A short summary of our project
We are raising money to produce our University of Bristol Film and Television final year film ‘One Mourning’.
Our film logline is: ‘On the morning of his brother’s funeral, a grieving teenager wanders through their hometown, suffocating under the weight of unspoken emotions, reliving bittersweet memories, and confronting his pain. In a moment of escape, he encounters his neighbour Edie, whose gentle and bright presence becomes a catalyst for Oliver's poignant journey toward acceptance’.
This story will explore the themes of life, responsibility, brotherhood, grief, and love. It is inspired by real experiences within our crew, and it is a beautiful homage to our shared encounters with grief. We aim to portray the feelings of loss and how they shape us and change us as profoundly and accurately as possible so the audience may discern the bittersweet nature of life.
our story
Our focus here is the grief of losing a sibling as well as the significance of this relationship that can be so often overlooked and easily taken for granted. The film follows this unspoken and deceivingly tough love and camaraderie that brotherhood retains. We want to expose a unique kind of emotional literacy in this coming-of-age film to articulate the feelings that come with bereavement of a growing young man.
It is purposefully set in the seaside town of Barry Island, with the intention to show how this inevitable and empathetic experience of mourning is transverse throughout human existence universally. Our representation of small-town life is an intimate reflection of some of the group members' connection to the coast.
Showing your support for Film students today allows us and the inspirational filmmakers of the future to delve into narratives they feel personally affiliated with or motivated by.
Where will the money go?
With your donations, we can showcase a beautiful story through the film’s cinematography in the natural setting of Wales. A main focus point for our film is therefore utilising the natural brilliance of the Welsh coast; your support would mean we can book accommodation for 3 days in Barry Island to ensure we capture the right weather and tide times. Being able to film in Barry over a few days will enable our young cast and crew to take their time producing the film to the best of our abilities in our chosen set of locations. Your help will also cover some of the catering for the cast and crew to ensure wellbeing on set, as well as covering travel costs and parking fees that are essential to the film's production.
Budget breakdown:
- Essential - £165
- Travel - £200
- Accommodation - £350
- Catering - £150
- Props - £60
- Costumes - £75
Meet the crew!
The idea for this film came to our Writer and Director, Tesni Gardiner, after experiencing the loss of her older sister in 2022. Drawing from this personal experience, she wanted to explore and articulate the complex emotional landscape that exists in the liminal space between loss and farewell - specifically, the surreal and overwhelming days leading up to a funeral. Through the medium of film, she aims to capture these raw, often unspoken feelings that inhabit this temporary yet eternal moment of grief. Her vision for the film extends beyond personal narrative, serving as both a heartfelt tribute to her older siblings and a loving homage to her hometown of Barry, where the story will be based.
Niamh Bridgstock will be taking on the roles of Assistant Director and Director of Photography for our production. Niamh brings a unique perspective to every project she undertakes with her attention to detail and ability to notice subtle nuances in composition and lighting. She will play an integral role in shaping the visual language of our film, ensuring that our creative vision is executed with meticulous attention to detail while maintaining the deep emotional resonance we aim to capture.
Jenna De Vera serves as our dedicated Sound Designer, bringing experience gained throughout her university career working on various film and multimedia projects. She possesses great communication abilities, effectively sharing creative concepts while maintaining an open and receptive approach to collaborating with team members. Her natural talent for active listening and interpretation allows her to translate abstract ideas into concrete sound designs, making her an invaluable asset to our production team.
Our Production team consists of Demira Foster and Chloe Davies.
Demira is a people-oriented and highly organised individual whose natural leadership abilities and attention to detail make her an invaluable asset in bringing our vision to life. Her communication skills and ability to coordinate complex logistics will ensure smooth operations throughout the production process. Having experienced loss and grief at a young age, she feels deeply connected to this story, which fuels her dedication to the project. Her understanding of the emotional complexities involved makes her particularly passionate about portraying these sensitive themes thoughtfully and creatively.
As a talented editor with a keen eye for detail, Chloe will assist Demira with essential pre-production tasks, bringing her expertise in organising and structuring content to ensure everything runs smoothly. Her naturally observant nature and deep understanding of our creative vision make her an invaluable asset to the team, as she consistently offers insightful perspectives that help enhance our storytelling approach. She will also serve as one of our designated drivers, alongside Tesni, taking on the crucial responsibility of coordinating transportation logistics and assisting with the careful collection and management of props needed for set dressing.
Rewards
We believe in giving back to our supporters who help bring our film to life! By contributing to our crowdfunding campaign, you'll unlock exclusive rewards as a token of our gratitude. You can locate these in the tab on the right-hand side of the page.
Visuals
Find us here
Follow us on our social media platforms to keep updated on how our production is going. We will be posting BTS content and some short videos getting to know the cast and the crew!
Instagram: CLICK HERE
Help us succeed!
Even if you are not in a position to support us financially, sharing our campaign with others or simply cheering us on is invaluable to us! Every donation, big or small, gets us one step closer to making this story a reality. We are a very enthusiastic and passionate bunch of filmmaking students who want to create something unforgettable – and we can’t do it without you. Thank you!
