Behind the Film: The Birth of a Mall Goth

Introduction:

A noughties autistic comedy short exploring goths? Oh go on then. The Birth of a Mall Goth is a fantastical exploration into why someone may become a goth overnight. This project was my first directorial narrative short in 5 years, and it meant a lot to me to bring it to life.

Inspiration:

The idea for Mall Goth came from seeing a group of goths at a bus stop and realising that the people in this subculture never seem to age, even if I do. This got my brain spinning with silly reasons why this might be, and within 4 hours of seeing them I had written the first draft. As the script developed, I wanted to explore the sisterly relationship and how so much can be said to show a relationship, with minimal words. Partway through pre-production, I got diagnosed with autism and very quickly realised that May is autistic; that’s why she’s so obsessed with understanding these overnight goths – because I was! The neurodivergent angle was there from the beginning; I just didn’t know it. Also, I just loved the idea of a giant egg. I was talking to people about the giant egg for a good while.

The Process:

Filming took place over one tight weekend in Walthamstow, East London. Raising the budget took me 2.5 years, but I didn’t give up hope that it could be done, despite how slow and far away the reality of it felt at times. Our biggest challenge was that almost every scene was in a different room/location or had a slightly different feel to it. We also had to work out gothing up and de-gothing our cast in a way that made the most sense with the schedule – luckily, our incredible 1st AD Jemima Stephenson sailed us through. At one point, Emily, Toby (DOP), Ryan (Sound Recordist), and I did get stuck inside the bathroom as the tripod was in a fixed position in the door and Lola was having a wig put on – it was at the point during a shoot where everyone starts getting a bit silly, so it was still fun. We had such an incredible shoot and post team; everyone was so friendly and supportive. During the process, I couldn’t help but feel that I am so lucky to be able to do this! Taking a silly thought and turning it into something real!

What It Means to Be a Finalist:

 I am so grateful to Worcester Film Festival for selecting our film as a finalist. It’s always a nerve-racking experience wondering if other people will get what you’ve created, especially with comedy. I’m so excited to share it with their wonderful festival audience, and I hope it resonates with all you ex-goths/emos/scene kids out there.