IN DEVELOPMENT
Wake Up
SURREAL DRAMA • SHORT FILM
A daughter is forced to come to terms with her relationship with her mother. Test
WRITER & DIRECTOR
DARKY
STATUS
Pre-Production
SHOOTING
Sept 2026
Synopsis
On the anniversary of her father’s passing, Odette is forced to come to terms with her complex relationship with her mother as old wounds surface.
Director’s note
Wake up is about the incubation of ‘normality’ through our family relationships.
As the saying goes, if you put a frog into boiling water it will hop out – but if you slowly turn the heat up it won’t notice until it’s too late.
Visually and tonally, the film will contrast reality against the surreal.
Roles we are looking for
This two-hander has an intentionally small crew. If you’re interested in any of the roles below, we’d love to hear from you.
Cast
• Odette (25-35 yrs)
The daughter. She is sweet-natured, a little aloof, and has little confidence in herself. As an only child, and with her father having passed away, her complex relationship with her mother has become even more important.
• Christine (45-55 yrs)
Odette’s mother. She is self-absorbed, manipulative, charming and controlling. Just your usually sociopath who you grew up with.
Note: that this performance is delivered off-screen (phone conversations)
Crew
• Production Designer
• Composer
More roles
We’re also open to hearing from people who would like to assist (e.g. boom operating, script supervising, gaffers, etc.).