Ghosts in the Light

A couple explore an old ghost town outside of Renfrew, Ontario only to find that hidden and underlying problems in their relationship are brought to the surface (12 Minutes).

Starring Sonya Nagpal and Islam Balbaa.

COMMENTS:

Several years before shooting this film I went on a road trip through southern Ontario with a map of all the ghost towns. Most were not that interesting but there was one outside of Renfrew Ontario that was called Newfoundout. It was located about a mile up this old dirt road that ran off the highway. There were 3 or 4 log cabins that were scattered around a straw filled field. The field was surrounded by these tall pines. A path led through an opening in the woods and rays of creepy light bled though from behind It was both spooky and beautiful and a perfect place to make a movie.

That was the root of this Ghosts in the Light. I wanted to paint a face to the wonder of the area and also tell an interesting story about a relationship breakdown. I had an idea for a haunting ending that would blend the the realism of the characters with the mystery and supernatural power of the ghost town.

We shot on a beautifully warm September day. Just the three of us Solly, Sonia and myself. There were multiple locations and some, like the town gas station that we stumbled upon and decided to just improvise a scene there. I used a technique that I’m very fond of where I just give the actors a general outline and allow then to create their own lines based on their characters. I had worked with both these two many times before and I knew they were both up to the task.

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