From the film-maker:

The painting helped the story take form in its first drafts, where its subject matter reminded me of the style and themes of the horror comic book series ‘Hellblazer’, in which Alan Moore created the character John Constantine, a streetwise magician famous for his heavy smoking addiction. The world of the comics, a contemporary world of paranormal conflict behind the scenes, is exactly what I thought of when looking at Saint Margaret of Antioch standing with her pet monster. Of course, as you can see, the story developed in a more ‘normal’ world setting, forgetting all supernatural aspects as the drafts of the script were developing, and putting emphasis on his dangerous habit of smoking.

Nicholas Kouros

A piece inspired by Francisco de Zurbarán: Saint Margaret of Antioch, 1630-4