Joanne Mitchell makes her feature directorial debut with Broken Bird, her short film, Sybil. Based on a story by Tracey Sheals and written by Mitchell and Dominic Brunt, it tells several stories about loss and grief, the most important of which is that of Sybil (Rebecca Calder), a mortician who presents herself as a modern-day Louise Brooks. She attends open mic nights where she reads obtuse poetry and dreams of being in love with Mark (Jay Taylor), a man who works at the Roman funerary museum.
Then there's Emma (Sacharissa Claxton), who has lost her son and is drinking herself into oblivion, which begins to affect her work as a police officer and prevents her from investigating her case.
Director: Joanne Mitchell
Writers: Dominic Brunt, Joanne Mitchell, Tracey Sheals
Stars: Rebecca Calder, James Fleet, Sacharissa Claxton
Meanwhile, Sybil's imagination runs wild, constantly disappointed by real men and choosing to court those who have died and cannot disappoint her. Sadness has plagued her entire life, as she is the sole survivor of a car accident that killed her entire family. Although strange, she is a tireless worker and appreciated by her boss.
Upon learning that Mark has a fiancée named Tina (Robyn Rainsford), Sybil is disappointed once again. When Mark dies—perhaps not by accident—she finally has the chance to touch him, even though she has joined the invisible choir. At the same time, Emma approaches the place where her stillborn son's body disappeared, having visited the same funeral home where Sybil works, a place where she wonders what her boss, Mr. Thomas (James Fleet), keeps in the cold storage.
Calder is incredible in this story, striking a balance that forces her to be both monstrous and sympathetic. There are moments when you'll be on her side, even though she covets a widow's lost lover and does everything she can to possess him, even dancing in front of him and covering his face with her panties. It's enough to stir him up, at least in his fantasies, and maybe that's all he needs. Maybe this world isn't for him.
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