‘THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE PIERCING’ is a surrealist, heavily stylized thriller short film about the pageantry surrounding romance, and the way societal expectations can shape our behaviour even within our most vulnerable and intimate moments.

It's the story of Margo, who is in a new relationship and struggling with the expectations that romance brings. When Margo’s new piercing becomes infected, what seems like a minor inconvenience spirals into a maddening obsession that challenges her ideas of “normal” and “correct” and threatens to tear her identity apart.

This is a story that stews in the desperation and madness of trying to become somebody you're not; it's about a battle with the unspoken but ever-present social scripts that run our lives and our relationships.

Margo's struggle is one that we can all connect to: The feeling that something about you is "incorrect" - but, even more so, it's about the vicious journey to self-acceptance.

Our inspiration:

The project pulls inspiration from the visually bombastic styles of Johnathan Glazer and Yorgos Lanthimos to represent Margo's tumultuous inner world and struggle to conform. PIERCING'S themes of intense wanting and fear of the self will be brought to life through crunchy, highly experimental visuals inspired by neo-gothic and death metal aesthetics.

The directors, a.k.a One Whole Tomato Collective:

Wren McNab is an Edmonton-born director and production designer with a background in music videos and short films. Their work touches on themes of unconventional love stories and explorations of identity through striking, dreamlike visuals.

Ry Fry is a director and action designer hailing from Grande Cache, Alberta. Through 6 years of professional work in the Vancouver film scene, Ry has established himself as a source of bold, high-octane, and often cheeky stories that resonate on a deep level.

Co-directing this project is an opportunity to combine our varying areas of expertise to breathe life into a story that is simultaneously explosive and vulnerable.

Your donation will go towards:

Any and all donations are extremely appreciated. Thank you for supporting our project!