Filmmaker Statement

When Angelika May shared her story of overcoming trauma and proposed playing herself in a short film, I had my doubts. Could I depict a sexual assault survivor with both respect and truth? Could I engage a wide audience with such a painful, urgent subject? I quickly realised those questions were the very reasons this project mattered - and that its realism was something truly special. We chose dark comedy elements to reach wider audiences, a challenge that deeply attracted me, as I had explored similar ground in my previous short film 'PMS'. At the same time, I wanted to avoid victim voyeurism, especially in the assault scene, implying trauma through a respectful cinematic gaze. By blending horror elements - Halloween motifs, animalistic semiotics, a furious rock score - within a character-driven study, we brought Olivia’s story to life. Angelika’s story.