Cuidate

By Suzie Beckley

In 2019 I spent 5 months in Mexico City for a semester abroad. Mexico City is a place famous for its sounds and it evokes some of my strongest memories there. Combining my own writing and images with atmospheric sound this short film explores memory and our own intimate relationship to language.

Suzie is a documentary filmmaker based in South London. She is particularly interested in capturing community stories on film and recently made a documentary about La Placita, a Latin American food court in New Cross. As a French and Spanish speaker she is interested in integrating different languages into the filmmaking process.

Instagram- @narcissuzie

Edited by Izzy judd

Casas

by Isabella Valencia Zapata

I had this phone call with mum around January. At that point of despair, thanks to the uncertainty of not having a place to live next, I felt that those objects that adorned each of the many rooms I’ve lived in seemed so alien, and they could also feel my fears.

I decided to visually portray those moments of anguish to let my mum and myself know, that at the end of all of everything, I’ll be fine.

Isabella is a BA Media and English first year student, and a poet and filmmaker in process. She produces emotional film pieces from literature’s organic perspective, combining her own poetry with film visuals. Casual conversations, reflections on the human sense, the dynamic of love, the homeland, and her own poems are her main approaches.

Instagram profile: @iss_val

Editors notes - Isabel Judd and Louis Chapman

‘Casas’ (‘houses’ in Spanish) is a short film about a young student who finds herself in a vulnerable situation away from home. She is on call to her mum in a dimly lit room where shadows are cast by a flickering candle. The conversation depicts her emotional desperation, conveying a deeply heart wrenching message, relatable to those who have struggled with the notion of ‘home’.

Isabella Valencia Zapata presents a beautiful one minute movie, that places you in the middle of a ruthless circumstance.

Superhero

by Judith Toh

After coming across a blog about military husband reunions online, I was inspired to write a short film script about some of these stories. Even though it is more common to be a military husband as compared to the past, I was intrigued by the change in gender roles and the significant role these female soldiers play in their husbands’ lives. And with Max’s obsession with superheroes, this parallels his immense love for his wife too.

Judith is a third year Media and Communications student, currently specialising in Screen Fiction. As an aspiring filmmaker, she enjoys jotting down ideas and scripts that center around anything she is particularly passionate about. This includes stories from her Singaporean background, or meet cutes she would gush about, but with a little twist.

She can be found on Instagram at @qmtoh.

from the Editor

A very heartwarming story! It is very engaging and I can absolutely envision scene by scene on how it goes. I love the subtle character hints throughout the script and the low-key yet warming reveal at the end.

Ingrid (Squiddy)

Last Girl

Sensitive Content: Violence

by Lou Cody

I wrote this piece in response to the biphobia I had witnessed many of my friends’ experience from lesbian women. It is by no means an attack on all lesbians, obviously!! But rather a huge caricature of those sorts of people, in order to highlight how ridiculous their ideology is.

Lou Cody is a third year BA media & communications student with a passion for screenwriting. They enjoy writing scripts that tackle subversive LGBTQ+ issues to bring visibility to a marginalized community. Humorous dialogue and charming characters are also integral to their work.

They can be found on Instagram at @lou.cody.

from the Editor

This was so fun to read, I had no idea where it was going to go but I enjoyed all of it. I really like the subtle build up to the climax, and there are also some very iconic lines. Not going into too much detail for fear of spoiling!

Shayda Soleiman

Hot Pot

by Ingrid Ng

‘Hotpot’ follows a group of international students shopping for their hotpot night, while sharing their struggles of being homesick and how hotpot culture reminds them of home. Using the nature of hotpot (popular group activity to gather friends and family), they expressed that the process of preparing for hotpot and enjoying it as a way of coping with their homesickness and loneliness being miles away from home.

Ingrid (Squiddy) is a Year 3 Media & Comms student from Hong Kong, they are also one of the editors of GoldDust magazine. They are passionate about storytelling through visuals and food, therefore alongside their crew (Aseel, Peijia and Ziyu) they have decided to create a short documentary about hotpot culture in the UK.

Ingrid can be found on Instagram at @tfei.ng.

from the Editor

Hot pot holds a very special place in my heart, and I would like to thank Ingrid for bringing back the cosy memories through this documentary short. Not only is it a delectable feast, it is a yummy affair that brings people together.

Judith Toh

Tania

by Fred

Tania was so much fun to make. I love how Graham looks like a real life Pixar character. He was also a pleasure to work with, not only bringing lots of enthusiasm, but a little model fishing rod that he made himself. Working with Lola, Leyla, Hannah and Ryan on this project is a highlight of a turbulent University experience. The project started with a story about being mad, but turned into something much sweeter, which we all definitely need. Hope you like it!

Frederic Hall is an editor for gold dust. They listen to lots of audiobooks and podcasts, they love any and every story. As many people are, they are very insecure about their work. Their dream is to be a cheesy, dark academia, editor/writer who most likely drinks and smokes too much.

from the Editor

Such a heartfelt and warm film! I loved how there were hardly any words but the character’s facially expressions and the camera movement and sounds were enough to express the emotions within the film.

Anna Bokan

The Moon Looks Strange Tonight

by Ipek Besik

Ipek is a Media and Communications alumni. She currently lives in Istanbul, Turkey and works at an NGO protecting freedom of speech. She enjoys weird stories, good films and long car rides.

She can be found on Instagram at @ipekbesik.

from the Editor

I was having so much fun reading it, I was completely caught off guard by the ending. What an adorable plot twist.

Shayda Soleiman

Too Young

by Kseniia Sheveleva

Too Young is a music video to the well-known song “Softcore” by The Neighbourhood (2018). Composed of footage from BBC, BFI and HBO, and personal archives, the video draws attention to the experience of growing up too soon and conceiving a family at a young age. Having been raised by a single young Mom, the author wished to highlight that, despite the stigma around teenage Moms, she had as happy of a childhood as one could have in a full mature family. The clips have been carefully picked and edited to demonstrate the inevitable difficulties of young love and parenthood in an “entertaining” manner, as the flow of images matches the beat in the typical commercial “music video” style. Young parents are aspiringly brave, and the prejudices they face are yet to be disrupted.

Kseniia is a first-year Media and Communications student with a huge aspiration towards filmmaking. Coming from a belief that “personal is political”, she seeks to reflect her life experiences through screen in a way that would disrupt common ideological misconceptions around them. She hopes to create pieces that people from various social and cultural backgrounds could resonate with and respond to mentally and artistically. Kseniia assures you that once she becomes a well-known film director, she will give away free tickets to her screenings in exchange for California rolls.

She can be found on Instagram at @matzueva.

edited by Judith Toh

Embassies

 The breakdown of a marriage — the shift between worlds — a diplomat, slipping between both. 

Ian Macartney is a writer. He can be found at ianmacartney.scot. 

CYBER

Video, editing, and music: Jason Bushill

Creative direction: Jason Bushill and Grzegorz Blazewicz

Model and Stylist: Justine Fung

“CYBER is a short fashion film exploring the vacuous glamour of online celebrity culture. In recent years, the term ‘influencer’ has become a mainstream label for online public figures who promote brands to their large followings. The film’s protagonist, Cyber, is the hyperreal embodiment of the ‘Instagram baddie’ persona, posing and strutting through moody London streets in reflective sunglasses and six-inch heels. This performance is all for the gaze of her imaginary onlookers that seem to surround her. Overall, CYBER seeks to highlight the absurd beauty of our online identities and how they shape us.” 

Jason Bushill is an Undergraduate student of Media and Communications at Goldsmiths, with a specific interest in fashion film and photography. Jason is drawn to exploring online identities and subcultures through his work.

Instagram: @jayszun

Perspective

TW: Body dysmorphia, intrusive thoughts, anxiety and strong language. 

Written by Emily Reader 

Directed by DArcy Brown 

Performed by Alison Zrada 

Curated by @ThematicTheatre and @SteedSmall 

‘Perspective’ explores a young woman’s relationship with her body, her journey towards acceptance and struggles with intrusive thoughts. 

The piece was originally commissioned by ‘LifeLogues’, a series of monologues based on lived experiences with the aim and intention of raising awareness and money for a number of charities which help individuals most affected by the themes and issues explored.

Emily Reader is an award-winning writer specialising in audio and television.  Her stage play, Rumours, was performed both in Exeter and at the Inter-University Drama Festival in Glasgow in 2018. In May 2020, she adapted the script into a radio play. Her short film, Swan Song, and accompanying essay won her the Zara Malone Memorial Prize for the highest creative writing mark in her year. Emily has also written for BBC Radio: her jokes were selected amongst hundreds to be performed on Newsjack. Her scripts have been shortlisted by ‘Owdyado Theatre, Ghostcow Productions, and her work has been read at scratch nights lead by Scriptwriters & Co, Dapper Sandwich, Newsroom Theatre Company, and Lonely Penguin Productions.

She is currently studying MA Script Writing at Goldsmiths University.
Website: https://emilyreaderwriter.wordpress.com

The Tin Woman

by Angel Lloyd

“Just a girl with a heart... in a box”

The Tin Woman is a fable set in contemporary London: a world in which human organs and body parts are as replaceable / updatable as the latest addition of the new IPhone. In this strange tale, a young woman sets out on a quest as a living statue to save up enough money to buy herself a brand new heart after her old one was irreparably broken... A modern fairy tale and bitter-sweet, semi- silent comedy, The Tin Woman is inspired by the whimsical quirkiness of Tim Burton and the dark, dream-like surrealism of David Lynch. Ultimately, it’s a story about finding strength while overcoming the grief and rage of a broken heart.

Angel Lloyd graduated from University of York with a BA Honours degree in ‘Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance’ in 2018. In 2019, she embarked upon her professional debut as a writer, director and co-producer of her play, 'High Trees' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; she was subsequently scouted by the BBC Writer’s Room who expressed interest in hearing about her future work. Other notable credits include co-writing the musical satire 'Mr Saxon's Excellently English Evening of Entertainment' at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and also co-starring in Squabbling House Theatre's 2018 production of 'Blink'. Lloyd is also a graduate of Northern Stars Documentary Academy (2014) and BFI Scriptwriting Academy (2015).

A Curated Mess

by Kate Johnston

I created this audio-visual project for my media art module. We looked at how media and art intersect and combine to critique/provide an overall message. There were a range of topics from which I chose ‘identity and matter.’ The project, titled ‘A Curated Mess,’ presented in a short video format, explores the formation of teenage/young adult identity through the lens of the teenage bedroom. In the piece, I wanted to critique how much the media influences our identity formation, especially during a transitory time. The presence of the media has affected our individual lives and physical spaces. I wanted to comment on how, alongside social media growth, the formation of our identities have become increasingly fragmented and replicated through physical, consumerist items. Trevor Paglen’s work inspired me, ‘The Curve’ and Pipilotti Rist’s work. Paglen'swork with algorithms and images influenced me to conduct a mechanic algorithm when putting this piece together. The repetitive visuals and audio of consumerist items display this. From Rist, I was inspired by the display of her work, as she would have projection installations. I chose to project the video back onto my bedroom wall to create a moving image bedroom poster, accentuating my original message.

Kate is currently studying BA Media and Comms. She enjoys making short films/experimental films and wants to do more of this. She is also the new off-air manager of Wired Radio, so enjoys planning events, updating social media, redesigning the overall brand and look of Wired. She really enjoys listening to music, going on nights out, getting into a good series and a good book. Also loves to cook in her spare time for herself and her housemates. She’s very interested in politics, mainstream film and TV and books, with a particular focus on women, coming of age dramas/documentaries and LGBTQ+ topics. 

Short film platform: @kjshorts

Pyramids

by Bruce Bigg

“This pilot episode of “Pyramids” follows Sue as she scams her way into another sale. The project, still in early development, looks to provide insight on the insidious nature of pyramid schemes. Often presented as some source of salvation, these schemes, in reality, leave the vast majority of those who buy into them financially crippled and with no choice but to pull others down with them.

Striking a comedic tone, the series will follow our protagonist as her conscience finally catches up with her. With disgruntled buyers demanding cash refunds and a litigious pyramid scheme company demanding she upholds her contractual responsibilities, Sue sinks further into this farcical quagmire, and begins to wonder if she will ever regain a semblance of normality.

The project is in its early development stages, and Bruce would be interested in collaborating with writers, directors, actors, producers, or people in any creative disciplines who feel they could bring something unique to this story.”

After graduating from Amsterdam University College, Bruce Briggs has spent the last three years working as a producer at the Amsterdam-based film production company The Panics. Now enrolled in the Scriptwriting MA at Goldsmiths, Bruce's work often has a political dimension and tends to explore issues relating to mass hysteria, mental health, and social and economical disparities. While focusing on film and television, he hopes to explore a variety of narrative vehicles and is open to collaborations. You can follow him on Instagram @brucebiggers

Machine Men

by Natasha Sullivan

“Machine Men is based in a dystopian, authoritarian Britain, in which the worth of human life is determined by an individual’s value to society. It follows Francis, a laboring middle-aged man, one that exists in the lower rungs of society, and his journey in becoming the catalyst for the Revolution. The title is inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s final speech from the Great Dictator; “You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts!”’

Natasha Sullivan is a young woman from the East End of London who is studying Media and English at Goldsmiths University. Natasha finds inspiration for her work through authors such as George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut, as well as activist songwriters Nina Si- mone, Bob Dylan, and Alfred Hayes. Natasha comes from a working-class background and considers herself socially conscious and politically driven, especially in terms of her work. After graduation, she aspires towards a creative, media-related career in which she can continue to freely express herself.

Noise Cancellation

By Kateryna Pavlyuk

“A short film about the experience and impact of tinnitus. With subtitles and audio captions.”

Kateryna is a Ukraine-born and London-bred documentary filmmaker, infinitely fascinated by people and especially drawn to how film can be used to convey embodied or often intangible experiences like identity, migration and diverse sensory experiences.

Othering

by Imogen Radwan and Robin L. Finetto

“A young actress arrives at a secluded country house to immerse herself in a challenging role. When she begins having strange dreams, the actress becomes increasingly disturbed by her surroundings. As the demands of the role cause her mental stability to deteriorate, the actress is soon led into a dangerous confrontation with herself.

Created entirely under lockdown with a cast & crew of just two people, Othering is an unsettling psychological horror film, inspired by the stories of Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre.”

Imogen Radwan is a novelist, screenwriter/director and a recent MA Script Writing graduate. Growing up in the countryside, Imogen owes her creative endeavours to being stuck in the middle of nowhere, with writing being her only means of escape. She has published two novels, Clarice and Violet Minded, and has recently finished writing her first feature film. She has also made a number of short films, with a view to directing more in future.

Portfolio: https://imogenradwan.cargo.site/

Robin L. Finetto is an Anglo-Italian writer/director, video editor and singer-songwriter. After seeing the films of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch, Robin began making short films of his own. He moved to the UK in 2014 to study Film and Music at Oxford Brookes, and quickly became proficient in video editing. Alongside his job as an editor at The Film Farmers, Robin is always working on his next short film idea.

Portfolio: https://rlffilm.cargo.site/

2 Miles 1 Train

by Holly Trimby

“As a female, I really want my work and any future work I do to be based around women characters and day to day struggles that we go through. 2 Miles 1 Train isn’t just meant to depict an assault but to also show the aftermath and the long road to recovery.”

Born in 1999, Holly Trimby is a second-year English and Media student at Goldsmiths. She attended primary school in London before before emigrating to America for middle and high school. Moving back to London in 2016, she's done shadowing work for BBC Radio and was part of the Fast-forward Programme at OMD Media. After graduation, she hopes to do something media-related in either human rights or gender equality.

dear anna wintour

by Zulfa Armeth

“For centuries, you've been recycling the same ideologies and patterns in which you steal the culture and aesthetics of marginalised communities yet keep these communities oppressed rather than uplifting them. The white men in suits at the top do not represent us!!!! Inclusivity needs to be at every level, not just at the bottom in the department stores, we want POC in marketing, in photography, in publishing, in buying, in styling, in suits. However, we don't want you to adopt this mentality for performative reasons because it's so obvious when you do, hence inclusivity is not a trend. Do better.”

Zulfa Armeth is a London based creative passionate about the social effects of post-colonialism implemented and ingrained throughout our day to day lives, as a British Asian Muslim she experiences the identity crisis that is intrinsically attached to colonialism and colourism and attempts to materialise clarity from her conflicts within her art.

Queering the Archives for Future Audiences