Missing In Action

1. Missing In Action

2. Log Line & Synopsis • Logline: "In a world of war, a young widow struggles to let go of the memory of her lost husband.” • Synopsis: Elizabeth Godson has just received a letter stating that her husband is Missing in action and presumed dead. Afraid to let go, Elizabeth starts seeing her husbands face, shadow, and “ghost” around the house. She is distraught by the sightings, and resembles a woman who has lost all sense of reality. 
 • Members of the community comment on her strange change of character and her apparent mental disposition but only as onlookers, not as helpers. 
Elizabeth’s sightings become more frequent and prevalent though she becomes disheartened by the fact that she can see her husband, but cannot touch him. • She begins to see her deceased husband’s face in the being of others, her milkman, her postman, neighbours and tries to reach out, leaving the community frightened and convinced she has completely lost her mind.  • Early morning the next day there is a knock at the door, Elizabeth sees her husband, stood in his uniform. She invites him in, sits him down at the kitchen table, and brings him breakfast, not entirely sure whether it is all a trick of her mind. As her husband eats, she reaches out and puts her hand on his, “it really is you.” She whispers. • https://vimeo.com/84840856

3. Research • Clothing: Women always wore skirts or dresses, never trousers, and these were always ankle length so that their legs could not be seen.  • During the war, women became used to doing things that were frowned upon before, such as smoking, going out alone and wearing trousers or shorter dresses. This trend continued after the war. Hemlines rose, smoking became fashionable and young women frequently went out without a male companion.

4. WW1 British Army Uniform When looking for costumes and props for the actors we will go to charity shops, vintage clothing stores, Belgrade theater, drama department in ET, antique shops etc.

5. Research • The lack of a body, a funeral, often a burial site, and of public recognition of a loss meant that not only mourning was suppressed. Often grieving, the psychological process of accepting a death, was also ignored or avoided during the war. Often grief expressed itself in an obsession with the details of the soldier's death. Joy Damousi, in her work on Australia and the war, has suggested that this fascination allowed the bereaved to "absorb themselves in the presence of the soldier and resist the possibility of death."

6. Research • Symptoms of complicated grief include: 
• Intense longing and yearning for the 
deceased 
• Intrusive thoughts or images of your loved 
one 
• Denial of the death or sense of disbelief 
• Imagining that your loved one is alive
• Searching for the person in familiar places 
• Avoiding things that remind you of your loved 
one 
• Extreme anger or bitterness over the loss 
• Feeling that life is empty or meaningless 

7. Research • 1920’s Victorian house

8. Research • Location Scouting and Actors • When searching for a location we will be using various sites including • creativeengland.co.uk • www.ukfilmlocation.com/ • www.locationworks.com/ Sites for finding actors: • Starnow • Facebook midlands actors group