I'll just Have Cats.
Kay Proctor, a 21 year old student, deconstructs the way
Britain’s society has known about how lesbians can have
children and highlights the impact it has caused on her
thoughts about the future – “I’ll just have cats.” Through
sharing her reactions as she uncovers the findings of the
complicated process of IUI and IVF, she listens to untold
stories of queer parents that went through the process
and seeks out professionals from the medical department to get her questions answered. How will this discovery determine Kay’s choices about her future of having her own children?
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Kay ProctorDirector
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Katie StaceyProducer
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Megan DaviesDirector of Cinematography
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Kay ProctorAdditional Footage
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Will ChappleSound
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Morris HaynesEditor
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Josh RoweComposer
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:12 minutes 13 seconds
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Completion Date:June 8, 2023
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Production Budget:1,200 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:Digital, 35mm, Blackmagic pocket
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - University of Gloucestershire
Kay Proctor is a director and documentary filmmaker, graduating with her Film Production Degree this winter (2023). Originally from Surrey but brought up in the South West of Somerset, Kay learnt the importance of storytelling through her grandparents. After the loss of her Grandma, in 2021, Kay decided to dedicate her passion for seeking stories as she has learnt "we are remembered through the stories we leave behind." In the documentary "I'll just Have Cats", she decided to finally embrace her sexuality, after not feeling comfortable to express it when growing up and being unsure of what her future would look like/what she would face in her future. She continues to seek for more unique stories and voices that need to be heard and remembered within our society.
Directing and participating in this documentary has been a life changing experience for me as the topic itself is so personal. It has made an impact I will never forget, and I only hope to help others too. My intentions for this project were to not only create a positive representation for what it means to be a British lesbian and how to become a mother, shown through our authentic interviewees, but also update and debunk the attitude and stigma around representation of lesbians. Revealing that is okay to have questions and to be curious, but approach with kindness and respect. As representation is slowly progressing throughout film and TV, I directed this topic from a light heart attitude to sustain a good balance of entertainment, education, and realism for this niche subject so that it is not just for the LGBTQ+ community audience.
This documentary had over 20 couples and parents who wanted to get involved in this project, however I narrowed it down with consideration of our schedule and budget, and factors like travel to interview in minimum of 4 locations: Cheltenham, Manchester, Warrington, and Cardiff. I would have loved to get more people involved, expanding the British lesbian experiences cross the UK. After working on this project, I have found my voice, style, and passion in finding stories and the understanding of the importance with representation.