Experiencing Interruptions?

DEMONS

A young woman struggling with mental illness, watches her romantic relationship begin to unravel.

  • Odette Di Maio
    Cast
  • Jan De Block
    Cast
  • Janine Ramlochan
    Executive Producer
  • Jan De Block
    Executive Producer
  • Odette di Maio
    Executive Producer
  • Janine Ramlochan
    Screenplay
  • Jan De Block
    Director
  • Odette di Maio
    Director
  • Jan de Block
    Producer
  • Janine Ramlochan
    Producer
  • Jan De Block
    Director of Photography
  • Astrid Bultijnck
    Cinematography
  • Jan De Block
    Cinematography
  • Wouter De Block
    Cinematography
  • Janine Ramlochan
    Editing & Visual Effects
  • Jan De Block
    Sound Design
  • Kris Plecker, Jan De Block
    Set Design
  • Canada, Belgium, Italy
    Co-Production Countries
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Music Video, Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Belgium, Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jan De Block, Odette di Maio

"Demons" is a film collaboration between MISS O and JANINE RAMLOCHAN.

MISS O is a Belgian-Italian music duo consisting of Italian singer and songwriter, Odette de Maio, and Jan de Block, a Belgian composer and producer. Odette’s lyrics are about spirituality, dreams and connection to other worlds, combined with Jan’s delicate sounds -- often just the simplicity of piano. Odette and Jan began writing music together as Miss O in 2009 and released their first album, “Infection,” in 2012. A music video from their first album made it to the finale of the OZU Italian Film Festival (2012) reinterpreting the original “Alice in Wonderland” film. Miss O’s “Visions” (2014) digital EP included 2 songs co-written with Italian composer Gualtiero Cesarini, and was particularly well-received in Italy. Their single “Night Ride” (2015) was featured in the internationally award-winning Franco-Belgian film, "46,XX."

JANINE RAMLOCHAN is a Canadian video installation artist. Her artistic process is similar to painting with video -- applying layers, playing with texture and abstraction to create rhythm. Her work has been shown in film festival screenings, alternative venues, gallery exhibitions, conferences/ symposiums and cultural events. She was commissioned by the City of Mississauga (Toronto) to mount an installation for the 2015 Pan Am/ ParaPan Am Games as part of a city-wide art intervention. Other exhibitions include the 2014 Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival (Port of Spain), The Carnival Project (New York), Sarai 09: Projections (New Delhi), and The Living Arts Centre Gallery (Mississauga). She recently sat on juries for the Ontario Arts Council (Media Arts) and the 2017 Toronto Arthouse Film Festival.

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Director Statement

When we were developing the storyline for “Demons,” mental illness surfaced as a central idea amongst the narrative approaches we were exploring. We chose to further emphasize the issue of mental illness, because it made the story more interesting to us. We envisioned the protagonist as a young, in love Miss Havisham (Great Expectations), before she was jilted by her lover. We felt a struggle with mental illness fit a more contemporary interpretation of her relationship and wondered how her story might unfold differently. The lyrics of the song become a moment of lucidity, as she reflects on the love of her life and the lack of control she feels.

“Demons” uses abstraction and symbols to underpin the story. As the story is told from her perspective, in her voice, we approached the concept using the aesthetic style of a music video. We wanted the audience to discover new details with repeated viewing, so we included layers of detail to deepen the narrative. We very much see “Demons” as an experimental short film.