For her first solo-directorial credit, Emily Harris has stripped Carmilla of its vampiric nature and instead explores deeper themes of repression, superstition and adolescent love.

Set in late 18th Century rural England, Carmilla is a tender and tragic love story between two young girls. Based on gothic literature, this tale of blossoming adolescent sexuality takes place at a time when religion, repression, fear, and superstition ruled society.

At the helm, is writer-director Emily Harris, who set out to steer Carmilla away from traditional costume dramas. 

For Harris, this was her first time taking a solo directorial credit, after co-directing Love Is Thicker Than Water(2016) with Ate de Jong. Harris has always been a collaborator, and found co-directing natural, but Carmilla felt different. To Harris, this one made a lot of sense to do by herself.

Harris began writing the script after she came across Carmilla, a gothic novella by Irish writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

Keen to remove the vampiric thread within the story Harris says: “I was more interested in understanding the root of that literature. Why were people writing about that? What does it symbolize and signify and what’s the human story underneath it?”

The search for actresses to play lead characters was believed to be fundamental to the success of the project. Harris admits, “I kept saying, ‘If we don’t find Carmilla and Lara, we don’t make this. There’s no way.” 

Finding the actress to play Carmilla was a Eureka moment. Newcomer Devrim Lingnau sent in a series of self-taped auditions and it was clear that she instinctively understood the character.

British actress Hannah Rae, cast as Lara, was bowled over by Harris’ script. “I visualised it in my head straight away. And so that’s what attracted me initially”. Rae’s only previous feature was in the TV drama Broadchurch.

Join us for a pre-screening Q&A with Emily Harris, hosted by Professor Deborah Shaw, from the University of Portsmouth, at our screening of Carmilla at the No6 Cinema on 16th September.

Event Information

Where: No6 Cinema, Boathouse 6, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ

Box Office: 07435 029408

Website: https://www.no6cinema.co.uk/

Tickets: £9, Concessions £7.50, 25 & Under £5.00, CEA Carer £0.00

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NOTE: all events are subject to government restrictions on safe distancing and public gatherings and will be risk assessed accordingly. As events progress, we will update you on our plans for the live film festival programme in case of changes to what may be possible at the time.

A MWFF event in partnership with No.6 Cinema and Republic Film Distribution.