Directors Statement

I believed in C.T.R.L from day one. It was a simple, strong idea and it sounded like it could be a lot of fun.

The physicality of the set up was a very attractive factor to me. A defining aspect of my visual style is the way I work with actors, through rehearsal and improvisation. Making a short with no dialogues, meant that every detail had to be thought through and all performances spot on, or the message wouldn’t get across. It was a risky short to make, but I saw it as an opportunity to show what I can do and I’m very proud of what we have achieved.

It incorporates a very London attitude with a feminine touch and a warm sense of humour that renders it international. Whilst it paints the picture of a typical love story, it constantly reinvents itself. As the characters’ bodies dance against their will, the audience is faced with a unique acting style backed up by fluid framing and a pacy edit.

Inspired by physical theatre & street dance, C.T.R.L mixes the quirkiness of music videos with the glossy feel of high-end commercials, delivering a guilty pleasure with an “urban feel” that is nothing but true to its time.

The idea of an app that can control people hadn’t yet been portrayed in film when we first released C.T.R.L. Making it felt like a race against time, against the inevitability of such concept arising in a society that is characterized by social media and dating apps, with its likes, scrolls and the obsessive need to control the image we project of ourselves in this online world.