Experiencing Interruptions?

The Riddle

A young suitor asks an eccentric Russian Doctor-cum-Butcher permission to marry his daughter. The suitor's desire is matched by the Doctor's reluctance as he invites obstacles to deter him. Finally, the question is settled with a Riddle. Set in a surreal 1970s Soviet environment.

  • Kirstin Vallance Goode
    Director
  • Kirstin Vallance Goode
    Writer
  • Kirstin Vallance Goode
    Producer
  • Miguel Mellinger
    Producer
  • Mark Lockyer
    Key Cast
    Harry Potter, Ancient Rome, London Road
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    magical realism, comedy, period, experimental, surrealist, russian, 70s, communism
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 28, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    4,500 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:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kirstin Vallance Goode

Kirstin Vallance Goode is a writer-director and collage artist who uses surrealism, symbolism and magical realism to tell stories that transcend the naked eye. Her stories are designed to catapult audiences into another dimension, away from the ‘kitchen sink’ and contemporary realism.

She has studied art & film in Paris, Barcelona and London, and is thus heavily influenced by European movements, concepts and styles. Her aesthetic is often described as a modern take on dadaism; embodying parody, pastiche, absurdity and playfulness.

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Director Statement

This short film started as a proof of concept for a feature script I have written called 'Trotsky's Daughter'; an epic romantic tragedy set in the 20th Century and spanning Europe.

However, as the production for the short developed, I moved away from the feature scene (it is based upon) and more in a surrealist direction of its own.

The key theme is power. A Russian doctor flaunts his power over a waiting room of half-dead patients subservient to a random number system controlled by the Doctor. The Doctor is the conductor of this surreal world indirectly controlling all the comings and goings. His control is tested during the metronome sequence where he momentarily loses his grip on the patients and objects, but he quickly shuts it down. Ultimately the victim of the dictator-like grasp is Pierre, the young suitor, after he correctly answers the riddle the Doctor reneges on his promise and butchers him, much to Stalin's delight.

Power and Russia - themes I explore in a comic experimental context - are as relevant today in view of the Ukraine crisis as during the Cold War.

This feature script is ready for development and I am looking for partners and funds.