NICOLA HAWKINS short films
BIRDS
two by two
An old hermit, living with his ducks in the woods, is kidnapped for not conforming by
the state's children's army.
In prison the old man undergoes a torturous
re-education by fierce classical musicians.
A courageous fellow prisoner heals him with love and they attempt an escape.
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Small Title
A dystopian fantasy...a warning for our times
FULL SYNOPSIS
Shakey, a healthy old hermit, resides contentedly in a solitary hut in the woods with his pet ducks. He is kidnapped from his hut by the state's cruel dictator and her children's army to undergo re-education. The children tie up Shakey and joyfully humiliate him. They mock him and march him cross country to a prison where he is thrown in a squalid cell with Jean Paul who has been held for years in solitary confinement. Curious and eager for human contact, Jean Paul earns Shakey's trust with kindness. However, state guards bust in and drag Shakey to the torture chamber. In a cavernous room Shakey lies on a torture bed electrically charged by classical music. The cruel dictator conducts a trio of musicians to purging Shakey of any sense of personhood. Having slipped into the torture chamber Jean Paul attempts to rescue Shakey but the captain of the guards pummels him to insensibility. The torture goes too far. Shakey and Jean Paul are left for dead in the torture room. In the now quiet chamber Jean Paul stirs from his unconsciousness. Deeply saddened to see Shakey lifeless, he embraces the old man. A spark of life remains and Jean Paul eagerly tries to revive him .They commence an escape through a maze of corridors. The guards chase them into the dungeon of the prison, in an act of self sacrifice, Jean Paul pushes Shakey through a hellish metal door which magically leads to Shakey's hut where his ducks are loyally waiting for him. Jean Paul takes a horrific beating from the guards for his misbehaviour.
KEY CAST & DIRECTOR
Shakey, the old hermit
Writer, Director, Editor
FULL CAST and CREW Cast: Andy Perlis â–ª Yvon Soglo â–ª Louise Moyes â–ª Andrew Hawkins â–ª Nancy Dahn â–ª Timothy Steeves â–ª Heather Tuach â–ª Brian Power â–ª Steve Sullivan â–ª Maya Carew â–ª Amber Hawkins â–ª Paul Hawkins â–ª Will Hayden â–ª Spencer Kenny â–ª Jude O'Brien â–ª Eva Stratton WRITER/DIRECTOR: Nicola Hawkins DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Duncan De Young FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY: Andrew Hawkins COSTUMES: Karen Pottle MAKEUP: Lauren Snow SCRIPT SUPERVISOR: Melissa Flynn PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Nasomi Amarageewa FIRST AC: Herb Gibbons â–ª Graham Godden EDITOR: Nicola Hawkins COLOUR/FINISHING:Aaron Elliot MUSIC RECORDIST: Steve Lilly
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BIRDS two by two was shot in Newfoundland, Canada the place almost all of the cast and crew call home.
Living on a peaceful rural island fortunately shelters us from the current global epidemic of oppression.
However, in solidarity to the rising protest against hate, I have created two characters who heroically try to
escape from the shadows of a malicious authority.