From the Film Maker...

Initially I was inspired by the look on Queen Mariana's face; her eyes seem to reveal a strange mix of emotions - sadness, guilt, relief. I felt directly Implicated in her emotional state through the expression in her eyes.

I was struck by the deep focus in the portrait and the use of light. There appear to be two pools of light, one in the foreground where the subject sits and one in the background around the Queen's son and his attendants. I was interested in experimenting with these layers of focus and light, mimicking the layers of action in the painting. In the key shots of my central character, I refer to this composition.

I've stuck to a simple colour palette for the film: black, white and green. The vivid black and white tiles in the original appear in the film. The simple colours set the tone for the design and give an impression of timelessness and simplicity.

I was concerned with the idea of mourning, coming to terms with death or denial of it. In my film the woman is devastated by the death of her child. She lives in a state of denial, continuing to care for him long after his death. It's a descent into insanity.

The real Queen Mariana, I discovered, married her uncle, many years her senior. The young queen bore her husband a son who was severely handicapped.
Chloe Jenden