The Ogre of the Woods
The Ogre of the Woods follows Gus, a disheveled recluse that has separated himself from society, choosing to live in a forest. He lives a modest life and occasionally writes fairy tales in his notebook. On a typical hunting trip, his path crosses with an injured and lost Birdie, a pregnant twenty-year-old. He reluctantly offers to help, knowing there’s no way for her to survive otherwise. As the two connect, Birdie starts chipping away at Gus’ cold exterior, revealing a sensitive man who expresses himself through his fairy tales. However, their time together is soon disrupted when Birdie’s abusive boyfriend shows up, looking for her. Gus is quick to protect Birdie, lying that he hasn’t seen her, but Travis unfortunately spots her jacket. Intimidated by Gus, he leaves without a fight. The next morning, Travis returns holding Gus at gunpoint, demanding Birdie to leave with him. A scuffle breaks out and Gus is shot, dying in the arms of Birdie. We see Birdie now five years later, reading a familiar tale to her daughter, about the Ogre in the woods.
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Cyrus LoDirector
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Sara HellichWriter
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Justin Murray/Alexander DickersonProducerLove at First Swipe, The City in Colour
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Lucas Alexander HawkinsProducerCode 8 Part 2,
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Sara HellichProducer
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Robin FrigeriKey Cast"Gus"
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Jasmine WardKey Cast"Birdie"
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Adam AndrewsKey Cast"Travis"
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Genres:Drama, Fiction
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Runtime:14 minutes 45 seconds
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Completion Date:December 10, 2021
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Production Budget:7,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Canada
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Country of Filming:Canada
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Sheridan College
Cyrus Lo (Director) Cyrus immigrated to Canada when he was four. Obsessed with comics, superheroes and fantastical stories, he would often create stories of his own with his toys, or by drawing his own comic books. Little did he know, that was the beginning of a lifelong obsession with storytelling. He studied Economics and Accounting at Wilfrid Laurier University but after working in the field for a few years, he decided to leave and pursue his passion of filmmaking with the singular goal of telling stories through a cinematic lens. He enjoys Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, photography, and will watch any movie he can get his hands on.
It’s easy to run away from fears and trauma but it takes real courage to face them head on. The Ogre of the Woods explores that through flawed characters that upon crossing paths find more than just a simple recognition of similarities in each other, but rather like staring into a disturbed pond as the water ripples through their own reflections, revealing their true nature. I hope for the audience to ask themselves what they would have done in that situation or if they were in their shoes, would they have done the same? The Journey to complete the film has been eventful. It was a pleasure to make and an experience I will remember for a long time to come.