Damaged

Damaged is made by Nottinghamshire based twin brothers Darren and David Furniss and it is their first feature film under their production company Midlander Films. The film has won awards in Australia (Best Psychological Thriller at People of Passion International Fest), Canada (Royal Reel Award at Canada International Fest), and the USA (Best Feature Film at Atlas & Aeris International Film Awards). Not bad for a film shot on zero budget in Newark-on-Trent.

The film is based on Darren’s own stage play – which premiered at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2008 - and shows six people who all reveal their very own particular sordid secrets in intimate and isolated sections within the film. Darren, who also directed the film, advised that he “didn’t want to show them as monsters, as people who commit horrible acts are often portrayed in the mainstream media. I wanted to show them as victims of their own darker side of nature; victims of their own weaknesses.”

The style in which the film is told is unique, and certainly shows its stage play roots. There was no live sound used throughout, with all the events being told by each individual character with the use of narration and dreamlike, detached visuals – the latter of which was beautifully captured by director of photography David Furniss.

This way of telling the story may have been better for a short film, as the character detachment it produced made for laboured viewing at times, but overall it was superbly executed and looked like a production well above its actual, non-existent, budget. This was certainly helped by the excellent performances from every actor involved and its uncensored look into these disturbed character’s minds. It definitely didn't pull any punches and is well worth ninety minutes of your time.

Damaged is available to rent or buy, as a digital download, from the film’s website (below).

Damaged Official Site
Midlander Films Website