Exploring the different cultural and social attitudes to death within Eastern and Western cultures, The Lossen embraces a Dickensian atmosphere where the past informs the present and the ghosts of actions and inactions haunt the living, while always maintaining its humour and science-fiction flair. The Lossen is streaming now; click here for more details.
Bedfordshire may not come to mind when you think of filmmaking, but the County has a long and prestigious history of moviemaking. The Dark Knight and Rogue One used the vast space of Cardington Hangers, while Eyes Wide Shut used Luton Hoo for some of its most memorable scenes. Now, Bedfordshire plays host to a sumptuous supernatural story in Colin Skevington’s 2018 award-winning short film The Lossen.
The Lossen carefully weaves an intricate tapestry of death, rebirth, loss, and dreams into a short film celebrating an extensive festival run. Over one intensive week of filming in the small North Bedfordshire village of Felmersham and studio space in London, writer and director Colin Skevington brought his vision to life through a small dedicated crew and cast that included the brilliant Linda Marlowe (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy and The House of Mirth), Sean Knopp (Doctor Who and Replace), and Albert Welling (Succession and Taboo).
Exploring the different cultural and social attitudes to death within Eastern and Western cultures, The Lossen embraces a Dickensian atmosphere where the past informs the present and the ghosts of actions and inactions haunt the living, while always maintaining its humour and science-fiction flair.
Combining elements of Beetlejuice and its cutting exploration of death as a bureaucratic process with Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and Inside Number 9, The Lossen finds its unique creative style and voice in exploring universal themes of death and lost dreams. Speaking about The Lossen, Colin Skevington said, “The dramatic opening scene gave me the perfect opportunity to write a script that would begin a journey. One that would turn our view of death on its head and show us a possibility of what could be”.
In bringing The Lossen to audiences, Colin and his team have worked hard to secure private investment from individuals who believed in his impressive screenplay and creative vision. With a tight budget and even tighter shooting schedule, the small village of Felmersham’s residents provided warm meals and accommodation for the cast and crew during filming in a spirit of community action that allowed the ensemble to excel in creativity and imagination.
Meanwhile, several serendipitous encounters saw The Lossen attract Hatti Beanland as Director of Photography and Tom Linden as composer. The result is a stunning short film that transcends the limitations of its small budget through its cinematography, direction, performances, and sound design. Haunting and heartfelt, The Lossen reminds us that birth, life and death are all a part of our cyclical universe of mystery and wonder.
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