Calvin Demba, the British actor, writer and director best known on screen for the Netflix hit “Supacell,” has lined up an impressive cast list for his second short film behind the camera, “The Animals.”
George MacKay (“Rose of Nevada,” “Sense and Sensibility”) stars alongside Louisa Harland (“Renegade Nell,” “Derry Girls”), Nathalie Emmanuel (“Game of Thrones,” “Megalopolis”) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (“Supacell,” BMF”) in the project, written and directed by Demba and produced by Tuli Litvak (“Beauty Sleep,” “Fairview Park”).
“The Animals” centers on Miles (MacKay) as he struggles with growing feelings of emasculation and emotional impotency within his relationship with Remona (Harland). An opportunity to reclaim his sense of self arises from another man’s act of heroism during a violent home invasion — but as events spiral out of control, he’s forced to confront the destructive masculine ideals driving him.
“I wanted to make a film that takes a satirical look at gender stereotypes and the role they play in relationships,” said Demba, who made his directorial debut with 2022’s BFI Network short “BabyDolls.” “‘The Animals’ examines masculinity and how it can become performative. It pokes fun at modern relationships and the ways we unconsciously perform gender roles within them, exploring the gap between who we are and who we feel we should be. Tonally, the film is darkly comic, but the violence never feels slapstick. It needed to feel grounded in reality because that threat of violence mirrors the conversations we’re having about masculinity itself.”
Added MacKay: “What drew me to the project was the script and the opportunity to work with Calvin. I’m a huge fan of his previous work and wanted to be part of whatever he made next. Working with Cal, and his mix of detail and freedom, was my favourite part of the process. His generosity as a writer and director, and his willingness to share that process, was golden.”
“The Animals,” which was shot earlier this year, was filmed on 16mm by Ebba Hult (whose work has screened at Cannes, Telluride, and LFF), edited by Mdhamiri Á Nkemi (“The Last Tree,” “Blue Story”), and graded by Canadian colourist Jodie Davison (“The Revenant,” “The Eternal Daughter”). It is executive produced by BAFTA-winners Mouktar Mohammed (“Supacell”) and Sheila Nortley (“Supacell,” “Stay Close”), Demba and Harland.
“This film was a total joy to make because we had such a clever script and such an incredible team, and I loved getting to work alongside George who I have long admired,” said Harland. “The script is what drew me to this role, but I really believe in Calvin as a filmmaker. His stories are rooted in poetry, and I hope to continue working with him on every project he does, whether that’s in front of or behind the camera.”
“The Animals” will begin its festival circuit at a BAFTA and Oscar qualifying major festival, to be announced soon. Demba is currently in early development with the BFI to turn the short into a feature film.
