Short Film: Taking Shelter

Viewed at the 2020 IVFAF, this is a 2011 short film directed by Jason Gregg and is just over 11 minutes in length.

It begins with a man, William (Jason Gregg, Being Human) lighting candles in his Anderson Shelter as air raid sirens pierce the night – we are, of course, in the Blitz. His wife, Kathleen (Mel Hayward), comes in with their young daughter May (Freya Gillson). There is clearly tension there as she berates him for not waiting. He responds suggesting that he wanted to light the candles but the retort is that May is not scared of the dark.

the family

William walks with a limp and a cane, and later we discover he has a bullet wound, hence not currently conscripted. May is uncomfortable with her gas mask and scared of spiders, as her ear-piercing scream when she sees one is testament to. William believes that May should have been evacuated to the countryside but Kathleen insists she is better off with her parents. However, it is what happens after the air raid that really interests us.

the vampire

There is a knock at the shelter door and, whilst William wants to ignore the visitor, Kathleen invites him in. A man (Tony Banham) enters, wearing an army tunic. He wants to ask them a question – do they want to live through the night. His proposition is simple, he is a vampire and he wants to take May. He infers that he will feed from her, but won’t kill her and after using her as a companion, when she comes of age, he will turn her. Refuse and he will kill them all – as with everything we have seen thus far, husband and wife have very different replies…

in gasmasks

This is really interesting. Putting us in the midst of imminent danger from above (May reminds us how deadly the blitz was by, in a matter of fact tone, mentioning that her friend's house (and her friend) from down the road is no longer there). The pressures of this, and perhaps more, are clearly causing a marital fracturing. Added to the mix, of course, is the supernatural element.

The imdb page is here.