Introduction
The Father Joe Show is a dark fairy tale. A disturbing comedy. A funny thriller. It’s a 15-minute snap look at obsession, isolation, and the parasocial relationships we form with media figures – all told through the story of Denise, a middle-aged woman in rural England who has replaced God with her favourite televangelist.
Inspiration
The script came from Josh’s brother Ethan, who wrote it as part of NYU Tisch’s screenwriting masters. The script was fully-formed and perfect as a short story. Not a wannabe feature, but a nasty little tale with a sting.
The story introduces a rustic English setting with a distinctly Southern American televangelist, inspired by Ethan’s personal background: growing up in rural England with a father from Atlanta, Georgia. This cultural cross-pollination felt original, and there was something instantly funny about transplanting the over-the-top preacher to this quiet location.
As directors, we both saw thematic strands in the story that really attracted us. Whether that was the question of personal moral choice and accountability, or the power of media to twist our perspective on the world. Both of those ideas point towards wider questions about the way the world is going politically, and the role that each of us has in shaping or resisting things.
The Process
Once the script was finalised after a few rounds of editing, we cast our actors. We were incredibly lucky to find both Fiona and William, who perfectly captured the spirit of the story; Fiona with her dramatic range and emotional vulnerability, and William with the dark charisma of Father Joe.
The primary shoot was three long nights in the Oxfordshire countryside, made trickier by bad weather, a difficult-to-film crash sequence and a prop car that liked to occasionally break down. Ultimately, we were very happy with the results, and the final film reflects the hard work in its stark and beautiful visuals.
Our brilliant composer, Rowan McIlvride, came up with this idea of looping and sampling Father Joe’s dialogue and using that to build soundscapes and music. Her work just brought the film to life.
What It Means to Be a Finalist
Being selected for Worcester is so exciting for us – we’ll be around for most of the week and can’t wait to get involved with everything that’s going on.
We can’t wait to see the other films in the After Dark block. It’s so great that this section of the festival exists, as it means you’re showing films that might not necessarily have an obvious place in lots of other festivals. It feels like a great niche to include.
Where to Watch / Follow
The film is on Vimeo! www.vimeo.com/bicarregui/fatherjoe
The password is ‘Kick1t’ – shh!
Follow work on Instagram @somethingpresumably
Michael Bicarregui is @cinemikey
Josh Sarphie is @joshsarphie
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