Experiencing Interruptions?

Scratches

A writer struggling with her inner demons spends yet another night alone in her apartment looking for ways to create, until she’s met with a familiar presence.

  • Shaz Mohsin
    Director
    Miss You, Visible, An Escape
  • Shaz Mohsin
    Writer
    Miss You, Visible, An Escape
  • Shaz Mohsin
    Producer
    Miss You, Visible, An Escape
  • Mariana de Oliveira
    Key Cast
    "Woman/Shadow"
    Miss You, Visible
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, Drama
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 4 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 27, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Shaz Mohsin

Bangladesh-born, Canada-bred (for the most part), Shaz Mohsin has had a love for creating film since the age of 7 when he took his dad's early 2000s Nokia phone and filmed his first short film. Though having found a decent amount of success as an actor over the past few years, he's always had a passion for telling stories and found solace in writing. He wrote his first feature film, "Blue Autumn," at 18 for an independent filmmaker in London. Recently, he’s also become a published author with his first sci-fi novella titled, “A Jar of Ashes.” A student of all crafts in film, he's continuously looking to improve his techniques both in front of the camera, and now behind it.

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Director Statement

Having recently been struck with inspiration by watching (and reading about) the films of some of the greats such as Sidney Lumet, Satyajit Ray, and Agnes Varda, and their approaches to finding character through little nuances in pacing and acting, I began work on “Scratches.” My first foray into surrealist horror. Using tried and true mechanics of sound, colour, and performance, I wanted (and hopefully have now succeeded) to convey a personal story about anger and the multitude of emotions we carry within us that we fear to acknowledge.

Where anxiety was the operative word for my last film, “Visible,” and finding a moment to breathe through engaging in art the theme in my work prior, “An Escape;” anger and repression are now another tier in my work surrounding mental health that I feel quite passionate about. The objective with this film is to show the gravity of emotions that lay well beneath the surface, and how they may manifest in our psyche; and to also highlight particular experiences of women - especially artists - that we may not usually see. But I wanted to sway away from realism with this project and instead have these emotions of the main character (played by my lovely wife, Mariana) be manifested through performance and sound.

My goal is never to give answers to mental health. That’s not my job, and nor am I qualified to give answers. My films are about emotions. I want the audience to feel. Whatever you take away from “Scratches” is personal.