You might have to be a real dummy to be a seemingly perfect match for a chauvinist sexagenarian — and Claudia is just that: a real dummy, as in, a mannequin. On Saturday, May 27th at 3:45 p.m., the feature film Claudia — directed by Edward Westrop — will have its world premiere at The Romford Film Festival. Following is the official press announcement.
Claudia is a black comedy about a misogynistic, sixty-something year old man named Raymond who forms an emotional relationship with a life-sized, female mannequin. This film aims to put a darkly comedic twist on the topic of domestic abuse when Raymond realises that the mannequin, who he names Claudia, is the perfect vessel for his misogynistic, backwards relationship values.
Director of Claudia Edward Westrop is a self-taught filmmaker whose western-themed, stop-frame animation Cloaked Rider was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015. Claudia is Westrop’s first feature film and has already been selected by the Out of the Can International Film Festival and the London International Film Festival, gaining both honourable mention and finalist laurels. Alongside directing/self producing his short films, Edward currently works as a Videographer for Future Publishing PLC.
Alain Cooper, who plays Raymond, delivers a strong solo performance acting opposite an inanimate object (Claudia) for the entirety of the film. The emotional journey of Raymond’s character, from a joyous beginning to heartbreaking end, is uncompromisingly executed by Cooper, displaying both his versatility and strong ability to improvise. Cooper has appeared in numerous independent films and was voted Best Actor at Prodigy Film Festival in the short film Oranda, which received five awards.
Claudia will be playing at Premiere Cinemas Romford as part of the festival’s “Short, Sharp and Shocks” section. Following the screening, Cooper and Westrop will take part in a live Q&A session.
Tickets are now on sale for £4.00 a ticket on Premiere Cinemas Romford’s website. For more information and screening schedules, please contact The Romford Film Festival.
