Private Project

Elle's Valley

Elle, battling a life-threatening disease, is caught in a loop of relentless treatment cycles, forced upon her by doctors she does not recognize. Where is she? Why can’t she remember when this all began? This Drama/Thriller/Sci-Fi explores Fear, Isolation, Humanity, and Hope.

  • Jack Grinhaus
    Director
  • Lauren Brotman and Adam Kenneth Wilson
    Writer
  • Lauren Brotman
    Key Cast
    "Elle"
  • Adam Kenneth Wilson
    Key Cast
    "Jamie"
  • Kaleb Alexander
    Key Cast
    "Brian"
  • Deborah Drakeford
    Key Cast
    "Joan"
  • B2C - Lauren Brotman
    Producer
  • GrimHaus - Jack Grinhaus
    Producer
  • Riva Lombardi
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    UHD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jack Grinhaus

Jack Grinhaus is an award winning actor and director that has also worked in various streams as producer, designer, and writer for theatre, TV, and film. He was the Artistic Director for the Canadian regional theatre Theatre NorthWest (2014-2019), was part of the 2010 Canadian Stage BASH Directors Residency as well as the inaugural Director's Lab North at Tarragon Theatre. With over 40 plays produced and over half directed, he is one of Canada's most prolific artists. Jack lives in Toronto, Canada and is Co-Artistic Director of the multi award nominated indie hit theatre company, B2C Theatre (www.boundtocreate.com), which, with Elle's Valley, now moves into a multimedia performance company that also focuses on film.

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Director Statement

How far do we go for a cure?

The genesis of the film began after a harrowing experience battling Cancer (our lead actor shot the film while in the midst of treatments and surgeries), along with the often-apathetic way we were treated within the health care system. This, coupled with an article we read about certain chemotherapy drugs that were no longer mass produced simply because they were unprofitable, inspired Elle’s Valley.

The film portrays, in a Drama/Sci-fi parable, a more familiar experience to those who have battled, emphasizing the sense of isolation, confusion, and claustrophobia through thematic and visual elements within it. Through a cavernous soundscape, intense score, grounded and truthful performances, a sometimes inconsistent perspective, and few, but vital locations, our aim was to bring audiences into this profoundly jarring treatment process, while at the same time remaining an entertaining and intriguing theatrical experience.

"Elle, battling a life-threatening disease, is caught in a loop of relentless treatment cycles, forced upon her by doctors she does not recognize. Where is she? Why can’t she remember when this all began? This Drama/Thriller/Sci-Fi explores Fear, Isolation, Humanity, and Hope. "