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Tartan
Shorts 2003 - Sredni Vashtar
Cast
biographies
Production
biographies
After
a colourful childhood in Burma, 12-year-old Conradin finds his world
torn apart when his parents are killed and he is sent to live with
his strict, Presbyterian aunt in the Scottish Highlands.
Isolated in
a bleak house in the midst of a desolate, frozen landscape, Conradin
finds himself unable to adjust to his aunt's harsh regime.
Under such unhappy circumstances, Conradin soon becomes ill and
is proclaimed to only have a few years to live.
The
young boy's only connection to his past are the few trinkets and
pets he keeps in the shed far away from his aunt's ordered household.
It is here, fuelled by a growing hatred for his new life, that Conradin
creates Sredni Vashtar – a vicious, glorious God, which is
the embodiment of everything his aunt opposes.
As
Conradin's obsession with his new religion grows, the distinction
between himself and Sredni Vashtar begins to blur. Now he must protect
his new-found God at all costs knowing that, should his aunt discover
his secret, she would destroy both Conradin and Sredni Vashtar for
good.
Sredni Vashtar
is a gothic fairytale about life versus death, based on a short
story by Edwardian writer Saki (H H Munro).
Conradin
is played by Fergus Nimmo and his aunt by Sian Thomas.
Sredni
Vashtar is a Murray Sports Marketing (UK) Ltd production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Scotland / Scottish Screen.
Cast
biographies
Sian
Thomas plays The Aunt
Sian
Thomas trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London
before going on to act in numerous productions for the Citizens
Theatre Company, The Royal National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare
Company.
An
accomplished actress on both stage and screen, Sian won the TMA
Martini Award for Best Supporting Actress for Uncle Vanya and was
nominated for an Olivier Award in 2002 for her performance in Up
For Grabs.
Sian's
TV credits include Inspector Morse, A Mind To Murder and Doctor
Finlay.
Most
recently Sian completed filming on feature film Vanity Fair, in
which she stars alongside Reese Witherspoon and James Purefoy.
Fergus
Nimmo plays Conradin
Sredni
Vashtar is 13-year-old Fergus Nimmo's second short film for the
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, following the success of award-winning Tartan Small, The Choir.
Fergus
took the lead in the acclaimed short film as schoolboy Leslie who
turns up for his first day of secondary school determined to fit
in with the cool crowd at all costs.
In
Sredni Vashtar Fergus plays the role of orphan Conradin who creates
a fictitious God to distract him from the daily torment of living
with his overpowering Aunt.
Fergus
effortlessly combines his love for acting with his school life and
is about to enter his third year of secondary school as well as
attending drama classes at Glasgow's Scottish Youth Theatre.
Production
biographies
Angela
M Murray - Writer & Director
Having
won a scholarship from Dallas creator David Jacobs, Angela M Murray
spent a year in Los Angeles studying cinematography before returning
to work in Scotland.
Her
first short film, Smashing, was made in 1998 and was nominated for
a Best Performance Award at Scotland's New Talent BAFTAs.
Angela
went on to secure success in the DNA Films / Scottish Screen competition
with her script for The Book Carriers, which told the story of Lithuanian
immigrants in Lanarkshire at the turn of the century.
In
the summer of 2001 Angela made the short film Divine which recently
won Best Short at both the Celtic Film Festival and the Sprockets
Toronto International Film Festival for Children.
Her
next short, The Choir, was awarded Scottish New Talent BAFTAs for
Best Director and Best Craft (Production Design).
Angela
is currently working on a script for Modern, a contemporary fairy
tale about a simple-minded man who wants to be a DJ.
Robbie Sandison - Producer
Robbie
Sandison is a freelance producer / associate producer who has a
wealth of experience in all areas of production. Having graduated
from the RSAMD where he trained in theatrical stage management,
Robbie went on to apply his skills within drama production working
as a first assistant director / production manager for Scottish
Television and various independent companies.
For
the past few years Robbie has been working for Granada Television
as an associate producer on several network dramas including A&E
and Where The Heart Is.
He
has also produced Scottish-based 35mm short film Donna followed
by the award-winning film The Choir.
Most
recently, The Choir was screened in competition at the Tribeca Film
Festival in New York and Robbie is currently developing a number
of scripts including a feature version of this award winning film.
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