The Small Assassin

2011 / 16 mins / USA / directed by Chris Charles

Saturday, March 3

9.30 Pm
US Navy Heritage Center
$10 in advance HERE or at the door

Screens with  The Caretaker 2012 / 93 mins / Australia / directed by Tom Conyers

The year is 1947, and Alice (Lois Atkins) and David (David Marcotte) have just given birth to their first child. When Alice slips into postpartum depression, David seeks the advice of their Doctor (Robert Breuler), who assures him that she will eventually come around. But as time passes Alice’s depression takes a turn for the worse, and she becomes convinced that the baby is conspiring against her. David must decide if his wife is loosing her mind, or if the child is plotting their doom. ‘The Small Assassin’ is based on the short story by legendary sci-fi author Ray Bradbury.

Director’s Statement: The Small Assassin was an ambitious project for our team. As young filmmakers, we tackled a very challenging story with complex themes. Firstly, we had the daunting task of adapting the words of legendary sci-fi author Ray Bradbury into a screenplay. Then we created a world unfamiliar to our generation: late 1940s suburban America. Finally, we had to delve into the psychology of severe postpartum depression (postpartum psychosis), which occurs in about 1 in 1 million women who give birth. So we were dealing with an incredibly rare situation.

Chris Charles studied Film & Video at Columbia College Chicago, where he graduated with high honors in 2007. Charles has cast, directed, and produced dozens of commercials and films in Chicago. He was the associate producer and casting director of the award-winning feature “Chicago Overcoat” starring Frank Vincent (“The Sopranos”) and Armand Assante (“Gotti”). He most recently directed the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Click It or Ticket “Cops Everywhere” commercials, which won an Emmy® Award in 2009. Charles currently serves as a staff producer at the Chicago-based Beverly Ridge Pictures.

Producer John W. Bosher’s early interest in filmmaking led him to earn a degree in Film & Video from Columbia College. His résumé features a variety of award-winning short films including the superhero action film “Burden” featuring Peter Cullen (“Transformers”) and the short film adaptation “The Small Assassin” from literary legend Ray Bradbury. Bosher has also produced several feature-length motion pictures including “Devil’s Dominoes” and the upcoming Showtime release “Chicago Overcoat”. Most recently he produced the Emmy® winning Click It or Ticket “Cops Everywhere” campaign for the Illinois Department of Transportation. Bosher is a staff producer and one of the co-founders of Beverly Ridge Pictures.

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