"House of Mantids" by Sara G. Umo

My short film "House of Mantids", portrays the idea of addiction through elements of cannibalism and vampirism. After the making and editing of the film when I came up with the title it related to the aspect of the male lead corrupting the female lead, hinted at in the second song used. The two characters Maximus meaning the great one, played by Magnus, and Leila meaning daughter of the night, played by Lena, both show different aspects of addiction. One is more outwardly and the other more covert. Maximus picks his victim and stalks her like prey, unknowingly to him she is just like him but not as progressed. Her addiction is shown in a more digestible and almost idyllic light in the beginning and not as outlandish as Maximus’. I incorporated the idea of the female prey mantis who eats the male prey mantis when mating, but in a twisted way he is content with this and knows he has served his purpose. I used the scene of the daisy to portray innocence and purity, but both characters and their situation are nothing of the sort. I used the contrast of physicality with mental ability. Physically Leila is no match for Maximus but in the end the mental power has stronger capabilities than the physical. There are themes of rebirth and death incorporated in some of the scenes, especially the dream scene with the playful/childlike play of the two characters, with a flash of Maximus' inner thoughts and his desire to feed and his idolism for his addiction. The rebirth theme is especially prominent in him laying lifeless in the fetus position, emphasising the inevitable repeat of the cycle. Leila then ends the short film with her on her journey, with the utilisation of the public bus, to find her next victim as Maximus was her trigger and now the victim has taken the role of the predator and she is now on the prowl. The question is will she do things differently, will she continue to evolve like a dark phoenix rising from the ashes against the test of time, or will she wither and devolve like her male counterpart, Maximus? The stoic nature of the two characters is definitely something to look out for.

  • Sara Utom Weyimi George Umo
    Director
  • Sara Utom Weyimi George Umo
    Writer
  • Sara Utom Weyimi George Umo
    Producer
  • Magnus Garson
    Key Cast
    "Maximus"
  • Lena Jorge
    Key Cast
    "Leila"
  • Sara Utom Weyimi George Umo
    Editor
  • Sara Utom Weyimi George Umo
    Creative Collaborators
  • Magnus Garson
    Creative Collaborators
  • Lena Jorge
    Creative Collaborators
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Drama, Thriller, Contemporary
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 10, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    0 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Ireland
  • Country of Filming:
    Ireland
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital camcorder
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Trinity College Dublin
Director Biography - Sara Utom Weyimi George Umo

I'm Nigerian, I grew up in Ireland, Dublin to be precise. I am 20. Growing up I was always interested in the arts, stories, and portrayals. I write, and over the years have gotten more serious about film and photography. I am still mastering my craft, but for now telling a story and connecting with whoever chooses to view it matters to me. If my work is what I am to show for then I hope to be great at it.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My intention for the film was to portray ideas of addiction through cannibalism and vampirism. In everything I seem to write and film I am always drawn to the concept of love and a journey. I still unintentionally incorporated those themes into this short film. I wanted a more unsettling and grotesque feel to it, I also hope it translates that way to the audience. I wanted to show the different aspects of addiction, how it can be outwardly and also covert. Cannibalism being the driving force of this concept. I included ideas of vampirism due to my love of mystical stories, movies and shows growing up and even now, but also due to its historical origins. I learned through my studies of the Bible that there can be a link to vampirism and age old practices. People at some point believed that drinking the blood of other humans gave them life and youth. I can see where people have created the link between the two. This then reflects in my short film with Maximus trying to leech off of the comfort and energy Leila brings as he does with all his victims. I chose to film on a rather “old” camera. I like the look and feel older movies bring. Sometimes I find when films are too high definition thanks to the amazing developments in equipment now, it can feel less real, which is ironic. At least for me, it feels harder to connect to the character, what may have been intended to lift the barrier between the audience and the characters has seemingly solidified it. I feel the camera and some of the natural lighting also adds to the atmosphere I am trying to produce with the film. I have included still images I took on the first day of filming that I was considering adding in to the actual film but after taking one look at them they did not feel right, which is different to another short film I had made the year prior also using still images. I personally connect to my short film because finally I can bring everything envisioned in my head to life and I could see it played out in front of me thanks to the lovely Magnus Garson and Lena Jorge. I had already planned the scenes and the story as I went along, developing it each minute of the day in my head and scrambling down my ideas. Magnus and Lena became my muses and helped me translate my film.