Foreword by Adam Brannon. The theme of sexual consent is one that has been consistently spoken about in the media, particularly in Hollywood over the last couple of years.
Actress Louisa Sexton, who has worked on shows like Crime Stories as well as in uncredited roles in Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone has decided to tackle the sensitive subject directly with her short film, The Ceiling. As lead actor and the writer of this project, I spoke to her about how it came about and what she hopes to achieve when it is finally released.
Tell us how you got into short films and your background?
I actually first got into short films when I went to watch London Calling at the BFI Film Festival 2017. I was blown away by the craft that goes into capturing stories and characters as well as exposing vital topics in such a short amount of time. I was so inspired. As an actor, I am often told to write my own work and get it out there. It sounds so easy! I figured short films were the way to go. Cut to three years later, a lot of hard work, set-backs, big reality checks (it isn’t easy at all!) and the amazing support of my friends and family, I finally realised my first short film ‘Third Bench on the Left’. This was an incredibly proud moment for me and gave me the drive to keep the momentum going and do it all over again!
The Ceiling explores sexual consent – tell us more about the project
The Ceiling is a film inspired by true events. Whenever I heard stories from my closest female friends my frustration with how sexual assault is normalised, almost expected, on dates or with partners, made me so angry. I wrote a stream of consciousness one night when I couldn’t sleep- trying to find an outlet for this frustration. When I woke up, and for the weeks that passed, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I knew I had to share my feelings in some way so I wrote the first draft of The Ceiling. I sent it to some of my closest friends and from their reactions, I knew I had something special that was going to be incredibly impactful and hopefully change the way we see and understand consent.
What is the most important aspect you want to get across in The Ceiling?
I want the film to explore two vital topics: sexual consent and arousal non concordance. With sexual consent, I want to show that no means no, but so does many other things. i.e. a shift of body language, a joke to mask behind in order not to offend, self-depreciation… the list is endless. According to WHO, 1 in 3 women are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. I want to show what this may look like- how ‘normal’ it can look or ‘subtle’ it can be. Arousal non concordance is something I have only recently learnt about. I wrote the script, without even having heard of the term before.
When a family friend read the script she mentioned it, so I did some research and my mind was blown. Learning about it helped me take the script to a whole new level. It is something which is used against rape victims in court. If a rape victim has an orgasm, or displays physical pleasure, the defence are known to use it against them to prove that they were consenting. I want to explore this in order to make both women and men trust their thoughts. Sometimes our physical and mental response to pleasure is not aligned. And just because a woman is physically aroused, doesn’t mean she is consenting!
Louisa Connolly-Burnham is directing, how did that partnership come about?
I am so thrilled to have Louisa on board. Her short film The Call Centre is astonishing and I can’t wait to work with her on The Ceiling. My brilliant producers, Augusta Woods and Cat White have both worked with her before and told me about her, her work and her style of directing. I knew she was the perfect director for the film! So, we got in touch and luckily, she said yes!
One we ask everyone at Movie Met, what’s your favourite film?
Oh goodness… what a tricky question! I love all work by Joanna Hogg in particular Unrelated as well as Yorgos Lanthimos’ work; The Lobster is my favourite of his. Moonlight is astounding in every way. I also love animation and if I had to pick I would say The Incredibles is my favourite, although The Mitchells vs the Machines is a close second. And I can’t answer this without also mentioning Step Brothers. It’s such a classic, isn’t it?
And another, what’s your favourite cinema snack?
It’s got to be salty popcorn mixed with Maltesers!
If money was no object, what would a dream cast look like to you?
I feel so lucky to be working alongside the incredible Jake Curran- would it be cheating to say I’d stick with the cast I have? If Jake and I were unable to do the film, I would have to say Michaela Coel as Harriet (her work on I May Destroy You is sublime and absolutely ground-breaking), she would be able to bring the playfulness of Harriet and her underlying panic just beautifully, and to play Jamie I would say Ryan Gosling because he is one of my all time favourite actors and to have him act in a film of mine would be a dream!
For anyone looking to get into writing, what advice could you give?
Don’t judge yourself. You will love the script one minute, and the next you will think it’s awful. I think that to put pen to paper and write is one of the bravest things in the world. You are, in a way, exposing your soul… so be kind to yourself.
What’s next for The Ceiling, where do you see it next?
Right now, we are in pre-production and in the middle of our fundraising campaign. We aim for the film to be complete by the end of the year, after which it will be submitted to film festivals and we hope to have a premier with a panel discussion. We are so excited for the impact this film is going to have within the conversation of sexual consent and spread awareness about arousal non concordance.
Do you have any projects lined up?
Yes, I am in the process of launching my production company Embouchure Productions which will be a platform for female voices to change the narrative and invite social change. The Ceiling will be the first project under my company, along with my producers’ companies Kusini Productions and Track Films.
Finally, how can people support you?
To support The Ceiling you can donate to our fundraising page and spread the word about the film by sharing any posts on social media (Instagram @theceilingfilm and Twitter @ceilingfilm). We are so excited to make this film. Thank you so much for your support and for inviting me to talk with you!
I’d like to thank Louisa for taking the time to talk about her projects, and The Ceiling in particular, and thanks to any readers who support this incredible short film. Be sure to check out more of our amazing Interviews Collection.
Leave a Reply