March 2023 which I am co-directing with another Irish director Aisling Byrne. Apart from that I am trying to write as much as possible this year and push ahead with a couple of feature projects. I would love to connect with people that might be willing to come on board with those projects to help bring them to fruition.
Interview: February 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Lamb
An ordinary day takes a sinister turn for a woman and her child when a stranger walks into their isolated rural home.
Length: 15:30
Director: Sinéad O'Loughlin
Producer: Lara Hickey
Writer: Sinéad O'Loughlin
About the writer, director and producer:
SINÉAD O'LOUGHLIN is an Irish filmmaker, whose previous work includes Homecoming (2016) and Stray (2019). Sinéad was recently nominated for the Discovery Award at Dublin International Film Festival 2023.
LARA HICKEY is an award-winning Irish producer with Copper Alley Productions, based in Dublin, and holds a First Class Honours MA in Creative Production and Screen Finance from the National Film School, IADT. Lara was nominated for the Galway Film Fleadh's Bingham Ray Award at the 34th Galway Film Fleadh.
Key cast: Aoife Duffin, Éanna Hardwicke
Looking for: journalists
Twitter: @LambShortFilm
Instagram: @lambshortfilm
Hashtags used: #lambshortfilm #irishfilm
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: A Copper Alley Production. A Screen Ireland Focus Short.
Funders: Screen Ireland
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Santa Barbara International Film Festival/Fiesta 5/Monday 13 Feb
Dublin International Film Festival/The Lighthouse Cinema/Saturday 25 Feb