Stag Beetle by Eleanor Dolan

SYNOPSIS

Stag Beetle follows the story of an 8-year-old girl, Phoebe, as she struggles to come to terms with her mum’s terminal cancer. Phoebe’s Granny has come to help look after her when her parents are at the hospital. Knowing that something is wrong, Phoebe escapes into the woods where she finds an injured beetle and immediately becomes compelled to save it.

During the night-time the beetle calls out to Phoebe and she sneaks out into the woods.

The beetle reveals itself human-sized and Phoebe fixes its broken wing. With tensions rising due to Phoebe’s mother’s declining health an argument breaks out about the Stag Beetle. Granny tries to broach the subject of her mother and make amends but Phoebe runs away into the woods. This is when Phoebe realises the beetle cannot stay. She says her farewell and it fly's away on its newly mended wing.

The following morning Phoebe runs to the woods calling out to the skies when Granny finds her to tell her the news of her mother’s death. Phoebe finally realises that like the stag beetle she must let her mother go.

Previous work by Eleanor Dolan

INFLUENCE & VISION

Stag Beetle is a character driven story that explores grief through the eyes of an 8-year-old girl in a visually metaphorical way, whilst exploring the female bond from daughter, mother and grandmother.

The script itself is directly influenced by writer/director Eleanor Dolan’s childhood experiences:

“Myself and my friend Phoebe found an injured female stag beetle in the woods and cared for it in a matchbox until it mysteriously disappeared one day. We both went through periods of time when a parent was suffering from cancer and we were too young to understand or fully process it at the time. I want to connect with the audience at a fundamental human level and I feel that the script addresses this complex subject delicately in a way that inspires hope.”

WHY WE WANT TO TELL THIS STORY

The film endeavours to stand out at film festivals with bespoke set design, creative cinematography and ambitious practical effects in the form of a giant stag beetle puppet. This traditional technique is not often seen in modern film and we want to offer this exciting opportunity for young creatives to get involved. We also want to raise awareness of stag beetles to help protect this threatened species as they are one of the most spectacular insects in the UK.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

For further information, a copy of the script and a full budget, please contact Paul DuBois (Producer) info@aproposltd.net