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Claustrophilia

A woman becomes imprisoned in her own apartment, and learns to enjoy the power she wields over everyone else trapped inside with her.

  • Katarzyna Nowak-McNeice
    Director
    (as McNovak)
  • William McNeice
    Director
  • Katarzyna Nowak-McNeice
    Writer
  • William McNeice
    Writer
  • William McNeice
    Producer
  • Katarzyna Nowak-McNeice
    Key Cast
    "Woman"
  • William McNeice
    Key Cast
    "Man"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 24, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    300 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Spain
  • Country of Filming:
    Spain
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • New Wave Short Film Festival
    Munich
    Germany
    April 30, 2021
    German Premiere
    Best Horror
  • Roma Short Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    June 1, 2021
    Italian premiere
    Best horror
  • New York Tri-State International Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    June 21, 2021
    Winner
  • One-Reeler Short Film Competition
    Los Angeles
    United States
    June 30, 2021
    Winner
  • Venice Fullshot Film Festival
    Venice
    Italy
    July 5, 2021
    Honourable Mention
  • Barcelona International Film Festival
    Barcelona
    Spain
    February 1, 2022
    Winner
  • Hong Kong Indie Film Festival
    Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
    February 28, 2022
    Asia Premiere
    Winner
Director Biography - Katarzyna Nowak-McNeice, William McNeice

McNovak is the team of award-winning filmmakers, William Alan McNeice and Katarzyna Nowak-McNeice. William Alan McNeice began in theatre as a writer and director, and Katarzyna Nowak-McNeice in literature. By combining their unique talents and skills, they create works of emotional intensity, exploring our deepest fears, desires and motivations.

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Director Statement

True horror lies in the slowly realized understanding that there are terrifying things that are beyond our control, and that we may be hurt despite our best efforts, or worse, that we may hurt others. Claustrophilia is influenced by the Asian psychological horror movies, including Ring, Grudge, Phone, Dark Water, Audition, and The Eye, where the focus is not on gore but on dread.

Claustrophilia tells the story of a woman who loses her mind under a state of enforced confinement. This film asks what happens when a woman grows to enjoy her confinement, when she discovers the power that lies in being the ruler of her microscopic domain, and when she decides to exercise it over those who are trapped with her. In Claustrophilia, the protagonist comes to prefer the narrowness of her apartment to the freedom of the outside world, while at the same time her mind begins to disintegrate. As her mind collapses, her reality folds in on itself, and the consequences are visited on everyone in her orbit.

We may be confined to protect us from the outside, or we may be confined to protect the outside from us.