Private Project

Grey Mare

Maeve Craddock returns home to the south of Wales amidst the Mari Lwyd folk tradition with the intention of revealing her pregnancy and rebuilding her relationship with her estranged family. Accompanying her into the desolate countryside is Liam, her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child. As the two try to settle in amongst the simmering tension, Maeve is gradually reminded of her family's dysfunction and begins to break down as her beacons of safety begin to vanish.

  • Jack Fielder
    Director
  • Jack Fielder
    Writer
  • Will Slade
    Writer
  • Will Slade
    Producer
  • Meg Lewis
    Key Cast
    "Maeve"
  • Peter Stone
    Key Cast
    "Liam"
  • Helen Stirling-Lane
    Key Cast
    "Marian"
  • Kenton Morgan
    Key Cast
    "Brennin"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 30, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    9,750 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English, Welsh
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Solent University
Director Biography - Jack Fielder

Jack Fielder is a multi fomat director and producer based in East London. His short 'This Feeling' is also a testament to his creative journey to explore deep interpersonal connections in relationship settings we take for granted. Jack now works in production for London based production company Particle 6 where he continues to grow his directing portfolio through commercial work.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Grey Mare is a psychological thriller set in the south Welsh countryside amidst the Mari Lwyd folk tradition. My passion for this film stemmed from the untapped, sinister potential of the Mari Lwyd and its bizarre nature. I feel that the creepy, unnatural being of the tradition would be a traumatic event for someone of a younger age. That is how I wanted to capture the impact of the folk tale on our protagonist Maeve. Using the Mari Lwyd as a platform, I aimed to explore the desire for unconditional love and the consequences of it not being provided. Through Maeve’s need of love from her mother, I wanted the audience to feel the same kind of despair and loneliness that she does. However, I also aimed to explore the relationship between mother and daughter and the power that comes with motherhood and fertility. My goal was to have the viewer reflecting on their own relationships and questioning the morality of their own decisions. Creating a feeling of static dreaminess, the film encourages the viewer to consciously engage with the thematically layered narrative. Also finding their own meaning from the more ambiguous elements of the story, letting the audience create their own relationship with the film. We aimed to create a lucid feeling world with emphasis on the Mari Lwyd’s effect on Maeve. Using a tone of eerie and dreamy to encapsulate this, we also used it to emphasise on the disconnect that Maeve feels with her family but to also give the Craddock family home its own sense of character through the tone that sound and visuals create.