Trigger

It's a rainy night out in East London, Claire and Hannah hail a black cab and climb in. The driver navigates through the wet streets of the city, glancing back in his rear-view mirror at the girls in his cab.

Claire glances down and spots a bag neither of them had noticed when they climbed in and is shocked to discover what's inside.

The girls argue about what to do with the contents in hushed terms, anxious to keep their find a secret from the driver. He attempts to make casual conversation until registering something's not right. Hannah doesn’t agree with Claire's suggestion to go to the police.

The cab draws to an abrupt halt, but the journey accelerates as Mick confronts the girls and we find out just how far they are willing to go to achieve their own goals. The question is... how far is too far?

  • Renzo Vasquez
    Director
    A Box For Rob
  • Renzo Vasquez
    Writer
  • Paul Coward
    Producer
  • Adriana Rouanet
    Producer
    La Salamandre
  • Milan Krsljanin
    Producer
    Ruth, Bad News, A Bullet Wasted
  • Amy-Jo Bryant
    Producer
    How Can I Forget, The Last Mermaid, Lurker
  • Mia Lacostena
    Key Cast
    "Hannah"
    Share, Trumped, A Bullet Wasted
  • Kit Reeve
    Key Cast
    "Claire"
    Medinah, Blinded by the Light, The Royals
  • Jamie Hawes
    Key Cast
    "Mick"
    People in Landscape, The Reaper, Fallen Angels
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 12, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital - ALEXA Mini LF
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Crystal Palace International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    February 24, 2022
    World Premiere
  • Making Waves Film Festival
    Portsmouth
    United Kingdom
    March 31, 2022
  • BELIFF - Be Epic! Film Fest LONDON
    London
    United Kingdom
    September 2, 2022
    Jury Award - Best London Film
Director Biography - Renzo Vasquez

Renzo Vasquez is an award-winning director of narrative, commercials and experimental dance films who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic Oceans.
“Trigger” is Renzo’s debut as a writer-director, which won the support of Directors UK and ARRI through Challenge Alexa’s competition.

Born in Brazil and based in London since 2009, he is currently working on a slate of short films while developing his second feature film.

In his storytelling Renzo likes to explore characters that have an angle of complexity and find themselves in situations that often play with the unexpected getting under the audience’s skin when provoked by twists in the story.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In times when the line between what’s true and false has become increasingly blurred, I find it interesting and revealing to look at human behaviour in specific situations, exploring how far someone will go before they crack.

Pushing the limits of ambition and temptation, the story plays with dilemmas between truth and fiction, motivation and consequence and relishes the areas where there is no clear answer.

The premise to make this film comes from the reflection on the choices we think we have in the face of a tempting opportunity as well as my interest in the actors' journey towards an authentic performance.