Gracinda Black

== The Fable of Isabella (Film) 2019 == The Fable of Isabella (MacGregor UK 2019) is a independent British feature film under the genre of Folk Horror. Folk Horror genre is often difficult to pin down but a key element is importance of landscape and psycho-geography on the behaviour of characters and narrative. Folk Horror draws on a range of cultural myths, folk culture and folk tales including supernatural and therefore is a sub-genre of the horror genre. The Fable of Isabella was written, directed and co-produced by Sarah MacGregor working in collaboration with an art project in East London Film Cafe Co-Op. The film was an experiment in production of a feature film with all members of the cast and crew working in flat structure rather then hierarchical. As in keeping with many low-budget and micro budget independent films the cast and crew members took on a range of roles in both in front and behind the camera.

The story of the film was influenced by according to writer/director MacGregor the short life of Isabella Billington a Yorkshire witch who was executed in 1649 at age 32 for allegedly carrying out satanic murders and rituals. However in The Fable of Isabella the witch is described as a 14 year old girl. MacGregor has stated that the story for The Fable of Isabella is created from a combination of supernatural tales and folklore and was not intended to represent the actual life of Isabella Billington rather the film explores fear and alienation of women in contemporary society using stories from the past to illustrate the troubles facing women characters of the present. The film is set mainly in Northern England but also features some ghost stories and Gothic tales drawn from Victorian London. Other settings explored in the film are Whitby (Yorkshire Coast) Robin Hood's Bay and the moors and woodlands of Yorkshire. Writer MacGregor also has explained in interview and her writing about the film that she was concerned with the rapid erosion of the coast line of the British Isles including the Jurassic landscape and coast of Northern England. The film also explores other eco-horror themes such as flooding and the destruction of historical villages as the sea rises. While filming in Yorkshire the crew became more concerned about the urgency facing areas of coastline that they were filming near and wanted to highlight this in the film. Key actors in the film include English actor Johnathan Hansler who portrays a horror writer trying to create a script on the topic, Bemudian actor Kris Darrell as a paranormal researcher, Felicia Bowen as a documentary producer who also worked in other roles behind the camera and Abel Tyler MacGregor who created and designed original electronic elements and tracks for the haunting sound track which also explore a range of traditional music as well as sea 'sound scape'.

The Plot

The film opens with a close up on the eyes of a woman staring directly into the camera while in the back ground we hear the sounds of a hunt with dogs barking and men's voices whooping. A woman in voice over tells us that British history has few pedestals but the stake is everywhere. We see a train rushing through countryside as a women reads.

Next a montage of Whitby during the famous Goth Festival takes place and we see a solitary figure of a man walking to the lighthouses - this is Guy, (Jonathan Hansler) a writer who is staying at a beach house over looking the sea and struggling to complete a script about an historical local witch named Isabella. The producer of this film Jerry (David Wayman) is worried about Guy's ability to complete the script on time and flies over an enthusiastic paranormal researcher Svajone (Kris Darrell) from New York. When Svajone arrives late at night at Whitby a storm has blown up and she finds Guy hostile and unwilling to work with her. Eventually the two develop a working relationship and a parallel story inter-weaves with the story of Guy and Svajone; that of Hirsch (Felicia Bowen) a documentary producer who with a crew (Laura, Taz and G) are trying to make a record of the last days of Isabella's life by visiting various locations. Through the footage of the documentary crew and through Svajone's script notes we find out that Isabella in folk lore was said to have been sold to the devil by her terrified pregnant mother. The crew visit a fishing village which was the site of several unexplained gruesome murders which were said to have been carried out by Isabella who was pronounced as a witch by Coroner Eyre who instigates a witch hunt. The crew become separated when filming one evening. They feel threatened when an invisible entity attacks their car. Taz and G takes torches and head further into the woods to try and help when a girl is heard crying in the woods. Hirsch and Laura find themselves terrorised by a masked man who jumps on the bonnet of their car but they manage to drive away leaving Taz and G. It is revealed that the documentary crew are characters in the script that Guy is completing.

The story of the film proceeds with several twists as the documentary crew find out that a mediaeval cult connected to Isabella is still in existence and trying to prevent the completion of the documentary culminating in a life and death struggle. Mean while at the beach house Guy is forced to question his own sanity when a twist reveals that Svajone the researcher is not what she seems.

The film ends with Hirsch in Guy's script escaping with her footage to continue to complete the film and with in Whitby Guy staring out over the sea when a mysterious figure calls to him from the water's edge.

Critical Feedback and ReceptionItalic text The film was finally completed at the end of 2019, MacGregor stated that various delays had happened during the production and post-production mainly complicated by the micro-budget and also the Film Co-Op's decided policy of shooting always on location and therefore being dictated to by the elements and weather rather than creating studio set work. The director Sarah MacGregor has stated that this was a difficult and at times over-whelming process for her but that she enjoyed it - in particular the recording of different locations in her film story. She still considers this a valid and important way to work as the aim is also to take care with carbon footprint produced during any production. MacGregor also stated that the Film Cafe Co-Operative met many financial difficulties as they were working including not being able to access an affordable base in London due to rapid gentrification. She notes the strain that this put on the production. However the film has been gradually receiving positive feedback both from audiences and the critical reception. The film had two preview screenings that were very well received by attending audiences in East London. One of the screenings took place in a gothic chapel. As the marketing team of the film were arranging further public screenings and trying to find a distribution deal the pandemic Covid 19 hit at the start of 2020. However MacGregor was able to get a marketing deal with an American based independent film making site reveelmovies.com who agreed to include the film in their catalogue. The Fable of Isabella there had the opportunity to be viewed internationally and became one of the top 5 films being viewed on the website. The film was included in film blog site 'Film for Thought' in their films of the decade section . It was reviewed and included in an article on A British New Wave of Horror. The film has been praised for its ambition on a micro budget, the quality and intensity of the acting performances and the use of location to tell the story. Several reviewers have commented that the film needs an additional edit because in part the edit is not perfected. The director (MacGregor) also edited the film and has written and quoted in interviews as saying that the film can't be perfect because of the low budget. She's said she is not willing to go back and re-edit as she believes it is as good as it can get however on suggestions of the audience and other film producers who have watched the film MacGregor created a pilot version of The Fable of Isabella and written a Long Form Drama series which explores three parallel story lines one in the 17th century England of Isabella and her mother Catherine, one in the time of the documentary crew which MacGregor described as a 'retro found footage at the start of the 21st century' and a contemporary time line featuring Guy Renfield and a Svajone before they begin working on the script with Jerry. The film has also had criticisms including its similarity in part to The Blair Witch Project and unfinished elements in the narrative. Some reviewers have described it as using a confusing narrative structure however others have said the unexplained elements and non linear narrative have proved more engaging for the audience. The film has slowly been gaining more interest through the Film Cafe's twitter feed where some bloggers and reviewers have stated that the film is magnificent for a micro budget and are excited to see either a series version and or MacGregor and the Film Co-Op's next feature film work.

Extra Features Podcast interview and review with Sarah MacGregor talking about creating low budget feature The Fable of Isabella </ref>