Writer/Producer Kate Radcliffe Of STILL LIFE (2026)

I imagine there's not a lot of debate out there but here's what I believe: there's nothing worse in the human experience than losing a son or daughter. It violates our understanding of the cycle of life and it forces a unyielding loss amongst the living that can never be taken away.Any experience so intense can, in the right hands, be channeled to create great art, so I am drawn to stories like STILL LIFE (2026), which is an official selection this year of the HollyShorts Film Festival.And let me tell you: in the hands of writer/producer Kate Radcliffe and director Sophie King, they deal with the topic of stillbirth with empathy, humor, and understanding. I think this film will forge important new conversations and result in so many people suffering the worst pain that we could all experience to feel a little bit more heard. Bravo, STILL LIFE team, you made brilliant art.In this conversation, Kate and I talk about:what she tells people about STILL LIFE and how to talk about the film afterwards;does a writer need firsthand knowledge of the kind of grief in this film to write about it?how she got involved in filmmaking and why she decided to make this film;why give away so much in the title and the description?;the decision to make the audience rethink STILL LIFE in the middle of the film;what makes a film great and not so great on this topic;why is comedy so hard to write?what's next for her.Memorable Quotes:" That was the actual reason we made the film was to start that conversation about baby loss."" We lost Dexter, and we went into lockdown, and so that was incredibly tough, but it meant I had to sit with my grief."" When I first started writing it, my parents were-- I was like, "Oh, I'm doing a dark comedy about stillbirth." And they were like, "It doesn't sound very funny." Links:Follow STILL LIFE On InstagramFollow Sophie On InstagramThe Straight 8 Super 8 Experience That Sophie King Won An Audience Award in 2022