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Joseph Ollman’s short film “Bitter Sky” tells the story of Nia, portrayed by talented Darci Shaw. Together with her possessive adopted father Roy (Richard Harrington) she lives in the Welsh wilderness. Roy forbids her to stay in contact with her mother. While she resolutely decides to go her own way and visit her mother, her father still tries to get in the way, but Nia befriends Aron (Rowan Jones) , at a junkyard who energetically stands by her side and help her with her quest.
“Bitter Sky encourages and inspires young woman to make their own decisions in life”
Director Joseph Ollman, who was bon in Wales, have already won several awards and worked on commercials and music videos which helped him to create this different kind of short. Not only has he worked with prestigious partners like BBC or Vodafone, but he also works as an actor which was very helpful on set. His work also enabled him to get a funding from BFI Lottery funding and BBC Wales. Like Ollman, Producer Kristina Epenetos worked on music videos and commercials, with huge clients like MTV and Disney.
The breathtaking locations and imagery, combined with the incredibly talented young actors make this short film a must see. Moreover, it is kind of a personal project of the director, as he made a film which is set in the Elan Valley where he grew up. The story is also based on a girl who used to live in his neighborhood when he was a child. Ollman’s encouraging short has been screened at various famous festivals like at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival and Aesthetica Film Festival. “Bitter Sky” is also available on BBC iPlayer. To get a little idea of this film, have a look at the trailer:
