Experiencing Interruptions?

Psychopomp

An experimental musician grapples with the sudden loss of his ballerina wife. Struggling to cope with his grief, he turns to an untested drug called Psychopomp.

The drug is supposed to provide a temporary passage to the afterlife— or at least the illusion of one.

  • Ryan Kilbourne
    Writer, Director, Editor
    Hum, Night Out, Sleeping Elephant
  • Lianne Graham
    Producer
    Hum, Pray The Gay Away
  • Kealan Mclaughlin
    Key Cast
    "Reynard"
  • Jessa Richer
    Key Cast
    "Sherry"
    We Were, Return to Sender
  • Ayaka Wilson
    Key Cast
    "Marianne"
    The Feeling of the Word Autumn, Story Game
  • Tyra Houghton
    Cinematographer
  • Jessa Richer
    Composer
  • Melissa Cifuentes
    Colourist
  • Kealan Mclaughlin
    Choreographer
    Warm Light, L'Chauffment
  • Ashley Hardman
    Camera Operator
    Hum
  • Patrick Weiers
    Camera Operator
    I Hope They Remember My Name, Sleeping Elephant
  • Maria Glover
    Focus Puller
    Hum
  • Luka Reshmi
    Prop Designer
    Hum
  • Gabrielle Martinet
    Location Sound
  • Sam Burns
    Drone Operator
    Hum
  • Marcelo Penarrieta
    Gaffer
  • Luka Reshmi
    Hair + Make-Up
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    sci-fi, romance, drama
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 14, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Ryan Kilbourne is a Toronto based writer, director, cinematographer and editor. He graduated from Concordia University's Mel Hoppenhiem School of Cinema in 2016. Previous credits include Sleeping Elephant (2020), Benson (2020), Fugue (2022), Night Out (2022) & Hum (2023)

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Director Statement

I spent a lot of time while developing Psychopomp focused on how to depict the afterlife sequences. I found the most effective way was through colour and disrupting established film grammar.

A major visual element in the film is the dichotomy between colour and B&W to differentiate between Reynard’s ‘real life’ and the afterlife. Similar to A Matter of Life and Death (1946), the vibrant colour of reality contrasts the monochromatic palette of his experience on the drug.

Infinite seeming spaces and blending spaces via afterlife scenes bleeding into each other is another key component of Psychopomp’s depiction of the afterlife. The shot-reverse shot structure was subverted in order to seamlessly launch the viewer into the next afterlife space while still processing the previous one along with the protagonist.

As I researched near-death experiences (NDEs), I was struck by the similarities across cultures and languages. The universality of death— and the grief and loss associated with it—became the lynchpin of Psychopomp thematically.