I recently had the opportunity to watch the psychological horror/thriller “The Guard” by director/writer Mark Battle, and found the movie engaging and captivating. The film, about an expecting father haunted by visions of harming his own child, explores elemental themes of the fears that parents assume when a newborn baby is on the way, as well as making smart attempts at showing what parents will do to protect their children.
The Movie Buff had the opportunity to talk to Mark about his film, its themes, its reception, and what is next for the director. We would like to thank Mark for participating in this interview and for making it possible. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a reply in the comment section below.
Movie Buff: Hi, please introduce yourself for our readers.
Mark Battle: My name is Mark Battle and I’m and indie filmmaker from Southern New Hampshire by night, graphic designer by day.
MB: Can you tell us a bit about “The Guard?” How did you come up with the concept for the film? What were your inspirations?
MB: “The Guard” was based on a terrifying experience I had 15 years ago when I was suffering from symptoms of a rare form of OCD which most people have either never heard of or know very little about. This nasty disorder of the mind attacks a person’s intimate thoughts with unthinkable visions of harming loved ones. It’s almost entirely invisible and internalized, so it can be extremely terrorizing for people and often times those people are afraid to talk about it for fear that they will be labeled insane, which is far from the truth. The people who tend to suffer with these intrusive thoughts are in fact the least likely to commit the horrible visions their minds torture them with.
The purpose of the film and the challenge was to try to share what this experience feels like with an audience.
“The Guard” poster (Sweven Films, 2018).
MB: How did you fund your project?
MB: The film was financed by a few very generous people, but most of it was out of pocket.
MB: I was very impressed with the acting in this film, especially from Bryan Veronneau and Erika Thormahlen. Can you tell us about the casting process for the film? Was it difficult or easy to find your leads?
MB: I had been in contact with Bryan for years and we were always very excited about collaborating together. Bryan is a talented and deeply passionate actor and the two of us gravitated towards each other’s energy almost immediately.
I cast Erika after seeing some of her previous film work and was impressed by how natural and interesting she was; she had recently taken a hiatus from acting but was interested in jumping back into the fray.
MB: The film is 15 minutes in length. Can you tell us why you picked a short for your film’s production? Do you prefer shorts to full length features?
MB: The short format is kinder to my budget and time-restraints. If I had more resources and time, I would love to tackle a feature – but right now, it takes me well over a year, sometimes nearly two years to finish a script for a short. That may seem like a very long time and I suppose it is, but I try to put something different on screen or something that I feel is maybe something unusual or fresh or forces a different perspective. I’ve not always been successful and the process is down-right grueling, but I don’t know how to do it any other way.
MB: I found the film’s protagonist, Denny, very relatable and empathetic – a father having haunting visions of harming his unborn son. What do you think is motivating Denny’s thoughts? Can you tell us a bit about what he is going through? Are you as a filmmaker trying to say anything about fatherhood or parents expecting a newborn in specific?
MB: My objective with the film was almost entirely for experiential reasons. I wanted the audience to climb into someone’s mind and experience first-hand what it feels like to suffer with this unusual form of OCD – there are other messages, there too – mainly, that the mind can and will destroy itself in its attempt to protect. It’s all very fascinating and terrifying to me.
MB: What is the significance for your film’s title, “The Guard?” What does it mean to Denny, to the film’s subject matter?
I wanted the audience to climb into someone’s mind and experience first-hand what it feels like to suffer with this unusual form of OCD.”
MB: Well, obviously the main character is a security guard, so there’s that of course, but the other reason why the title worked for me was that it also speaks to protection. Throughout the entire film, Denny is trying to protect his family from himself and his terrifying thoughts, which he is unable to do.
The film also speaks to the fears a new parent might have – sometimes unexpressed fears. Will I be good enough? Will I do any harm? Can I protect my children? Can I guard them from this world, from myself? Those can be very big, scary questions.
MB: There are some interesting shots in your film (my favorite was the overhead shot of the canoe as Denny rows to the lake to throw away his kitchen knives). What locations did you use for shooting the film? Did you have any challenges or surprises?
MB: We shot the film almost entirely in Southern, New Hampshire and many of the scenes took place on Arlington Pond in Salem, New Hampshire, which is the town where I grew up.
Production ran from the end of September to early October. We had expected mild, autumnal weather but were surprised with a brutal heatwave that made the film extremely challenging. Through most of the film, Denny is covered in sweat – which worked very well to express his distress, but it was very uncomfortable.
We were hoping for fall foliage and cool, crisp weather, but Mother Nature gave us no color in the trees and summer heat.
MB: What has been the feedback and response to your film?
MB: The film has just begun its film festival run, so it’s a little early, but I have received an enormous reception from people who understand what the film is doing – especially those who have experience what is happening in the film for themselves. The reactions have been very, very interesting and I’m very excited to see where it goes from here.
It received ‘Best of Fest’ at this year’s DraftFest in Derry, NH, and, next week we screen at the New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth, NH which is always a great time.
MB: What’s next for you?
MB: “The Guard” dug deep and really fallowed my creative grounds, both creatively and emotionally. I’ve got several projects on the burner, in various stages of completion; it might be too early to tell yet – but it can all come together very fast.
A big thanks to Mark Battle for this interview. You can follow him on Twitter at @swevenfilms.
