Experiencing Interruptions?

Becomes Marmalade

A solitary woman, confined to her grand yet empty apartment, who relishes her morning responsibility of taste-testing a new jar of marmalade, encounters a sinister stranger who seems to be causing her body to suddenly and drastically transform.

  • Seb Hind
    Director
  • Seb Hind
    Writer
  • Emily Bourne
    Key Cast
  • Seb Hind
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Fantasy, Horror
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 24, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    0 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Bristol
  • Kingston International Film Festival (KIFF)
    London
    United Kingdom
    June 24, 2022
    Student Short
  • Lift-Off Showcase Extravaganza 2022
Director Biography - Seb Hind

Seb Hind (he/him) is a filmmaker based in Bristol, United Kingdom. He has recently graduated from the University of Bristol with a BA in English, achieving a high 2:1 and is set to attend London Film School for his postgraduate.
Seb originally became interested in film through acting, having taken LAMDA Speech & Drama examinations up until Grade 8 (Gold) and starring in a short film, Golden, which was selected for the Cannes Short Film Festival and won the Leamington Underground Cinema short film prize. This experience was one of the major triggers for his decision to focus his interest in filmmaking. Alongside his A-Levels, he produced an EPQ (Grade A) on the subject of death and religion, in the format of a hybrid documentary/fiction film. Seb has made several short films over the years and across a number of different genres, but this is the first time he has publicly shared one of them. He is currently planning and shooting a series of short films with a common theme – Becomes Marmalade is one of them.

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Director Statement

My film, Becomes Marmalade, is inspired by the works of filmmakers such as Maya Deren and David Lynch – in particular Deren’s At Land and Lynch’s Eraserhead. I particularly like how both of these filmmakers employ a highly-stylised surrealism to comment on topical and often taboo issues that are personal to them.
The central issue I wish to explore with my film is psychological self-harm, specifically how pervasive and all-consuming self-destructive behaviours can be, to the point that one can feel powerless even over one’s own thoughts. The protagonist’s consumption of the marmalade at the beginning of the film is intended to be a metaphor for indulging in self-destructive behaviours, with her initial transformations leading to a feeling of disconnection. The inclusion of the sinister stranger is later revealed to be another version of herself – a self-sabotaging version that she appears to have little control over. This all culminates in her eventually metamorphosing into an orange, an image of vulnerability and symbolising the nadir of her mental health crisis, before being plucked by the self-sabotaging version of herself and ultimately being turned back into marmalade. She is literally her own self-destructive behaviours. The cyclical nature of the film (as seen with the imagery of the orange at the beginning and end of the film) was used to highlight the “vicious cycle” of mental health, and encourage an uncomfortable sense in the viewer that they should intervene on her behalf to break this cycle.
I feel that this is a significant topic to focus on, particularly in a post-pandemic society where discussions around mental health issues are increasingly coming to the fore. I’ve struggled with my own mental health difficulties for a few years and I’m sure this is a contributory reason for my choice of film topic. I feel that incorporating elements of surrealism into Becomes Marmalade, with its more fractured and abstract imagery, can help instil a more emotionally impactful response with the audience than more traditional methods.
The creation of this film was an impulse. I was staying with a friend of mine (the actor in the film) and, perhaps spurred on by my own mental health issues at the time, I decided that I wanted to make a film that both encapsulated the mental struggles that I had been experiencing and my filmmaking influences. One of the most significant struggles I had during the development of Becomes Marmalade was clearing copyright for my original soundtrack. I felt the music was perfect but, having contacted the copyright license holder, it was clear I could not afford it. So, I decided to make my own soundtrack (albeit a short one!) – a daunting task, as I have little musical experience. However, I managed to create something using items around the house (pots, pans etc.) and various computer applications. This experience has helped me realise that filmmaking is often about problem-solving and that with drive and confidence my original vision can still be achieved, even if the route to get there changes.