From the film-maker:

This picture called out to me not only because of its arresting composition and tonal range but also because of the life it gives every character.
As a devout Christian, I found the back story too personal to do justice to in such a small medium. However, the two people that drew my attention were the old lady almost completely shadowed in the background and the executioner.
‘Left’ is the story of a mother in denial at the loss of her child and a husband who loves his wife so much that he cannot do anything about it. The babysitter Laura is our entry into their world and the discovery of the dead child in the bedroom is inspired by the painting, bringing the old woman to the forefront and heightening the emotions in the other characters.
The dark, brooding feel of the film is the same feeling the painting gave me.

Ishaya Bako

A piece inspired by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Salome receives the Head of Saint John the Baptist,1607-10