After a protest turns violent, young activists Nell and Esme are forced to go on the run. Tasked with lying low, they squat in a beautiful and seemingly empty mansion, awaiting further instruction. But a greater danger engulfs them when another interloper arrives at the house fresh from a morning of brutal sport, and reveals an unexpected connection to one of the runaways. “Bloodsport” is a piercing examination of privilege and progressivism, and asks the question of how far you would go to fight for what you believe in?

Director Statement

I first encountered Tom Hammond’s writing in the theatre. His tone sits between comedy and horror and everything he writes simmers with an undercurrent of violence. When I decided to direct a short, he was the first writer I approached, and he did not disappoint. Bloodsport is a rollicking eco-feminist fable with a fabulous sting in its tail: Two young female climate activists come into conflict with a feral male figure who lives for the scent of the hunt and has a pathological need to dominate his natural surroundings. Their encounter does not end well…

The film has at its centrepiece an epic dinner scene, and I took inspiration from Caravaggio’s The Last Supper; characters explode violently into light out of darkness. All the interiors lean into this motif. The framing is beautiful and still, exquisitely shot by Johann Perry, an HOD with whom I have wanted to work for many years. In contrast our exteriors are handheld and frantic and build to a frenzied finale.

As a director of theatre for many years and then a writer of television, I wanted my first short to give space for actors’ performance. I have been exceptionally fortunate in my cast who embraced the concentrated storytelling that Bloodsport demands. I was also supported by an immensely talented team of experienced and newcomer HODS, producers and crew. This intentional combination of established and new talent on Bloodsport brought a fabulous energy to the shoot. I hope you enjoy the result.