Polly
'Polly' is set in a world where teenage girls must live to the expectations of a cult-like society obsessed with doll-like perfection; one girl, Polly, doesn’t quite fit in and in her search for acceptance, commits an unthinkable act.
This is a visually daring and thought-provoking short film led by a female writer/director and featuring an all female cast that explores the unfair pressures on young women to achieve perfection.
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Cassiah Joski-JethiDirector
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Cassiah Joski-JethiWriterEvers, Under My Thumb
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Peter CoventryProducerBeachcomber, Supply
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Cassandra DomingoProducerBitukang Manok, Prodromal
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Harriet ReesKey CastOur Little Haven, The Toymaker
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Sally DaveyKey CastiBoy
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Elizabeth RobertsKey CastBloom, Casualty
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Mia FooKey CastCTRL, Neutral Sky
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Annabel PembertonKey CastBurn
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Jack BlumeComposerThe Missing Hand, The Bad Education Movie
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Kaine LevyDOP
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Nicole RixonAssistant Director
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Jonathan BlagroveSoundThe Ghost of Peter Sellers, The Birch
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Badgerboy ProductionsProduction CompanySupply, Crumb A
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Fantasy, Surreal, Drama
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Runtime:12 minutes 19 seconds
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Completion Date:August 18, 2017
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Production Budget:3,000 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:ProRes 422 HQ 1080p HD
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Cassiah is an award nominated writer and director represented by Olav Wyper, SMA Talent. She began her career working for Gurinder Chadha OBE after a chance meeting on a train, and worked alongside her on 'Bend It Like Beckham The Musical' and 'Viceroy’s House'. Cassiah’s original series 'Robyn' is currently in development with Gurinder’s company Bend It TV and Fremantle Media. Her short film script 'Evers' was recently optioned by East Head Films and the script is a semi-finalist in the Shorts On Tap Horizon Award 2017. After being shortlisted for the Red Women’s Theatre Award 2016, Cassiah’s play 'Under My Thumb' is currently touring in London, Brighton and Edinburgh after a sellout debut run at Greenwich Theatre in 2016. It was recently nominated for its second award, New South Writing Best New Play.
As a director, Cassiah recently directed the rehearsal and development stages for Sara Bodinar’s play 'There Be Migrants Here'. She’s also directed a number of music videos, most noticeably for BBC2’s 'The Naked Choir' winners The Sons of Pitches, with her music video for their version of 'Wuthering Heights' nominated for Best Electronic/Experimental Video at the CARA Awards 2017. She’s also an assistant producer working with director David Silverman ('Monsters Inc.') on the feature adaptation of the BBC series Cavegirl, 'Cavegirl The Movie'. Cassiah strives to specifically examine the representation of women in her work from fresh, contemporary and innovative perspectives.
I wrote Polly to explore the pressure of societal femininity on young women and I've been thrilled to bring this to the screen. This femininity is manifested through a doll, a doll which every girl must carry with them in the world of the film, which is called their ‘she’. This is a physical reminder of the ultimate attainment for women in society – to be attractive, slim, and silent. Polly ultimately repurposes her ‘she’ to try and discover her own identity. The film highlights the dangers of the overbearing pressures on young people, specifically women, and how we must not be passive in making change to provide a safe, secure and free place for people to express themselves.