Experiencing Interruptions?

The Death of Anne Brontë

Anne Brontë fights through her ravaging tuberculosis to write her third novel. Anne’s older sister, Charlotte seizes Anne’s manuscript and orders her to rest.

Eleven months earlier, Anne confronts Charlotte over a letter she wrote detailing her distaste for Anne’s recently published novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Charlotte stands by her criticism while Anne defends her novel’s merits.

Back to the present. Anne defies Charlotte by working on her novel. When a frightening cough erupts within Anne, Charlotte flees to her side. Close to death, Anne pleads with Charlotte to let her finish her novel. Charlotte reluctantly agrees.

Anne’s publisher, Mr. Newby visits Charlotte shortly after Anne’s death. He requests Charlotte’s permission to reprint The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and asks about Anne’s third novel. Charlotte rejects Mr. Newby’s request and denies the existence of Anne’s third novel. That night, Charlotte burns the manuscript of Anne’s unpublished third novel.

  • Kathleen Barth
    Director
  • Kathleen Barth
    Writer
    On Repeat (Short), Decision Day (Short)
  • Kathleen Barth
    Producer
  • Whitney Swoboda
    Producer
  • Jen Ayer Drake
    Key Cast
    "Anne Brontë"
    Block Island
  • Zoë Bowen Smith
    Key Cast
    "Charlotte Brontë"
  • Bruce Alan Rauscher
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Newby"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 28, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    9,179 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.90:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kathleen Barth

Kathleen is a writer and director based in the Washington D.C. area with a strong background in theater. She graduated from George Mason University with a B.F.A in Theatre with concentrations in performance and writing. Since graduating, Kathleen directed plays for a variety of D.C. theater companies. She recently began working in film by writing the short films On Repeat, which received its online premiere on Film Shortage in 2021, and Decision Day, commissioned by HER Film Camp and premiered at Riverwalk Theater in Edwards, Co. The Death of Anne Brontë is her film directorial debut.

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Director Statement

Sisters Charlotte and Emily Brontë have a passionate fan-base for their beloved novels, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. But there was a third Brontë sister, Anne, who is equal to Charlotte and Emily in both her brilliance and literary legacy. Yet puzzlingly, Anne remains a footnote in literature and within the lore of the Brontë sisters. Before tuberculosis abruptly ended her life, Anne Brontë wrote two novels, the second of which, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, was a revelation in English literature and scholars frequently cite it as the first feminist novel. So why doesn’t Anne have the same passionate fan-base that her two olders sisters have?

This is the question that launched my quest to write and ultimately direct The Death of Anne Brontë. In writing the screenplay I discovered Anne’s prolific body of work, Charlotte’s enormous dislike of Anne’s masterpiece, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne’s powerful defense of her novel, and Charlotte’s borderline malicious management of Anne’s literary estate after her death. To tell Anne’s story, I focused on incorporating these historical facts and a few fictitious elements to portray Anne’s determination to write and her complex relationship with Charlotte. While highlighting Anne’s perspective, The Death of Anne Brontë portrays two sisters entwined by their love for each other and yet also divided by their opposing literary philosophies. The heart of this film yields a multifaceted portrait of a literary icon and sheds light on a forgotten genius.