Behind “Still Life” with Sophie King, Kate Radcliffe & Sarah Roy

On this episode of the 1st on Film Podcast, we sit down with director Sophie King, writer and producer Kate Radcliffe, and producer Sarah Roy to discuss their powerful short film, Still Life.Starring Ophelia Lovibond and Jacob Anderson, Still Life follows Jess and Max as they navigate life after the stillbirth of their son at 24 weeks. Blending raw emotion with dark comedy and moments of uncomfortable absurdity, the film explores grief, parenthood, resilience, and the strange reality of trying to move forward when the world around you doesn’t always know what to say.Sophie King is an award-winning British director whose work spans television, short film and comedy, with a particular focus on darkly comedic stories with an emotional edge. Her narrative work has screened at BAFTA- and Oscar-qualifying festivals around the world, and she is a member of BAFTA Connect.King directed the Channel 4 pilot Disability Benefits, which won Best Newform Drama Series at the 2022 C21 International Drama Awards, as well as the second series of ITV comedy Buffering, starring Iain Stirling. Her short film Does Your Condom Make You Fat? has screened at festivals including the Austin Film Festival, HollyShorts and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.Kate Radcliffe is a British writer and producer with an extensive background in comedy and entertainment television. Her credits include work on The Graham Norton Show, The Russell Howard Hour, Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains, A League of Their Own, CelebAbility and The Overlap on Tour.Radcliffe wrote and produced Still Life, drawing upon her own experience following the loss of her son Dexter. Through the film, she uses dark comedy and emotional honesty to explore the often-unspoken realities of stillbirth, grief and life after loss.Sarah Roy is a British actor and producer and the founder of 19th Street Productions. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and worked in Off-Broadway theatre before returning to the UK and establishing her production company.Roy produced, co-wrote and starred in the feature film Zebra Girl, which was released internationally and nominated for Best Thriller at the National Film Awards. Her producing work also extends to theatre, including acclaimed productions of David Ireland’s Yes So I Said Yes and Not Now, as well as serving as an associate producer on A Strange Loop at the Barbican.