Director's Works
Sitter James Arden
James Arden is a London-based writer/director. Inspired by his formative years between the suburbs of London and the industrial cities of the North, he explores modern life through hard-hitting, character-driven stories.
In 2022, his narrative debut, Leopard, starring Elisha Applebaum (Netflix's Fate: The Winx Saga), won several awards on the festival circuit including a British Short Film Award, and has been watched over 100,000 times.
James has previously won a 1.4 On The Cusp Award and been shortlisted for a Cannes Lion Young Director Award and Venice TV Award. Sitter is his second narrative film.
When Brother approached James about making a short film, he and the team wanted to throw their combined energy into a brand new idea. Written over a single weekend, Sitter is based on James’ real life experiences with old housemates: “People you love, but whose self-destructive nature means they can’t quite be trusted to do anything... even something simple like looking after a cat.”
On the character of Aurora, James said: “I’m obsessed with flawed protagonists - I love exploring characters who are real and messy and learn things the hard way, but you still root for them. Iona (Aurora) did a beautifully chaotic job.”
The film was script to screen within a month: “I usually tweak a short idea for ages, but the pressure behind-the-scenes added to the stressful nature of the film production was fast-paced and hectic, in a good way, and so is Aurora’s frenzied journey as everything goes wrong.”
Sitter was also a chance to step out of comfort zones: “We wanted to push our visual and tonal sensibilities. We shot anamorphic, which is new for me, and we aimed to make bolder decisions on every shot if it worked narratively. “Go
longer” became the catchphrase on set - a typically 35mm shot became 50mm or more. We wanted any movement to feel bigger, adding to Aurora’s mounting anxiety! The incredible sound design by Hugo at Brother Music really brings the film to a whole new level too. Heightened social realism was the cinematic goal.”
Production of the film was close to home. Shot over two days, it features James’ cat, in his flat, in Peckham, also near to where Brother Film is based: “We broke two of the cardinal rules of filmmaking - don’t work with animals, and don’t shoot in your own home - but ultimately I think it was worth the risk!”
