SHERIFF
10' Historical Drama Concept Short Film
The fate of medieval Britain rests on the shoulders of one woman, Nicholaa de la Haye: sheriff, widow, mother - and saviour of England.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Described as “The woman who saved England” by historian Sharon Bennett Connolly, Nicholaa de la Haye was an integral and revolutionary figure in British history.
Nicholaa held firm against the patriarchy of her time, holding typically male positions including Castellan of Lincoln Castle and, ultimately, Sheriff of Lincoln, a title appointed her by King John himself.
On her own, Nicholaa twice defended Lincoln Castle against prolonged sieges, earning her the gratitude of King Henry III, who described her as “our beloved and faithful Nicholaa de la Haye”.
Nicholaa continued to run her various estates until her retirement in 1226. She died of old age well into her seventies in 1230.
THE STORY
DIRECTORS VISION
Reading Jake’s script for the first time, I was struck by the story’s immediacy, atmosphere, and cinematic potential. SHERIFF plays out in real time, creating an inherent sense of urgency: we physically cannot turn away from these characters, or their increasing peril. Containing the action within one room, meanwhile, forms a pressure cooker which gradually ramps up the tension.
Our style of camerawork will emphasise this intensity. Where possible, we will employ long, uninterrupted takes in order to maximise our closeness to the characters, and thus our ability to relate to them. We will favour handheld camerawork to create a sense of intimacy and rawness, elevating the film from ‘period drama’ to thrilling character study, and bringing the setting and story to life for a modern audience.
Over the course of the film, we will gradually transition from wide shots to medium coverage, and finally to close-ups, in order to visually convey a sense of escalating stakes and danger: the walls and space will literally close in on our characters.
- Megan Harding -
A NOTE FROM THE WRITER
SHERIFF is a film written out of a love of local history shared by me and my Lincolnshire born and raised mum, Louise Carder, and a fascination with stories that are too often lost to time. As locals, Nicholaa’s story was one we couldn’t believe we’d never heard before, and the moment we did, I knew it needed to be shared - and that I had to help bring it to life. From a region steeped in thousands of years’ history, Nicholaa de la Haye is a standout figure: a local hero and saviour of England who should be shouted about, not forgotten. Her date of birth was deemed so insignificant it was never recorded, and yet she appears in the history books next to kings, saints and knights.
Whilst plotting Nicholaa’s story, a decisive moment from the siege preluding the Battle of Lincoln in 1217 drew my attention: Nicholaa’s clandestine meeting with Peter des Roches, which turned the tide of the war. No record of what was said at this meeting exists, leaving it open to interpretation, which excited me. The setting of a single room allowed the characters to be the driving force of the story, and to effectively show Nicholaa’s personality, from a stern and calculating leader and tactician, to a compassionate and caring maternal figure. The setting also forces the audience to stay with the characters in real time, and echoes the tension that the entire castle felt whilst under siege.
- Jake Carder -
THE TEAM
Hollybeth Gourlay
PRODUCER
Jake Carder
WRITER
Megan Harding
DIRECTOR
INVESTORS
If you’d like to be part of SHERIFF, please contact our producers