Toby Smith
Writer of
Baby Blue nominated for 2022/23 Edition
What is your project about?
My project follows a housewife whose "idyllic" life is thrown out of whack by the suggestion of something more, something that offers the taste of freedom: a holiday resort. The script is inspired somewhat by Jeanne Dielman, a 1975 film that deals with similar issues of a woman's place and sexism, and the toll this has on women who remain silent to it all.
My project follows a housewife whose "idyllic" life is thrown out of whack by the suggestion of something more, something that offers the taste of freedom: a holiday resort. The script is inspired somewhat by Jeanne Dielman, a 1975 film that deals with similar issues of a woman's place and sexism, and the toll this has on women who remain silent to it all.
What are your ambitions with your project?
I would like the project to be turned into a short film. I feel it has strong, evocative imagery and a powerful message that resonates with a modern audience. If you don't have the time to watch Jeanne Dielman - and, let's face it, very few of us do - watch A Woman's Work!
Which topics interest you the most?
I'm very interested in the relationship between media and isolation. I think that modern cinema is complicit in a sort of violence towards its audience, though it doesn't seem to realise it. I'm obsessed with films about films, even when they're not so obviously about film, so I'd love to write a meta-modern picture about someone whose life is shaped by the media they consume.