Starling

1) The loved one of an Armed Forces officer missing in action, is given devastating news of their passing in service. As the story unfolds we find that she has lost a sister, a partner, and a son.
2) A struggling actress is hired by the Armed Forces to enter into a training exercise. As
the grueling role plays demand for pain and suffering, Leah changes the power dynamics of the game, where everyone involved is tested to their limits.
The story has no winners or losers, and in a sad situation, a darkly comic dynamic is teased out.

  • Matthew Boyle
    Director
  • Matthew Boyle
    Writer
  • Tara Langford
    Producer
  • Mark Bazeley
    Key Cast
    "Mark"
    The Bourne Ultimatum, Cobra, The Queen, Broadchurch
  • Leah Baskaran
    Key Cast
    "Mrs Chapman"
    ITV's The Hunt for Raoul Moat, ‘See the Sunrise,’ a sci-fi short.
  • Corin Silva
    Key Cast
    "Corin"
    Rogue Heroes (Kudos/BBC), All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix), Escape Room 2 (Columbia Pictures) The Bay S2 (Tall Story Productions for ITV).
  • James Anite
    Key Cast
    "James"
    Longing for Godot (short, 2021), Come on Eileen by Dexys (2022)
  • Conor Southwick
    Key Cast
    "Conor"
    West End production, Jerusalem alongside Mark Rylance.
  • Jess Manley
    Key Cast
    "Jess"
    Artistic Director of the Listed Theatre Company
  • Christopher Middleton
    Key Cast
    "Chris"
    Royal Shakespeare Company; the Liverpool Everyman & Young Vic production of ‘King Lear,’ He has worked in television and radio for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 12, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    11,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Matthew Boyle

Born in Yorkshire, Matthew is a storyteller interested in situations of emotionally entanglement that rarely discussed. Hidden interplays between characters, tenderness, darkness, humour and suffering sit side
by side as he reveals what is happening in the background of things we think are straightforward.
Matthew is a researcher a Lecturer of experimental film practices and performance techniques at the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University; he has had readings at the Royal Court, wrote and directed CUB (2021), a two handed drama starring Mark Bazeley and Brayden Emmanuel, produced by Grey Moth.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am always interested and heavily invested in the power dynamics of communication, and wanted to make a film about the complexities and emotional labour of being an actor. There is this hidden layer of simulations to develop EQ in National Services, where actors are called up to provide the representation of an experience, and to activate empathy. I found this incredibly layered and intense, given the weight of life and death scenarios the armed forces are dealing with, and the decisions an actor has to make when under pressure. Expectations and misunderstandings come with embodying a character, which doesn’t always switch off at the end of a performance.