Reflective Encounters

“Despite the weight of its themes, exploring family, gender, and bullying, there’s a playful and light quality to The Piss Witch. This is partly thanks to Orrin Niziblian’s great central performance as Clare, which moves from introverted and self-conscious to brave and defiant in the short’s humorous last scene. Equally convincing are the supporting cast, especially Mabel Aitkin as the woman labelled a ‘witch’ by the local school children. Her brief appearance looms over the rest of the film, providing the inspiration for Clare’s act of defiance in the story’s concluding moments.

The details of Clare’s bedroom lend a richness and believability to the film, with scattered and colourful posters, illustrations, and images. This fantastic production design creates a homely quality to the film’s environment, a sense that the character’s surroundings are lived-in, a feeling of them having existed prior to the events onscreen. 

Local legend and myth are a central concern of the short, and these themes are brought to life by the strange and folksy harp music of the film’s soundtrack (composed by Hutch Demouilpied). The resulting sound draws from the UK’s pastoral heritage, while also reminding one of Andrew Dickson’s lilting scores for the films of Mike Leigh.”

— Chris Childs