Potholes

When two starkly different Somerset residents - a non-binary, female-assigned 20-something and a 60-something cis-gendered man - are both early to attend a local meeting in a village hall, they quickly find themselves at odds with one another’s world views after the 20-something discloses that they are non-binary.

  • Vicki Helyar
    Director
    Witch Which, Twelfth Day, Abnormal
  • Vicki Helyar
    Writer
    Witch Which, Twelfth Day, Abnormal
  • Vicki Helyar
    Producer
    Witch Which, Twelfth Day, Abnormal
  • Vicki Helyar
    Key Cast
    "Sam"
    Dead Cat, Witch Which, Many Dates, Twelfth Day, Abnormal
  • Neil Howiantz
    Key Cast
    "Sam "
    Wakey Wakey, Park Lane Speakers, Elsie & Joe, Twelfth Day, Potholes
  • Maureen Casey
    Key Cast
    "Sam"
    Rosamunde Pilcher, His House, A Dining Revolution, Left Back In The Changing Room, Potholes
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    500 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, full frame, Sony
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Two Short Nights Film Festival
    Exeter
    United Kingdom
    February 17, 2023
    United Kingdom premiere
Director Biography - Vicki Helyar

With a comedic slant, I like to delve into difficult facets of human emotion and interaction by way of characters with unique traits, mental health struggles or emotional dysregulation, reflected in my work so far.
Additionally, I commonly like to explore these interactions between two or more opposing characters in awkward, constricted or pressure cooker situations, treading the line between comedy and drama.
I strongly endeavour to produce unique and meaty female or female-assigned characters in their own interesting and fully rounded stories, something I see as somewhat lacking, still.
As well - as a filmmaker that has grown up (and lives) in Somerset, England - I’m also passionate about better representing characters from the south west, as well as supporting and contributing to the growth of the screen industry in the area by setting stories in and around the Westcountry.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Though completely accepting, I was struggling to comprehend what it meant to be non-binary, but wanted to. I therefore researched the subject in great detail, talking to various non-binary folk in the process, and as a result became more knowledgable, more understanding and had a much better sense of the complexity of the subject of gender for many folk.
As a writer and filmmaker from Somerset - a more conservative county in England that isn't considered diverse - I became compelled to explore the lack of perception that can occur in the area, something I have observed over the years and something that I've found incredibly difficult to navigate, at times.
Regardless, Potholes isn't intended to be highly political or with a strong sense of right or wrong, but rather a film about connection in the face of conflict. This concept could've been explored via a myriad of subjects, it just so happens that the subject of non-binary was something I was interested in knowing more about myself. However, the choice to include a non-binary character was also driven by the fact that, in recent years, I was somewhat frustrated by hearing the same sentence repeatedly; "you can't say anything, these days".