GUY DEFFERARY KATIA WINTER

ANAPHYLAXIS
A FILM BY AYMAN MOKHTAR

"Anaphylaxis is very interesting.... we are interested in viewing

the finished product to discuss UK distribution."
BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE

"The film’s premise is striking and clever. The idea of a man unable to touch anyone
is a powerful central motif."
FIRST FILM FOUNDATION

"The central idea of the film – anaphylactic shock as a result of physical contact – is
a brilliant one and exceptionally rich in metaphorical suggestion. Also, the concept of
having one’s life story tattooed on one’s own body is fascinating."
SCRIPT VAULT

"Anaphylaxis has a very interesting and original voice. It’s a disturbing existential
exploration into the nature of solitude, and the desperate urge of an artistic temperament
to express this"
SCRIPT FACTORY

A FILMART PRODUCTION

86 mins 14 secs

100 KENSINGTON CHURCH STREET

LONDON W8 4BU
UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: +44 (0)207 7922 014
FAX: +44 (0)207 2290 734

VISIT THE ANAPHYLAXIS WEBSITE AT:

http://www.anaphylaxisthefilm.com
 INTRODUCTION
(Director Statement)
Anaphylaxis is a film that speaks a new cinematic language: it employs my new
Prosodic Cinema theory to convey its classical narrative. Composed of shots arranged
in rhythmic units (Steps) that are projected as pulses on an underlying structure of
rhythmic regularity (Runs), Anaphylaxis relies on the inherent rhythmic quality of
film as a time-dependent medium to express meaning.

The twentieth century cinematic tradition has typically focused on the content,
arrangement and continuity of shots in film. Prosodic Cinema (as I described in
various publications in 2009), while still observing those traditional rules, also
observes an additional prosodic rule. This new rule aims to create a rhythmic
succession of shots as part of an overall metrical rhythm in film similar to the meter-
based rhythm in poetry.

Anaphylaxis has a visual rhythmic structure that is modelled after some of the well-
known metrical rhythms in poetry. The main visual metrical rhythm in Anaphylaxis is
iambic pentameter (similar to the rhythm in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Milton’s
Paradise Lost). There are also other visual metrical rhythms occasionally used in
various places throughout the film; for example, the iambic tetrameter (Pushkin’s
Onegin), and the iambic hexameter (Racine’s Phèdre).

Poetry is also a central theme in the film’s narrative: the writing on a dead poet’s body
is the only salvation for a man allergic to the human touch. As in poetry, the meaning
in Anaphylaxis is defined by the emotional and intellectual response the work draws
from the recipient. The idea is not to direct the viewer to a particular position, but to
create an experience of contemplation and reflection. The film gives each viewer the
chance to make his or her own way home through the oblique landscape of metaphor.

This poetic ambiguity is important in Anaphylaxis. The film’s events take place in the
intangible aspects of existence such as perceptions, memories, consciousness and
emotions. These aspects continuously interact in subtle and complex ways to make
our reality itself ambiguous. The dreamlike visual style of Anaphylaxis echoes our
uncertain reality. The controlled environment of London’s Ealing Studios helped
create the film’s surreal mise-en-scène during principal photography. The post-
production process further enhanced the film’s unreal look by digitally manipulating
image colour and composition.

With its prosodic and dreamlike visual style, Anaphylaxis lures viewers into
pondering their complex reality – the subtle experiences that give rise to the most
difficult questions about the meaning of our relationship to each other.

Ayman Mokhtar
 LOGLINE
A doctor allergic to the human touch finds his salvation in writings tattooed on the body of a
dead poet.

ONE-PARAGRAPH SYNOPSIS
A doctor develops a strange illness – anaphylaxis, a severe allergy to human skin. He
struggles with his inability to touch people until he discovers that dead bodies don’t trigger
his illness. He changes his job to work as a pathologist, dealing only with dead bodies. This is
when he encounters a dead poet. Her corpse appears in his autopsy lab, tattooed from neck to
toe with writing. Imprisoned as wife and mother, she suffered from postnatal depression.
Writing was her only solace, but she sought escape so much it became a dangerous obsessive
compulsive disorder. Her psychiatrist forbade her to write. But she did, tattooing her body
with her life’s story – and died as a result. As the doctor reads her tattooed story he discovers
a profound bond between his solitude and hers. She becomes his only chance for a human
connection and he reaches to her across the boundaries of death with one last act – of love.

SHORT SYNOPSIS
A successful doctor, content with life, develops a strange illness – anaphylaxis, a severe
allergy to human skin. He tries to defy his illness, but his life is tuned upside down by his
inability to touch people. He can’t function professionally, socially or intimately with his
fiancée, whom he eventually loses.

Then he discovers that dead bodies don’t trigger his illness. He withdraws from life around
him to work as a pathologist, dealing only with dead bodies. Life is calm until he encounters a
woman’s dead body covered from neck to toe with writing. Intrigued, he starts to read.

She was a poet. Imprisoned as a wife and mother, she suffered postnatal depression. Writing
was her solace, but she sought escape so much it became a dangerous obsessive compulsive
disorder. They locked her in a psychiatric hospital to recover. When released, she was told not
to touch a pen again. But she did – to end it all by writing her story on her skin, dying as a
result.

Reading her story, the doctor discovers a profound bond between his experiences of solitude
and those recounted in her tattooed words. The dead poet becomes the doctor’s only chance
for a human connection before the next touch kills him. He reaches to her across the
boundaries of death with one last act – of love.
 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
(Frequently Asked Questions)

What are the classical story and narrative phases in Anaphylaxis?

Act I: A world where the two main characters are deluded about connecting with
others.
First Turning Point (Inciting Incident): Reality hits (with sickness and birth).
Act II: They try to hold on to their delusions of possible connection with other people.
Second Turning Point: Reality prevails.
Act II cont.: They acknowledge and deal with their isolation.
Third Turning Point: Reality’s worst hit.
Act III: The rock bottom of their journey.
Climax: Their stories cross paths with a promise of connection with the other.
Resolution: The new world, in which the two main characters connect with each
other.

What are the unique story and narrative elements in Anaphylaxis?

- Characters don’t have names.
- Two different (yet similar) stories of two protagonists, one of them has no
dialogue lines.
- One narrative of deep identification/love between two people who never meet.
- The two stories are tightly interwoven to run in parallel, yet in a classical
linear chronology.
- Each of the two main characters narrates the other character’s story (not their
own story).
- The Prologue introduces both stories at their final Climax point.
- The Resolution is perhaps a bigger problem than the Inciting Incident.

Why are various visual elements (set, makeup, costumes, image,

colour, etc.) in Anaphylaxis stylised to look unrealistic?
The stylisation of individual visual elements like sets, costumes, makeup, image,
colour, etc. aims to echo (or contradict) the specific story situation on screen in order
to enhance expression and meaning in any particular scene. Besides that, there are
also overall artistic ends served by such stylisation of Anaphylaxis. A stylised image
that is less (or more) than photorealistic suits the film’s sceptical notion about the
reality of human connection. A fake image, if you like, suits a story about fake
communication. Also, what we witness in Anaphylaxis during those 90 minutes is the
main character’s perception of events rather than an objective realistic depiction of
them.
What are the unique image colour elements in Anaphylaxis?
The visual element of colour in Anaphylaxis’ image is manipulated towards artistic
ends. The choice of colour (or the lack of it) varies depending on the narrative phase,
reflecting the story situation in each phase. The colour scheme of the various story
phases is as follows:

Act I: The entire image is B&W (Black & White).

Act II: B&W image, but the protagonists’ clothes are in colour (his are red and hers
are blue).
Act II continued: B&W image, but people’s skin is in colour.
Act III: mono-colour image (red for his scenes and blue for hers), but people’s skin is
B&W.
Climax: Total image colour overlay (red for his scenes and blue for hers).
Resolution: The entire image is B&W.

The overall cycle of story colours (from a B&W Act I to a B&W Resolution) is one of
many subtexts in the film, suggesting a cyclic nature of the story journey in spite of
what seems to be a progressive storyline.

What are the unique casting/ acting elements in Anaphylaxis?

The cast is unrealistically young, contributing to a feeling of a fake world in which

only fake relationships are (or aren’t) possible. Also, actors are more of action and
visual element rather than communicating humans, reflecting the film’s thesis about
human isolation. So, actors mainly rely on their facial and body gestures and
choreographed movements rather than the conventional spoken word to express
meaning.
What are the unique cinematography elements in Anaphylaxis?
Camera movement

This is another element, which reflects the emotional and psychological situation in
various story phases and also (together with image colour) alludes to the overall cyclic
nature of the story journey. Camera movement is directed towards certain visual
metaphoric ends as follows:

- ACT I: Camera is always moving in all shots up to the first story turning point
- First Turning Point: brings camera movement to a halt for the rest of the film
- Resolution: The camera returns to consistent movement in all shots.

The camera movement rules are broken at particular scenes/shots, which represent
significant story points. For example, at the end of the Second Turning Point, where
the two main characters find the right response to their problem, the camera moves
throughout the scene.

Camera angle/ position

Given the film’s sceptical position on human communication, whenever two

characters are engaged in a conversation the camera takes a position/angle that
doesn’t clearly show us the character’s talking. There is only one significant scene
where The Poet reads her poetry to her audience. Apart from that, there are no talking
heads in Anaphylaxis. We never see the face of any character when he/she talks – as if
the camera turns its back on any talking human.

Shot size

In various places between the first story turning point and the climax, the shot/frame
size follows certain rules in certain scenes to echo the psychology of the situation. For
example, on the one hand, the shot/frame size increases from close to medium to wide
in many of The Doctor’s scenes as if the camera (he) is pushing the world away. On
the other hand, the shot/frame size decreases in many of The Poet’s scenes, inviting
the world in.

Lighting

Lighting throughout the film is of expressionist quality (i.e., instead of reflecting the
reality of the place where the scene is set, it reflects the emotional and psychological
state of the character/situation).

What are the unique editing elements in Anaphylaxis?

Temporal (Tempo) Editing (i.e., time dependent)

Anaphylaxis achieves its prosodic narration goals via meticulous editing efforts. The
film’s editing focus is on shot length (for prosody) while still observing shot content,
arrangement and continuity (for storytelling). The editing builds the film’s rhythmic
structure and tells the film’s story at the same time, creating a meaningful and
accessible narrative in prosody.

Shot transitions

This element reflects the emotional and psychological situation in various story
phases and also (together with image colour and camera movement) alludes to the
overall cyclic nature of the story journey. Three rules for shot transitions are followed
in Anaphylaxis’ editing, depending on the story phase as follows:

- ACT I: always dissolving shot transitions;

- First Turning Point: brings dissolving to a halt and shot transitions become
abrupt cuts; and
- Resolution: shot transitions return to dissolving.

The shot transition rules are deliberately broken sometimes in particular scenes at
significant story points. For example, in one scene halfway through the second part of
the second act, when the two main characters find comfort in their solitude, shot
transitions change from abrupt cuts to dissolves.

What are the unique set design elements in Anaphylaxis?

The entire film was shot in front of a large green screen at Ealing Studios in London.
Specially designed interactive set elements (propos and set dressing elements) were
used during principal photography. The rest of the set design was composed in post
production in a process that took about two years of compositing and special effects
work. The result is a film’s world that is surreal rather than real – as surreal as the
film’s story itself. Just like its expressionist lighting, Anaphylaxis’ sets are not
designed to depict the reality of a place, but rather to create a world that echoes the
story situation or the character’s emotional state in a particular scene or phase of the
film.
An example of this is the up-scale restaurant chairs, whose legs and backs are
wrapped in layers of gauze like mummies. Another example is the Rothko painting
that is constantly present in many places in both story worlds of the two main
characters.

Another important aspect of Anaphylaxis’ set design is that all the film’s scenes are
interiors. There are no exterior locations or sets throughout the entire film. This
enclosed setting contributes to the feelings of isolation and imprisonment that
dominate the film’s story. Anaphylaxis’ isolated and claustrophobic sets echo visually
a major theme in the film: we are essentially alone.

What are the unique costumes elements in Anaphylaxis?

Costume design aims to isolate and differentiate the two main characters and the
secondary/ significant characters from the rest of the film’s characters. People, men
and women, in Anaphylaxis wear the same uniformly plain clothes that cover them
entirely from neck to toe. Only the two main characters and a few characters of
narrative significance (depending on the story point) have individual clothes that help
characterise them.

Also, there are occasional surreal costume designs that appear in certain scenes/
phases, aiming to resonate a feeling in a situation/ character. An example of this is the
Poet’s blue domestic attire with functionless, tied-up sleeves, echoing her
imprisonment in her domestic role as a wife and a mother. Another example is the
Doctor’s autopsy headgear that looks like that of a beekeeper, echoing the attack/
threat situation he faces with people’s touches.

Furthermore, costume colour (like set colour) falls into one of four categories: red,
blue, black or white. The harmonious/ conflicting use of those colours for the
costumes of various characters plays an important visual role in echoing the story
phase and the relationship between the two main characters and their worlds as
follows:

Act I: Doctor wears white (white-dressed world) & Poet wears black (black-dressed
world).
Act II: Doctor wears red (black-dressed world) & Poet wears blue (white-dressed
world).
Act II continued: Doctor wears black (white-dressed world) & Poet in white (black-
dressed world).
Act III: Doctor wears black (red-dressed world) & Poet wears white (blue-dressed
world).
Climax/ Resolution: Poet wears skin-tone coloured clothes, then both naked.

What are the unique makeup elements in Anaphylaxis?

Makeup & Hair designs also aim to isolate and differentiate the two main characters
from the rest of the film’s characters. People, men and women, in Anaphylaxis wear
the same plane uniformly plain makeup and hair styles. Only the two main characters
and a few characters of narrative significance (depending on the story point) have
individual makeup and hair styles that help characterise them.

Also, there are the occasional surreal makeup elements that appear in certain scenes.
An example of this is the open chest of one of the corpses that is designed to look like
an explosion rather than a body incision. Another example is the tattoo writing on the
Poet’s body. This is designed to look like barbwire wrapped around the body with
concentric circles on the torso shaped like a dilemma centred on the umbilicus.

What are the unique sound elements in Anaphylaxis?

Sound track (recording and mixing)

The entire film was shot on mute at Ealing Studios in London. The whole sound track
was composed from scratch in post-production, including dialogue, atmos, fx, etc.
The film’s sound mixing aims for subtle expressionism rather than realism by placing
certain sound and voice elements on unconventional parts of the surround system. An
example of this is placing the narration voices on the side speakers rather than the
conventional placement on the front speakers. This achieves the effect of wrapping
the audience in the narration instead of forcing them to focus their attention on it.

Dialogue

Dialogue in Anaphylaxis is “off screen” as the camera always takes a position and
angle that avoids seeing in any shot a speaking character on the screen. Furthermore,
off screen dialogue is mixed to be heard at a lower level in many places under the
ongoing narration. This again puts us at a sceptical distance from any attempt of
human communication in the film.
Narration

Narration is a major sound element in Anaphylaxis. However, the film’s narration is

not used in the usual way as primarily descriptive and analytical of what we see on the
screen. Narration in Anaphylaxis is done by the two main characters with each
narrator actually narrating the other’s story. Anaphylaxis prosodic visual style
structures the majority of the film’s scenes to be shared by both characters. This takes
the scene’s narration beyond being descriptive and analytical of what’s on the screen,
but rather an auditory element enhancing viewer’s perception of the similarity
between the two storylines and the identification between the two story characters.

Sound effects

Like light and colour, sound in Anaphylaxis also aims in many places for an
expressionist rather than a realistic effect. Examples of this are the sound effects of
the cardiac electric shock machine used to resuscitate the dying Poet; or the sound of
the injection gun used by the Doctor to treat his illness.

Music

The basis for the film’s music score is the second movement of Shostakovitch’s string
quartet No. 7. It only appears in the second half of the film, starting from the second
turning point where the two main characters face and live up to their solitude. The
piece is a sorrowful chant that Shostakovitch wrote for his dying life-long partner.
Besides the deeply and intensely sad mood of the piece, it has two main melodic lines
and two key instruments playing. One instrument is a violin (representing the Poet)
and the other is a Cello (representing the Doctor). The two play in a contrapuntal then
harmonious way that echoes the isolation and then identification of the two main
characters.
 INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR AYMAN MOKHTAR

Under what genre can we put Anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis treads in the borderlands of art, exploring those mysterious regions
where the language of images, words, and music meet and speak to each other. I’m
trying in Anaphylaxis to shape a visual language for the film that can function
poetically. I call that Prosodic Cinema, which is a term I coined for my new theory on
rhythm in film as a time-dependent medium. To satisfy our modern obsession of
categorising and pigeonholing everything, we can consider Prosodic Cinema as a
subgenre, if you like, of the Art Film genre. This makes Anaphylaxis the first prosodic
film in this new subgenre.

What is the underlying concept behind Prosodic Cinema?

Rhythm is inherent in any time-dependent medium, but it is most associated with
music, dance and poetry. Film is also a time-dependent medium and therefore rhythm
is inherent in film. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, and after the initial
twentieth century fascination with the novelty of an image that moves, the rhythmic
potential in film as a time-dependent medium needs to be explored and unleashed.
This brings new artistic heights to cinema and opens new realms for film to exist in
next to poetry, music and dance.

What is prosody?
Rhythm is the variation of the length and accentuation of a series of events (sounds,
movements, etc.). In linguistics, the rhythm of connected speech is called prosody,
which may reflect various emotional features of the speech or speaker. There are three
categories of prosodic rules which create rhythmic successions: Additive (same
duration repeated); Cumulative (short-long); or Counter-cumulative (long-short).
Each of those prosodic rules has its own emotional impact on the recipient of
relaxation, tension, etc.

What is Prosodic Cinema?

I have described my Prosodic Cinema theory in several articles and white papers that
were published in various media during 2009. In a nutshell, it goes like this: In
cinema, the 20th century cinematic traditions have typically focused on the content,
arrangement and continuity of shots. While still observing those traditional rules,
Prosodic Cinema also observes an additional new prosodic rule to create a rhythmic
succession of shots as part of an overall metrical rhythm in film (similar to the meter-
based rhythm in poetry). The successive Shots (Syllables) of defined durational
patterns constitute small rhythmic units called Steps (Feet), which are arranged into
repeated patterns in larger metric units called Runs (Lines), which flow successively
over time in the larger units of Scenes (Stanzas) to make up their characteristic
metrical rhythm in the Film (Poem).

How is the vocabulary of Prosodic Cinema similar to that of poetry?

In various other contexts (not just in Prosodic Cinema) durational patterns are
sometimes described using terms borrowed from poetry. This is how the Prosodic
Cinema vocabulary is similar to that of poetry

• Shot = Syllable
• Step = Foot
• Run = Line/Meter
• Scene = Stanza
• Film = Poem

How is the rhythmic structure in Prosodic Cinema similar to that of

poetry?
In Prosodic Cinema, the rhythmic units (Steps) and their metrical units (Runs) are
described using terms borrowed from the metrical rhythms of poetry. The durational
pattern of the shots composing a Step are described using terms borrowed from the
metrical feet of poetry: iamb (short shot – long shot); trochee (long shot – short shot);
pyrrhic (short shot – short shot); dactyl (long shot – short shot – short shot), etc. Also,
the repeated pattern of the Steps composing a Run are described using terms from the
metrical rhythms of poetry (e.g., iambic pentameter means that the Run contains five
iambic Steps i.e. ten shots of alternating short-long durational pattern).
Why is Anaphylaxis the first example of a true prosodic film?
Anaphylaxis is a true prosodic work because it is composed of shots arranged in
rhythmic units (Steps) that are projected as pulses on an underlying structure of
rhythmic regularity (Runs) throughout the entire film. Anaphylaxis relies on the
inherent rhythmic quality of the time-dependent (film) medium to express meaning/
feeling in its (visual) narrative in a new rhythmic/ prosodic (cinematic) language.
How can Anaphylaxis be a prosodic film and a narrative film at the
same time?
The two terms, narrative and prosodic, are not at all mutually exclusive. While
Anaphylaxis is a true prosodic film, it is also a classical narrative film, employing all
the traditional and contemporary narrative techniques of filmmaking and storytelling.
Anaphylaxis, as a narrative film, achieves its prosodic goal through meticulous editing
efforts, focusing on shot length while still observing shot content, arrangement and
continuity. The editing defines the film’s rhythmic structure, building prosodic scenes
and sequences, and eventually creating an entire prosodic film while still telling a
story in a meaningful and accessible narrative.

What is the metrical rhythm(s) of Anaphylaxis as a prosodic film?

Anaphylaxis has a visual rhythmic structure that is modelled after some of the well-
known metrical rhythms in poetry. The main “visual” metrical rhythm in Anaphylaxis
is the Iambic Pentameter (similar to the rhythm in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and
Milton’s Paradise Lost). There are also other visual metrical rhythms occasionally
used in various places throughout the film e.g. the Iambic Tetrameter (Pushkin’s
Onegin), and the Iambic Hexameter (Racine’s Phèdre).

What determines the visual rhythm for a certain scene in

Anaphylaxis?
The choice of a certain metrical rhythm for a particular scene or sequence in the film
takes into account the emotional impact intended for that scene or sequence. For
examples, in a hectic and tense scene of the main character having an anaphylactic
attack, a pyrrhic hexameter is used as the visual metrical rhythm (each Run in the
scene contains six Steps with each Step made of two very short shots). On the other
hand, in a contemplative scene of identification between the two main characters the
iambic pentameter is used as the visual metrical rhythm (each Run in the scene
contains five Steps with each Step made of a short–long shot succession pattern).

What are the Steps and Runs that were used to constitute the various
metrical rhythms in Anaphylaxis?
In any given scene in the film, shots are arranged in one of the following Steps, which
are in turn arranged in one of the following Runs to makeup the metrical rhythm
structure for that particular scene:

Steps Runs
Dimeter — 2 Steps
Iamb — 1 short shot + 1 long shot (produces a subtle, stable Trimeter — 3 Steps
rhythm)* Tetrameter — 4 Steps
Pentameter — 5
Pyrrhic — 2 short shots (fast rhythm, used in hectic/tense situations) Steps*
Hexameter — 6 Steps
Spondee — 2 long shots (slow rhythm, a variant within other Heptameter — 7 Steps
structures) Octameter — 8 Steps

* Iambic Pentameter is Anaphylaxis’ main metrical rhythm

What are the shot length prosodic rules in Anaphylaxis?

• A regular short shot (e.g., used in the Iamb): 2 seconds
• A regular long shot (e.g., used in the Iamb): 4 seconds
• A very short shot (used in the Pyrrhic): 12-16 frames
• A very long shot (used in the Spondee): 8-12 seconds
What are the scene punctuation prosodic rules in Anaphylaxis?
Scene End: fade-out to black (usually 1 sec, but can be longer/shorter or abolished, depending
on Step/ Run length and content).

Chapter End: fade-out to white (usually 2 sec, but can be longer or shorter, depending on
Step/Run/Scene length and content).

How is the Iambic Pentameter used visually in Anaphylaxis?

Weaving Doctor and Poet shots in a Step or a Run normally takes the metrical rhythm of the
iambic pentameter, which is the rhythmic metaphor for The Doctor identifying with The Poet
as he reads her story. Iambic Pentameter is generally shared by both characters at the level of
the Step (a shot each) or the Run (a Step each). However, in some story phases and situations
(e.g., the opening Prologue) the entire metrical rhythm (Step and Run) is exclusive to only
one of the two main characters, depending on whose story dominates the Scene.

What drives your mise en scène (visual composition) in Anaphylaxis?

Perceptions, consciousness, emotions and memories continuously interact in our
experience of reality in subtle and complex ways. Since this makes reality itself multi-
layered, I layered Anaphylaxis with many different visual elements. To do that I didn’t
shy away from using every possible visual vocabulary element of cinematography,
lighting, costumes, makeup, set design, actors positioning, movement, etc. available to
me during the shoot. The controlled environment of Ealing Studios in London helped
me to achieve that. I’m hoping that this multilayered visual composition style can
help the viewers approach and explore their complex reality.
Why did you choose this new prosodic visual style for Anaphylaxis?

The events in the story of Anaphylaxis exist in the realm of the emotive side of human
experience. The cinematic form that I describe as Prosodic Cinema seems to me to be
the best way to exteriorise that internal experience. The visual form of Anaphylaxis is
not just a container for meaning; it actively shapes meaning. By this I mean that
beside the conventional cinematic reliance on dialogue, action, etc. to convey
meaning, Anaphylaxis, as a prosodic film, relies also on the visual arrangement of
frames on the screen (and the composition of visual elements within each frame) in
order to shape a response in the viewer and powerfully affect the way in which
meaning is perceived. That’s why any written attempt to paraphrase this work will
fall short from capturing the vivid experience of seeing it.
What are you attempting to say in Anaphylaxis?
Although many filmmakers today create work that is explicitly social, ethical or
political, my film is not intended to take part directly in any debate. Instead, by
making emotive poetic images, I hope to create an artistic experience that will compel
viewers to consider their own life experiences with greater insight.

What are you attempting to say in Anaphylaxis?

The film is poetic in its visuals and poetry is also a central theme in the narrative. As
in poetry, the meaning of this work has to do with the emotional and intellectual
response that it can draw from the recipient. The idea is not to direct a viewer to a
particular position (although to a certain degree this cannot be avoided), but to create
an experience of contemplation and reflection.

What are you attempting to say in Anaphylaxis?

What is great in poetry is the infinite, which by its nature cannot be clear and distinct.
As in poetry, ambiguity in Anaphylaxis is intentional, through which I’m reaching
towards more illuminating questions... questions about the meaning of our
relationship to each other and to the world.
Where do you think this new prosodic, multilayered, poetic
ambiguity of Anaphylaxis stands in today’s cinema?
I believe it’s in the very margins, if not even outside, the circle. Anaphylaxis explores
the intangible aspects of existence – the subtler experiences that give rise to the most
difficult questions about the meaning of our relationship to each other and to the
world – in a new prosodic, multilayered visual language. By contrast, much of today’s
cinema has adopted the mass media approach to audience, striving for a simple
message that avoids complexity and nuance.

And how do you think this new prosodic, multilayered, poetic film
can fit into and survive in today’s world?
In this age of mass media – of which cinema is a big part – often the loudest voice,
not the most insightful, is the one that’s heard. But I believe that Anaphylaxis,
appealing to emotive aspects of human experience, will be in a unique position to be
heard. This is because the film’s visuals demand a greater level of interaction from the
viewer than today’s mass media usually requires. Rather than pushing the audience
down a clear, concrete route, Anaphylaxis gives each viewer a chance to make his/her
own way home through the oblique landscape of metaphor.
 ABOUT THE CAST

GUY DEFFERARY / The Doctor

Since finishing his drama studies in London, the British born actor Guy Defferary has
followed his love for acting through a path that took him across the UK, Europe,
North America and the Middle East. Guy has worked in numerous films, plays and
television dramas for nearly a decade. Guy’s long list of credits includes Story
Without Ending, A Beat Of Reality, The Scum Also Rises and Richard III to name but
a few.

KATIA WINTER / The Poet

Swedish born actress Katia Winter has lived in America, Italy and England before
pursuing her career in acting. She has gone on to star in a range of television and film
roles including Unmade Beds, a drama/comedy directed by award-winning director
Alexis Dos Santos and Night Junkies, a horror/thriller directed by Lawrence Pearce.
Katia studied film editing and directing before getting into acting. The making of film
has always been her passion.

JENNA BROOK / The Girlfriend

At the age of 16 Jenna took the plunge and moved from Sheffield to London to pursue
her acting career, where she gained a scholarship to the famous acting school Italia
Conti. After graduation Jenna worked in numerous films, commercials and plays,
including London's premier of the stage show Eight Women. After spending time
in New York and Los Angeles taking acting classes, Jenna currently resides in
London and still very much enjoying the life of an actor in all its shapes and forms.

FRAZER DOUGLAS / The Husband

After studying drama, British-born actor Frazer travelled Europe, making Spain,
Netherlands and Slovenia his home for most of the nineties. At the age of 30, Frazer
moved back to London to concentrate on his acting career. He soon landed roles on
television (Spooks, Red Cap, Dream Team). He is building his CV as a leading man in
films. In 2009, Frazer moved to Los Angeles to further his career.
 ABOUT THE CREW

AYMAN MOKHTAR / Producer, Director, Writer, Editor

Cinema and medicine; England and Egypt: duplicity has shaped Ayman’s life. Raised
in Egypt, Ayman pursued medicine and film-making before moving to England
to further both careers. He first began making films while practicing medicine in the
early 1990s in Cairo. As part of his training at the prestigious National Film Institute
in Giza, he directed a series of short and documentary films. Eager to advance his
skills, Ayman made his home in London and studied European Cinema at
Westminster University and digital filmmaking at the Metropolitan Film School. In
2007, he directed his debut feature film, Anaphylaxis, shot at London's historical
Ealing Studios. The film is not only Ayman’s directorial debut, it is also the first to
apply his innovative theory on rhythm in film as a time-dependent medium: Prosodic
Cinema.

STEPHANIE CHARMAIL / Line Producer

After finishing her training in media, culture and communication in both her native
France and the UK, Stephanie’s roles in film production have been numerous. Her
comprehensive understanding of filmmaking came from her involvement in every
stage of production, from script supervising and doing log sheets and continuity to
assisting directors on sets during shoots and managing crew and celebrity actors. Over
the years Stephanie has advanced her career in film production to become Location
Manager, Production Manager and Line Producer on many British features, Franco-
American productions and Bollywood films as well as many short films and music
videos. Stephanie’s production management credits include Sugarhouse Lane, Hush
and Spring In Her Step.

STEVEN PERIOVOLOS / Director of Photography

After training in physics in his native Athens and London’s famous Imperial College
Steven decided to take a different angle and train in cinematography at the prestigious
London Film School. Since then Steven has been realising his dream as a world-class
cinematographer working in the UK as well as Germany, Italy, Greece, Singapore and
the United States. Steven has also been teaching his art as a guest cinematography
lecturer in both London and Singapore. The established New York International Film
Festival recognised Steven’s talent and awarded him the Best Cinematography Award
2005 for his work on You Like Chinese? Steven’s long list of feature film credits
include Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets, Galatea, Into Swans, A Dead End
Story, Butterfly Dream, Commedia and Identity: Vampire to name but a few.
NICOLA DIETMANN / Production Designer

Trained in Art & Design at Central St Martins in London and Pratt Institute in New
York, Nicola Dietmann has learned that a designer must strive to understand the
psychological language of colour fabrics, textural surfaces, shapes and spatial
dynamics thus giving an audience a more defined message as to what the piece is
really about whilst producing a beautiful visual experience. As a designer, Nicola has
worked on a wide variety of productions from short films to feature length dramas,
from commercials to opera, and from theatre plays to ballet. From such a varied
experience, one of the most fascinating aspects that Nicola discovered about design is
something that is universally applicable to any project, and that is the way in which
design is a fusion of psychology and creativity. Nicola’s wide-ranging production
design credits vary from feature films such as Dinner With My Sisters to Andrea
Bocelli’s World Concert Tour.

BIBO PILLEY / Costume Designer

Bibo grew up in Footsbarn Travelling Theatre Company, touring throughout Europe

and Australia. Imagery and music were interwoven in her childhood. She now lives
and works as a successful costume designer in London, with a long history of work at
famous British institutes such as the BBC and the Royal Opera House. Bibo’s
impressive credits range from docudramas such as the BBC’s The Real Face of Santa
to large feature films such as Atonement, Harry Potter and Bourne Ultimatum.

LAURA JANE SESSIONS / Make-up & Hair Designer

A fascination of theatre and television from an early age lead to Laura Jane’s
obsession with the metamorphosis of people into characters. Following her training in
theatrical and media make-up, Laura Jane worked in regional theatre creating hair and
make-up designs for dance, drama and musical productions. Relocation to London
and a fortuitous meeting nearly a decade ago lead to the decision to focus on
establishing herself in the film and television industries. Laura Jane has since worked
extensively in film and television as both a Make-up Artist and a Designer. Her work
has been screened on terrestrial and satellite channels and in cinemas across Europe
and the United States. Laura Jane’s credits include range from TV dramas such as the
BBC’s Maestro and Hollyoaks : to feature films such as Iyi Seneler, Who Can I Turn
To? and 10 Fish.
FULL CREDITS

CAST

the doctor
GUY DEFFERARY

the poet
KATIA WINTER

the girlfriend
JENNA BROOK

the husband
FRAZER DOUGLAS

colleague pathologist
CELINE MULLINS

pathology secretary
JESSICA JAY

psychiatry nurse
RUTH KELLEHER

tattoo man
FRASER KNIGHT

dinner liberal woman

DREA KING

old baby girl

CHLOE PAYNE

psychiatrist
BLAKE NORTON

pathology secretary’s child

CALLUM FRANKE

oncology nurse
SELINA FAIRBAIRN

golf club secretary

ALEX EDWARDS
 allergy specialist
STATEN ELIOT

hospital morgue woman

ELENA SAUREL

bar woman
SOPHIE LOVELL ANDERSON

pianist
TOM MCLARNEY

delivery nurses
CAROLINE BOULTON
CLAIRE BROOMBY

priest
JAMES LE FEUVRE

emergency room medic

OZGUR KURT

bartender
LUCAS VYDRZAL

internist
TRISTAN BAKER
gynaecologist
SEBASTIAN TELLER

oncology patient
JAMIE VAUGHAN

emergency room nurse

EMMA FLETCHER

dinner conservative man

KRISTOPHER MILNES

dinner conservative woman

ULRIKA BELOGRIVA

VOICES

TOM BURCHELL
(the doctor’s voice)

HELEN DENCKER-RASMUSSEN
(the poet’s voice)
 CAROLINE DEVLIN
(the girlfriend’s voice and others)

ASHLEY ALYMANN
(the husband’s voice and others)

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

producer
AYMAN MOKHTAR

line producer
STEPHANIE CHARMAIL

production manager
SIAN SINGH

production assistants
MATTHEW WRIGHT
CHRIS RUSSELL

production accountant
JEFFREY LOH

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT

1st assistant director

SIMON HEDGES

2nd assistant director

SARAH CRISP

3rd assistant director

DOMINIC BRANCALEONE
JOSEPH BEAN

CAMERA DEPARTMENT

director of photography
STEVEN PRIOVOLOS

assistant camera
LIDWINE TITLI

camera dept runner

MAX DEVERE
 grip
HOWARD DAVIDSON
BEN

takes logging
ROSEY TRICK

stills
TOM SULLAM
MARK HIBBERT

LIGHTING CREW

gaffers
CHRIS GEORGAS
MARK RICKITT

spark
ALDO CAMILLERI

ART DEPARTMENT

production designer
NICOLA DIETMANN

art directors
JENNY RAY
NATALIE ALLAN

props master
SARAH POWELL

art department assistant

LEE CARRUTHERS

set dresser
RACHEL HONEYMOON

standby props
HEATHER BURTT
STUART

painter
ANTHONY GURNER

carpenters
ELLIOTT DAY
JAMES RAFTERY
 art dept runners
WILLIAM BALDWIN
LIZ COONEY
JOE CRAWFORD

tower
PAUL AT BLITZ RIGGING

MAKE-UP / HAIR DEPARTMENT

hair and make-up designer

LAURA JANE SESSIONS

prosthetics designer
CHARLIE BLUETT

hair and make-up supervisor

JUSTYNA DOBROWOLSKA

wig supervisor
RACHEL LISA JONES

hair and make-up artist

CHARLOTTE BRISCOE

hair and make-up assistants (dailies)

GEMMA COLLINGWOOD
NATASHA DINES
CATRIONA JOHNSTONE
SAMANTHA MAXWELL
SUKI MILES
LOUISE STACEY
CAMILLA TEW
YILCAN ZABIT

make-up trainee
KATE BLYTHE
MADI DAVIS (DAILIES)

special thanks to
BBC RESOURCES
BIG JIMS TRIMS
HAIR ON THE HILL
GIGGLES PARTY SHOPS
MAC – “MAKE-UP SPONSORED BY MAC”
NEIL GORTON / MILLENNIUM EFFECTS
ROBB HORSLEY

COSTUME DEPARTMENT
 costume designer
BIBO PILLEY

assistant costume designer

MARIALENA KAPOTOPOULOU

costume assistant
YOHANNA ARDES-GUISOT

costume makers
CHRIS WINTER
ANNA MARIA GENUISE

knitwear by
ALICELEE

special thanks to:

STEPHEN MCGOWAN
AERO LEATHER CLOTHING CO.
CRISPIN BENDING LEATHER
SWING GANG
MITCHAN FUJII
MAGS LINNANE
GER SMITH
WILL HUSTLER
PETAL PILLEY
ZELDA SELLARS
AGNES LENNON
JANE WRIGLEY
CROMWELL HOSPITAL
STRATFORD WORKWEAR

CATERING

FAYRE DO’s LOCATION CATERERS

INSURANCE

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT INSURANCE SERVICES

POST PRODUCTION

PICTURE

editor
AYMAN MOKHTAR

visual effects
AYMAN MOKHTAR
 post-production consultant
MADS JORGENSEN (Mac Million Ltd)

special thanks to:

TOWERGATE UNDERWRITING ENTERTAINMENT

APPLE COMPUTERS
THE FOUNDRY
ADOBE SYSTEMS
GENARTS
WACOM
G-TECH
RENTARAID
GRIDIRON
PEC VIDEO
MATEK BUSINESS
SYNTHETIK
DIGITAL PHOTOSOLUTIONS
RED GIANT
DIGITAL FILM TOOLS
CREATIVE VIDEO
TECHEX
24/7 DRAMA
VISUAL IMPACT
FILMSCAPE MEDIA

SOUND

sound design
AYMAN MOKHTAR

sound editing
AYMAN MOKHTAR

ADR sound recording

CRISTINA ARAGON (5A Studios)

sound mixing & mastering

MICHAEL KODERISCH (5A Studios)

MUSIC

String Quartet No. 7 in F Sharp Minor, Op.108

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH

Stella By Starlight
VICTOR YOUNG & NED WASHINGTON

SPECIAL THANKS TO
 Ealing Studios Operations
JONATHAN ABBOTT
CHRISTOPHER GREEN

Filmart Operations
MARSHA MOORE

Met Film Management

LUKE MONTAGUE
CHRISTELLE BOSSARD

Barclays Bank
PAULENE PORCE (Mayfair)
TIMI ALONGE (Soho)

Bexley Council
JEAN SCOTT

Lewisham Council
BLOSSOM THOMAS

PAREXEL International
NIMET WATSON
HELEN MEASURES
JOERGE SEEBECK
UDO KIESSLING

written & directed by

AYMAN MOKHTAR

COPYRIGHTS FILMART PRODUCTIONS

(all rights reserved)
2009