MACHINATION is a glimpse into the life of an anxious woman as she battles mental illness, while undertaking self-isolation.
Breathe In Fear …
News of an out of control pandemic has gripped the world and mass panic is pushing humanity into an uncertain future.
Maria, a sensitive and anxious woman, struggles to cope in self-isolation. With fear mounting and the demands of the world closing in, Maria is forced to confront her past and the monsters that surround her … both without and within.
MACHINATION is a psychological horror/drama inspired by COVID-19 and its effect on mental health. Claustrophobic, intense, and led by a gripping performance by Steffi Thake, MACHINATION is a sharp, spiralling thriller about the consequences of breathing in constant fear.
Interesting MACHINATION facts:
MACHINATION is entirely improvised. It is Nexus Production's third improvised feature film.
From concept to wrap, MACHINATION took four months to complete. It was shot on a micro-budget of €6000, during a pandemic, with a crew of three for most of the shoot.
Maria as a character is a realistic look at how if left untreated, undiagnosed mental illness can spiral out of control. MACHINATION also focuses on how family members, despite their best efforts to understand their loved ones' mental health issues, often are not mentally or emotionally capable to to assist or prevent situations from escalating.
To build the relationships Maria has with the other characters, Steffi was placed in multiple scenarios acting out her past with the other characters during an extensive rehearsal period. Rehearsals were inspired by the techniques of Mike Leigh and character-based improvisation taught by Robert Marchand, which helped Steffi step into the character and see Maria’s surreal and paranoid world first hand.
The film that most inspired the directors to tell Maria’s story of her struggle with schizophrenia is the 1993 Clean, Shaven by director Lodge Kerrigan.
