Zero
Talent Showcase
In the near future UK, populated by an isolated world of teenagers – in which adults and young children have fled – a patriarchal cult now offer the only chance of survival for siblings, Zero (16) and Serger (18), who are determined to save their younger sister Wake (10), from the starvation and violence of The City.But when Zero’s life is threatened by the reality of life as a woman in the cult, she flees, taking a reluctant Wake with her.What ensues is a high stakes chase, as Serger becomes hell-bent on saving Wake and is ultimately forced to choose between the lives of his two sisters.
From Writer/Director Faye Gilbert:
'I started thinking about Zero five years ago when many stories about violations of women were pertinent in the media - an unforgettable one being the 276 girls taken by Boko Harem in Nigeria, many of whom are still missing.
Since then many more stories about the infringement of women’s rights have come to the fore, some given a voice through the MeToo movement.
Another pertinent issue on my mind when I began thinking about Zero was the idea of migration and the effect of closing borders on those most in need. From our privileged position in the West we were then, and still are now,somehow able to turn a blind eye to those crossing borders, often fleeing unimaginable threats to their lives. I wanted Zero to be a wake up call for our societies that are keen to shut borders; that one day the tables may turn. In the UK, Brexit is already bringing us closer to such a once unthinkable situation.
Zero has been five years in the making. This has been largely due to a micro £150k budget and the team also needing to earn a living whilst making it. But that time has afforded us an opportunity to grow the narrative around these pertinentissues as they have grown within our societies - and made our voices, and how we feel about the issues, so much stronger.'
From Writer/Director Faye Gilbert:
'I started thinking about Zero five years ago when many stories about violations of women were pertinent in the media - an unforgettable one being the 276 girls taken by Boko Harem in Nigeria, many of whom are still missing.
Since then many more stories about the infringement of women’s rights have come to the fore, some given a voice through the MeToo movement.
Another pertinent issue on my mind when I began thinking about Zero was the idea of migration and the effect of closing borders on those most in need. From our privileged position in the West we were then, and still are now,somehow able to turn a blind eye to those crossing borders, often fleeing unimaginable threats to their lives. I wanted Zero to be a wake up call for our societies that are keen to shut borders; that one day the tables may turn. In the UK, Brexit is already bringing us closer to such a once unthinkable situation.
Zero has been five years in the making. This has been largely due to a micro £150k budget and the team also needing to earn a living whilst making it. But that time has afforded us an opportunity to grow the narrative around these pertinentissues as they have grown within our societies - and made our voices, and how we feel about the issues, so much stronger.'
Production company/ies: Dark Pictures