Private Project

Punchbag

"Punchbag" is a short story about the cycle of abuse, it is the MA-degree final film of Kieran L. Smith and his crew at University of Arts London. With this film we aim to make a statement about the the trauma of abuse and toxic masculinity that is traveled down through a Grandfather, Father and a Son.
The story is told backwards where we start off on a normal day in London, with GEORGE age 10 jumping his trampoline to the sound of his parents violent argument inside the house. When it all become too much, Georges takes shelter in the shed turned home gym and takes out the frustration on the weight equipment.

Suddenly, The Father Harry appears. Covered in blood and bruises, he starts punching the punching bag. When he approaches George, we think for a moment that he is the target but Harry starts on the weights that George was just on. As the weights fall heavily in the room, we are transported to 1980s and young Harry memory told in a montage - hiding behind the tarp from someone.

We end up permanently in 1980 with young Harry now 12 years old and his head being smashed by his father, The Grandfather Francis. Harry lays lifeless on the floor with a large cut on his face - Francis tells him to get up but Harry stays unmovable. After a while, Francis gets up, walks over to the kitchen and fills a bucket of water. He throws it on Harry who wakes coughing. Francis, unbothered, walks over and starts lifting weights as the cycle continuous.

  • Kieran L. Smith
    Director
  • Kieran L. Smith
    Writer
  • Vonnie Larsson
    Producer
    Mummun leipä
  • Jake Kemp
    Key Cast
    "George"
  • Alex Hunter-Warburton
    Key Cast
    "Harry"
  • Thomas Edward Worsley
    Key Cast
    "Young Harry"
  • Dave Kay
    Key Cast
    "Grandad"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Social realism
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 5, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    1,200 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Alexa and Super 8 footage
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - UAL, London College of Communication
Director Biography - Kieran L. Smith

Kieran L. Smith is from a working-class family in Bournemouth where he interacted with people from all walks of life. His interest in filmmaking was born at age seven when watching Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and has gone on to become an expert in various film genres – most of all British social realism. In 2022 he is studying for a Master’s degree at University of London. His interest in filmmaking was born at age seven when watching Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and has gone on to become an expert in various film genres – most of all British social realism.In 2019, he graduated with a BA-degree from Brighton Film school with a total of 7 short films in his portfolio and decided to carry on his education at UAL because he wanted to push his creative abilities at the best film school in London. While at school he has begun writing his first feature film script, started a production company called Ihana productions that made the fully funded short film "Grandmas bread" in 2021. With "Punchbag" he has used a lot of his families past to tell a story that makes an impact and a statement about modern day Britain and toxic masculinity - a subject he plans to keep exploring through out his career.

He is currently in pre-production with a short documentary and two short films.

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Director Statement

It is no secret the working class and ‘working class problems’ are at the back of people’s
minds, especially the Government, in these very turbulent and unprecedented times. Since COVID hit, and more importantly since the budget-cuts have been power, abuse cases have risen.

With further cuts and further de-funding, the cases are only going to get higher. This is a film that shows the realities of abuse and shows that most cases are generational.

With this film we see how this anger, violence and abuse travels through family members
and how it is inherited unwillingly through force.

I personally have not experienced abuse, but I am still feeling the effects of my family members who were abused. My Grandmother was in three abusive marriages where all three men abused my Grandmother and other family members. That aggression was then passed to my mother who experienced abuse first hand. That anger was then passed down to me.

I used to watch as my Mum used to shout with gritted teeth, I then started to shout with gritted teeth. I realised when I was older that it wasn’t her, but the men that had abused her in the past. The cycle was continuing.

This made me want to explore beyond the face value of what I was being presented with. I wanted to know why these men were abusive and why would they do such things. Through years of therapy I came to realise that
‘love is how you first experience it’ whether that be a kiss or a punch, however you were first introduced to intimacy, is how you will carry on to display it in later life. This film aims to go back generations to show how abuse festers.