Molech Psychology

Description

Such an unflinching subject requires a sensitive, empathetic approach, so the use of a long (single) take and a locked-off camera in the pitch mimics the social realism style to be employed in the film.

The setting is the unassuming kitchen of the characters Dottie and Richard. In the background, Dottie goes about the menial task of the washing up -- nothing more than a distraction from the ghosts of her terrible act; an attempt at a normal life, and yet a facade. As the pitch describes the tension of the story, Dottie recalls recent events and contemplates the consequences of her actions.

The grade is deliberately desaturated, with the reds toned down to give a muted feel which matches the sombre air of the subject matter. Finally, the realist nature of the pitch is completed by the sound being comprised of that recorded on-set, with no score or other soundtrack elements included.

Biblical Connection

My film is influenced by the story of Abraham, and the near-sacrifice of his son, Isaac, as described in Genesis 22. As a child attending Sunday School, I never fully grasped the implications of the story for Abraham, and yet it stayed with me into adulthood. Despite the final outcome, the emotional and psychological impact of being decreed to kill your own child must have been terrible for Abraham, and I want to explore this in a contemporary setting. The title of the film, Molech Psychology, refers to followers of the Ammonite god Molech, who is associated with child sacrifice. In Leviticus, God proclaims: “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech”. In translating the act of child sacrifice to modern-day Britain, the film will focus on parents Dottie and Richard attempting and failing to overcome the infanticide of their child.