The Lost Girl

2015, 15 minutes

To save her baby sister from the dark fantasy world she has created, Chloe must confront the child in herself and learn to grow up.

Change is being forced upon 9-year-old Chloe: her parents have a new baby, Sarah, who is getting all of the attention; her mother isn’t well following a difficult labour; and her father is insisting she acts more grown up. In the woods and abandoned barns around their home, Chloe plays with her old toys. Wearing a purple princess dress that no longer fits her, she can be a child here, drowned out by the noises of the workmen busy updating her house. Then her parents return from the hospital with a new child in tow and she's forced to act maturely as one gooey-eyed guest after another visits the house for a glimpse of the stupid baby. As Chloe's resentment for Sarah escalates, strange things start to happen: she imagines she’s done things she hasn’t. Like scribbling red pen on Sarah's expensive, hand-stitched doll. Then, as Chloe is getting ready for her first day back at school, Sarah goes missing. Chloe remains silent, but continues to stare guiltily towards the woodland surrounding their home. Policemen infect the house and neighbourhood, full of difficult questions, and her parents’ fragile marriage starts to unravel. Chloe’s father, however, suddenly expects less of her. He treats her like a child again. As Chloe wrestles with her conscience, she sees a girl who looks exactly like her running away with the baby. This is Chloe's dark psyche: her childish jealousy brought to life. She leads Chloe deep into the woods and shows her that she can be the only one again. Realising the extent of her power, Chloe must overcome her jealousy and her fears of growing up in order to save her sister.



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