NIL DESPERANDUM

Directed by Jonathan Hughes, Duration: 15 minutes

In the city streets of Edinburgh, a vulnerable man is pushed to the limits as
he desperately attempts to cling onto the final thing left in his life; his faith.
Synopsis:
THOMAS is a homeless man (60s) who currently resides in an abandoned building on
the outskirts of Edinburgh. He has little possessions left besides a bag he firmly holds
over his shoulder. Thomas soon reveals that the contents of the bag consist of many
religious totems (crosses, a candle, shards of colored glass, postcards, jewellery, a
hamsa, fabric, a conch shell, Khanda etc.) gathered from various places all over the
world. In voiceover he explains that he believes these will provide him with good
fortune in the future. Caring for the items has become a part of Thomas routine; a vice
for getting by.

Thomas faith is brought into doubt when intruders in the form of a group of inebriated
homeless people break into the building he resides in. Thomas gathers as many of the
items as possible before scurrying to take refuge in a cupboard in the corner of the room.
Thomas is disturbed to helplessly witness one of the intruders stumble through the dark
room and accidentally stand on and crush a few of the most fragile totems left on the
floor.
Thomas despair at the damaged objects leads him to make ill-advised decisions that put
his own welfare into danger. Firstly, after begging frantically for money on the street,
Thomas decides to purchase a distasteful shining Buddha from a shop window, though
soon is disturbed to realise it doesnt fit with his other more organic totems. Thomas
begins thinking irrationally and after falling asleep in the wrong part of the city, he is
brutally attacked in the night. In the attack, Thomas is separated from his remaining
totems.
On a tram journey to an unknown destination, after a brief encounter with a young girl
and her dismaying mother, Thomas reflects on his true loss in life. In his desolation, and
once again facing solitude, he forges a cross of sorts, made from sticks that he finds
beneath a tree. He places the cross in his pocket and continues on his journey. The void,
for now at least, seems filled.

Use of space/locations:
The film will be shot authentically on location. The predominant setting will be the city
streets of Edinburgh. Thomas connection to the city and knowledge of its streets is
important. Though he is seemingly comfortable with his surroundings, the city is still
threatening and should be overbearing and ominous.
Casting:
Authenticity is vital in such a story wherever possible, so though I intend to have a
strong lead actor, the use of non-actors in supporting roles could be interesting in
grounding the story in reality.
Editing/Visuals:
The key theme for the visuals is subjectivity. I want the audience to be as close to the
central character as possible, to an almost uncomfortable extent at times. I plan to shoot
the vast majority of the film using just a 16mm lens, which aside from providing great
wide shots, gives a slightly distorted view when used for close ups. This feeling of
distortion could be enhanced through the use of filters. The frequent use of wide shots
cutting to extreme close ups of the character will help to shape a sense of isolation and
vulnerability.
The concept for editing is to be often seamless and slow paced, in order to let the acting
shine and emotion to resonate. Likewise, when Thomas witnesses the disturbance by the
intruders, the camera and viewer stay with Thomas as he shelters in the cupboard. We
may never see the act of breaking the totems, perhaps just its effect on Thomas, visible
through a small crack in the door.
In terms of lighting I would like to adopt a stylised realism aesthetic that though
expressing tone and distortion, still remains authentic. The use and control of natural
light will be important throughout; the lighting becomes more artificial as we follow
Thomas into his downward spiral.
Colour (and Production Design):
In terms of colour, I plan to use a muted colour palette of faded browns, deep blues and
greying greens. I have also considered a bleach bypass colour grade, utilising crushed
blacks and blown out highlights.
These earthy tones will help blend Thomas into his surroundings in the city; a character
lost amongst the buildings.
The use of reflections will run throughout the film, in the form of mirrors, windows and
puddles. An increasingly isolated figure, having fallen off the social ladder, Thomas is
forced to question his identity as a man alone.
Sound Design/Music:
I want the soundtrack to evoke a chilling but melancholic atmosphere. I imagine a
combination of shrieking strings with a more electronic, pulsating backing track,
evoking the heartbeat of the city.
As Thomas sense of isolation develops, the score will be gradually reduced to the use of
a string/wind instrument at times performing alone.
There is minimal use of dialogue in the film (besides Thomas voiceover) as the lead
character encounters very few people in his self-imposed solitude.
http://jhfilm.wix.com/nil-desperandum

http://www.jonathanhughesfilm.com