Experiencing Interruptions?

Magnetic

Plagued by violent nightmares, a distressed Italian woman seeks professional help to escape her abusive past. But as her dreams begin to bleed into real life, she starts to wonder if they have bigger significance.

  • Mike Waugh
    Director
  • Mike Waugh
    Writer
  • Cyrus Mirzashafa
    Producer
    Bob and the Bees plus dozens of shorts, and a feature in development
  • Helena Antonio
    Key Cast
    Made in Italy
  • Syed Masood
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, thriller, mystery
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Crime/Mystery Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    May 26, 2022
    Best short film
  • Film Focus Wales
    Wrexham
    United Kingdom
    May 7, 2022
    Finalist best short film
  • Marcello Film Festival
    Birmingham
    United Kingdom
    October 1, 2022
    TBC (currently finalist)
  • Marina Del Rey
    Marina Del Rey
    United States
    June 20, 2022
    US premiere
    Selection
  • Indie Film Fest
    online
    United States
    July 20, 2022
    Best thriller short
  • San Francisco Frozen
    San Francisco
    United States
    July 12, 2022
    Selected
  • Sunderland Shorts
    Sunderland
    United Kingdom
    October 17, 2022
    TBC (selected)
  • Prague Independent Film Festival
    Prague
    Czech Republic
    July 20, 2022
    Selection
  • Anatolia
    Istanbul
    Turkey
    July 20, 2022
    Finalist
Director Biography - Mike Waugh

Mike returned back to film after a very long break having worked at the BBC in his 20s, initially with writing scripts. He wrote a feature, a handful of shorts and short stories but in spite of some great feedback and a clutch of awards they sat unmade, gathering dust on the shelf. So he took the plunge with Magnetic as his first serious directorial debut.

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Director Statement

My main driver was to explore the positive power of nightmares. I see dreams as calls to action for all of us, and their emotional intensity determines how likely we are to take them seriously. There’s a blurry line between reality and vivid dreams, where worst of things can be avoided and best of things can happen, and this area where we’re not entirely sure if we’re creating our future or following some kind of destiny is a source of fascination for me.
Magnetic is set in the context of post-domestic violence but rather than a story of victimhood, I wanted to focus on a transformative experience.