Ciaran Lyons

Writer-director

Scotland, UK

Ciaran Lyons is a Scottish writer/director based in Glasgow. After directing over 40 music videos, his first self-funded folk-horror The Motorist won the Jury Prize at Berlin British Shorts and was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA for Best Short. His body-horror THE MAD SHAGGER was commissioned by Screen Scotland and the BFI, and premiered at Screamfest LA. The sci-fi ballet ODYSSEY was created in collaboration with choreographer Nicholas Shoesmith and Scottish Ballet, and premiered at Aesthetica. He is currently in production on his first low-budget feature TUMMY MONSTER.

Project

Obedience

MICHAEL (30) is a chaotic alcoholic from Greenock who secretly suffers from terrifying hallucinations. On the verge of being kicked out of his heavily-pregnant girlfriend Lisa’s tiny council house, he takes a job as a live-in servant with the owner of a nearby dilapidated manor house, CILLA (mid 50s) – a former world-famous popstar, now an occultist, a laughing stock and a recluse.

Before he knows it, Michael finds himself seduced into a world of ceremonial magic, as Cilla reframes his hallucinations as meaningful spiritual visions, and reveals that she is training him up to be her right-hand-man for her return to the public eye to launch her new spiritual movement. Their relationship becomes increasingly insular and intense, as Michael ignores his own impending fatherhood to focus upon preparing to accompany Cilla on a primetime TV interview…