Horror Short Film "Catch a Butcher" | ALTER | Online Premiere

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

I'm Cassiah, the writer/director here - hi! This film was certainly a labour of love and about something very close to my heart. Also, like many classic horrors, our time on set definitely felt cursed - including bats running riot and a lantern blowing up (we lit the whole thing with just candlelight, except for one scene - two guesses which one?) But we got the film made in the end, and I'm very happy to answer any questions you might have about it. Hope you enjoy the film (if "enjoy" is the right word!)

[@Franklin-py2yx]

Its very good;)

[@rupali0498]

👏🏻 good work.. on real stories

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

@@rupali0498 Thank you!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

@@Franklin-py2yx Thanks : )

[@morteamoureuse]

I enjoyed it and appreciated the backstory provided at the beginning.

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Hello! Producer of Catch a Butcher here. Hope you all enjoy our film. It was a real labour of love with a cursed set, and post production during a pandemic. But we persevered, got it done, and are so happy to be bringing it to you all with Alter! Please do ask any questions, would love to chat about the film

[@allisont9107]

Excellent film!! Everything was well done!! The style, script..... setting, atmosphere...mood, time period. Perfection. 🎉🎉

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

@@allisont9107 Thanks so much : )

[@MrsTessWren]

Thank you! 👏

[@HauntedCadaver]

Yes question, would you consider a full length doc-horror/thriller about this piece of history? I feel like this short film definitely has potential for an actual film.

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

@@HauntedCadaver Yep absolutely - Tom and I are actually working on a feature version of the film right now!

[@samgriffiths2499]

I’m Sam, bath maker. It was a pleasure to work on and by the looks of it, everybody had a much more difficult job than myself, and worked much harder. The location was amazing and crew very accommodating and easy to work with. Thanks to all.

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Sam! You're a superstar, and the bath is incredible. Was such a pleasure working with you, feel incredibly grateful

[@samgriffiths2499]

@@thomasmcdonald5690 well shucks, you too Tom. Hopefully it won’t be the last time!

[@samgriffiths2499]

@@thomasmcdonald5690 you’ve all done really well with it. Congratulations to all!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you Sam for all your work! It's literally what I imagined in my head. A very happy director indeed.

[@samgriffiths2499]

@@cassiahjoski-jethi1583 Thanks Cassiah. The lighting and how it was shot really sold it though. Just watched it for the first time. Everything had a lovely rich depth to it. Interesting, rarely featured subject matter, too.

[@timothyohlem4477]

The ambience and surrounding was real like this back then. It gives me chills even to imagine. Just lamps and darkness

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much for your comment - definitely, we wanted to create a really suffocating and almost ambiguous environment which would play with your mind (as it would have back in the day). I always think your own imagination is the scariest thing!

[@zethraelofteldrassil3149]

If I understand this correctly, the babies born of Indian women and English men were being "bleached" to appear more European, then sent to England. Deandria had been one of those infants. Did I get this right? Excellent film! Great job to everyone involved.

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Yes! You've got it spot on. While we have gone supernatural with it, the story sadly isn't far from the reality of British colonialism, with many children forcibly taken from their parents to England. Thank you for watching the film,and glad you enjoyed it!

[@morteamoureuse]

@@thomasmcdonald5690 I was confused as to the bleaching. Was the white figure just a metaphor? Or were the nurses actually using some sort of magic?

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

You absolutely got it right! Having dual heritage myself, the white figure was certainly a metaphor (with parallels to modern unrealistic beauty standards of skin bleaching, being white-presenting with white privilege, etc.) - but also, the white figure acts as a spirit that exists within the world of the film as well, with the aim to "purify" the mixed race babies to make them fully "white" to prep them for being sent back to England to be raised by their father's families. I love to make films which are surreal, and that leave a lot up to audience interpretation. It's wonderful when someone understands what you're doing, as well as when they take their own thing away from it. Thank you so much for watching it!

[@jmcdonald3937]

@@thomasmcdonald5690 u got my last name just noticed 😂 but great work on the film

[@ashleelouiserehe7821]

I loved this. The atmosphere and set is incredible. But if I’m 100% honest I didn’t fully understand it.. I feel thick as hell.

[@kissmyash5229]

The children of Indian slaves and their white masters were sent of to be raised in hiding and this was one of those facilities. I'm pretty sure the women were sneaking the children away and saving them from "the white man" to preserve their culture. He instantly seduced her when he came out of the bath because he's white and that's what they would do, but after that she saved the baby and wiped all of the whiteness away (symbolic).

[@IGot7RevtinyArmyStayOnceBlink]

Colonizers where coming to the Americas and impregnating Native women. The women were forced to have their kids. These three “religious missionaries” jobs were to care for the kids, bleach their skin in the bath where the demon lies and send them back to Europe. The children Were sent to Europe to live their lives like white people fully having their indigenous roots erased. The woman who shot and killed the two missionaries and her mother saved as many children as they could from this fate. This is based on real things and can be added to the long list of things colonizers have done since stepping foot in America.

[@jameshughes3450]

Impressive production value, and beautifully written and shot. The pace is handled with such skill by the director and the fantastic score grabs you immediately. An atmospheric gem.

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much James!

[@jnov3651]

Wow! Love the atmosphere!

[@lorraine8074]

Excellent little movie - very thought provoking and cleverly presented. Great work everyone!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much : )

[@Altterfilm]

A superb piece. The visuals really complement the subject matter- deep, disturbing and suspenseful.

[@annjoski2711]

Wow I agree - a feature would expand and develop the history behind the subject t. Wonderfully done, and yes, I was scared!! I learned even more watching this again with all the nuances and coded shots. X❤

[@christopherowens4048]

I’m here for this!!! Your amazing at making videos!

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you Christopher, and thank you for watching!

[@AlexinBrum107]

Beautifully shot - created a wonderfully creepy atmosphere. It also highlighted an important part of history. Well done to all involved.

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you! : )

[@jhalakmalhotra4242]

This part is hidden in our textbooks. The a very sad situation here in India. We read British got educational sysytem but not this.

[@christianwag3015]

Awesomely fantastic, thank you guys. Keep coming for more 🔥🔥

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much!

[@eliasmatthews7952]

I wish I had night vision goggles to be able to see what’s happening

[@dayanrussell4443]

I agree, it was very dark.

[@DanielleDale]

This is soooo good!

[@spinne0007]

a wonderfully beautiful video When are part 2 coming?

[@cocoblac]

This was a fantastic film and covered some secrets unknown however my only drawback with the film was its lighting as I could not see the entirety of the film.

[@femininity_777]

so incredibly moving, beautifully shot, congratulations on creating something so meaningful 👏🏽❤️

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much Hemani!

[@zhg170493]

Congrats Cassiah!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you!

[@lolsmith5015]

Great!

[@maryamsham1724]

That DOCTOR written in Hindi language

[@darda2449]

Your choices as a writer are only matched by your careful considerations as a director. I don't know how you managed this against all odds, but you made the technical limitations work for and with you; the dark atmosphere matched the ugly story, and the well-directed actors sold the true horror... and the salvation! An amazing film about an appalling passage in history. Kipling and other colonialists were so wrong. The white man's burden is so often shame, and red-handed guilt.

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much for your comment. The film was incredibly difficult to make, and is not perfect by any means, but it was a huge learning curve and hopefully a step towards telling more diverse stories in genre and horror.

[@queen_al3xq]

Attendance on your vid: ❤️✅

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

✨👻✨

[@jeromystone778]

What even happened? I don't get it.

[@youssra_el._orio3556]

Nice

[@Hollowdude15]

Wow

[@TerriblyNoob]

Hey. Im an indian and i really loved it.... I have also seen some of other indian horror films of Alter ....Would like to see more of indian horror films ....😊

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you for watching the film, and great to hear you enjoyed it! We are hoping to make a feature film version of the story, so keep an eye out for that in the future!

[@TerriblyNoob]

@@thomasmcdonald5690 : )

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Us too!

[@patient666zero]

Alter never disappoints.

[@B.Moore-Ready]

😱

[@durasaxon5131]

Very disturbing. Certainly needed more time for development. Scary. Intriguing. Shameful. Institutional. Historical. Scandalous? Societal moray. + Durasaxon +

[@BrianMorales-ft4pn]

🎉

[@spongebobsexypants]

This was good and sad.

[@crownsbritain933]

So I’m a kutcha butcha?!

[@markronaldpajarillo7580]

It's too dark

[@joeshumo9457]

Define irony. This script. What garbage. You can’t see anything most of the time. I’d be ashamed.

[@MrsTessWren]

Shame is lame💀

[@joeyj6808]

Look, I know horror directors *have to* have darkness, but I couldn't see wtf this movie was all about. Come on folks! Every new film is darker than the last one. It's a trend that is becoming more annoying by the film!

[@TheSemtis]

I really dont understand what the movie truly about

[@ladyseeker2927]

Woke horror... Unfortunately it was just a matter of time for this woke bs to hit horror as well.

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you for watching the film! Sorry you didn't like it. I promise next time we will make a film about how the British empire stealing babies from Indian women was in fact a positive thing!

[@mlbonfox8199]

Don’t get it

[@FatGamerDad]

I’m sure this was supposed to be a statement about evil white men or something but I don’t know I just didn’t understand this one sorry

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Warning: it certainly is a very darkly lit film (as we essentially lit the whole thing with candles) - while it looks EPIC on a cinema screen, it's best viewed on a computer screen with the lights down, screen brightness way up, and headphones in if you can!

[@roshnisingh6696]

Hello I'm Indian and I love this short film❤️

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you for watching our film! And so glad you enjoyed it

[@advamalarajiv2]

What kind of atrocities have we indians, been subjected to 😡

[@MrsTessWren]

Horror and history wrapped in gorgeous overlapping metaphors! I couldn’t ask for more. I’m going to watch again tomorrow after I sleep on it and see what else I notice. 👏❤

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you for watching our film, and great to hear you enjoyed it. Cassiah is an amazing visual storyteller, and she built so many great visual metaphors into the story!

[@JC-uj3zj]

Great work. A little too dark... I turned my laptop brightness up very high and still had trouble seeing what was happening most of the time. Didn't need to hide anything with such darkness. Keep up the good work.

[@komalvishwakarma9740]

Loved loved loved it!!!! Wish to see more of Indian horror stories here.... since we have a treasure 😉

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you so much!

[@WeAreAirborne]

Beautiful lighting work & costume design! the way Deandria starts off looking like any other white nun, is stripped down and bathed in "whiteness," yet ends it wearing a headscarf over her habit.

[@Morrwen]

I’d love to see this expanded to feature length some day! The one weak side is that I don’t think 10 minutes was enough to deal with the themes and history behind it.

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Hi Jesse! Thank you for watching, we are actually currently working on a feature version of the story, as we agree it would be great as a longer form

[@tirzeh]

I agree, it's too much history not talked about or known that needs to be addressed in an intelligent way and I think this is perfect for that. Thank you very much. 🕊️

[@pxvppy]

incredibly unsettling- score particularly sets ones teeth on edge (in a good way!!) Very provocative and well shot, great work!!!!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much

[@charisjardim2148]

Viewed with all the lights off and had to keep pausing so I didn’t shit myself!! Amazing work!

[@АлександраПавлова-к3р]

Silent hill in the future! The only creeps I am ever get till now as such is from Silent hill franchize. Creeps to the bones!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you!

[@babydevyl]

Really good!

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you! Glad you liked it, and thank you for watching

[@waterfall925]

Hello Halloween 🎃

[@sarahahamed970]

I'm early! Love from India 🇮🇳💕

[@chandanchoupal9]

First time Hindi Language in Alter movie, I am from India 🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@elisafloriana]

This movie is beauty in the dark, I love it all!

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and it certainly is beautiful despite it's dark subject. Our Cinematographer and production designer did some great work!

[@user-lx7ey4do1h]

Chillingly excellent 👏👏👏👏👍👍

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you!

[@charmaineappiah4070]

Very interesting film, love the ending.

[@patrick247two]

Thank you. Was this film filmed at Braverman Hall?

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

It was filmed at Revesby Abbey in Revesby, Lincoln in the UK.

[@fattychoccie]

@@cassiahjoski-jethi1583 I'm so happy to have seen this comment as i was wondering where this was shot! I know a couple of people have complained about the low lighting (🙄) but I've seen loads of mainstream tv programmes and films that have been a million times darker lol (where you _literally_ cannot see what's happening!). I actually found it easy to see all the action in your film, whilst still being definitively candlelit. Everything from the old lamps, creaky doors, huge space, THAT BATHTUB - it all added to the chilling atmosphere. So much to unpack with this one, incredibly done, and in 10 minutes too! Thank you! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

@@fattychoccie Thank you so much for your kind comment! So glad you've enjoyed it

[@paulanthony7547]

Wonderful storytelling, congratulations to you all - thought the production design and music deserve an extra mention. You can tell a lot of work has gone into this. Can’t wait to see what you guys work on next!

[@chrispimentel2251]

I LOVE YOU ALTER AND THANK YOU VARY MUCH FOR THIS HORROR MOVIE 🎦 THAT TAKES PLACE IN INDIA 🇮🇳 IN THE 1870S FROM THE YEAR 1873 THIS HORROR MOVIE 🎦 FROM INDIA 🇮🇳 TAKES PLACE IN FOR SURE 👍🧛‍♀️🧟‍♂️🦂🪦⚰️🫀

[@doctorwhobeyond]

Proud to have worked on CAB! 👋

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

We loved working with you!

[@pujirahman8116]

Low bow ❤️

[@emilybawtry1989]

I love this!

[@deeMcD]

Congratulations everyone - great production values, thought-provoking and very atmospheric!

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thank you!

[@feminenby]

absolutely love this storytelling and the portrayal of the very real, intricate horrors of colonialism 👏🏿

[@Passioncollins]

This was so good I had to watch it a second time

[@-JA-]

🖤👍

[@kiara198923]

I'm early!!!!

[@SoHakhan454]

Story is good but there's so much dark you can barley see anything 🙄🙄

[@000aleph]

I just wish there would also be some filmmakers who had today's general lack of empathy or even hatred of men and boys and of white people (white men in particular) close to their heart. Injustice is the inevitable result of focusing on only one part of reality.

[@DNTMEE]

Being so dark the film was hard to follow. That notwithstanding, she apparently set the building on fire thereby murdering everyone in it? There are no scenes (I think) showing the occupants outside the structure at the end. No indication the gunshot victim made it out either. I know she said "leave" to the other woman in that room, but that could have been interpreted as "leave the room." Not seeing them gathered outside makes it unclear what actually happened. The shooting was a needless act IMO. She could have overpowered her. Shooting a rifle one handed or from the hip is reckless. Even more so since the victim was holding a child.

[@lukifer7230]

I’m so confused can someone explain?

[@JohninTucson]

It looks like a lot of work went into making this short film, but honestly, I couldn't tell what was going on, or where, or why...the scenes were so dark that I literally saw nothing until the bathtub scene. I understand the need for authenticity when making a film, but if the audience can't tell what is going on, perhaps a trip back to the editing bay to brighten things up is in order. Just my opinion guys, sorry to rain on your parade...

[@Hollowdude15]

It wasn't horror but it was really entertaining and interesting to watch and great video alter :]

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

Thanks so much - yeah it's certainly a very different kind of horror!

[@ScottNormanRosenthal]

However, the caste system ground down the lower castes long before European intervention. Ghandi was aware of it and struggled with it.

[@KimberlyLetsGo]

It was all dark and I couldn't see what was going on.

[@froste7952]

I have poor eyesight so this could have been a radio show. Films done in the dark are a waste of film.

[@MrsTessWren]

But it adds so much to the metaphorical power. But I can understand your frustration with this.

[@billmurray7473]

What I take away from this is that racism is not just in America.

[@davidallen6641]

Would have been nice if I could have seen what was happening and not need to guess.

[@DethronerX]

I really liked this movie, The audio mix is a bit wonky. It feels like the volume levels and their EQ were rushed due to a short deadline or something, it made me turn the volume up and down throughout the whole movie. Its beautiful anyway, the story, performances and the editing. Of course the most beautiful scene was the tub one and I thought it had the best lighting and was the only scene that had the feel of film, maybe because of the lighting and post. Really cool

[@cassiahjoski-jethi1583]

thank you so much for your thoughts, and feedback as well!! (and indeed, the film was certainly under mad pressure during the whole pre, production + post!)

[@beavis8167]

This is a good one. I just started watching altar on TV streaming. I watch altar every day and see the ads of these short films but they're never on TV why do I have to come to KZbin and watch them if you can put them ads on TV how come you can't show the whole flick on TV. And what's the short horror film that an evil looking elf runs up behind a little girl and grabs her after she walks into a room and takes a red sheet off that she thinks it's her mom and nobody's there I see that add all the time

[@jq5249]

Well...someone has daddy issues really bad, huh?

[@luciushickson4892]

Bad! The movie is dark . We cannot see anything

[@annaipin]

don't understand the storyline of the film, because there are no Indonesian subtitles

[@PreApocalypseJitters]

this isn't what I expect from Alter. this seems politically charged and not the escapism I crave. the lighting is atrocious, you cannot expect a person to make all sorts of adjustments on the computer and lighting just to discern what's happening. and there is MINIMAL story here so there really wasnt a point to the short film treatment. make a feature length if you must but please do something about the lighting and actually give me horror weird and wonderful because nothing about this staggers me at all. No statements, please.

[@sirrodneydoodlesmom]

Boo-hoo.

[@bensweiss]

I understand that this film is an attempt to right wrongs of the past but in it's attempt to do so it sends all the wrong messages. The optics and messaging of this film look bad and tone deaf. The horror for me is what seems to be the lack of empathy, insight, and perspective and make this a highly unsatisfying film. The film is a bit confusing as to what characters are playing what roles. Subtitles would be helpful. Given the opening blurb this is supposed to be a movie of self-discovery, retribution, and correction from what I can guess, this film misses it's emotion mark and message by miles. Having the mixed character present as white (on screen) and then visit violence on a person of color who's body could be invaded by white men for their own pleasure and who's country was invaded and occupied by the British seems cruel and lacking in empathy. And the woman was battered by the matriarchy of the British in the form of the nurse at first. Assaulted for questioning imperial motives and then again for upholding British policy. An Indian woman gets assaulted by two white presenting women. And the main character is a victim of the system's abuse herself. But let's stay within the boundaries of the film and ignore how the main character was presented. Punishing those subjected to British imperialism, sexism, and violence while the perpetrators of the violence the head nurse in this film, the men who concocted the policy and the British Empire is insulting and pitiful attempt to enact justice as the perpetrators get off scott-free. People of color (the main character) maiming and assaulting people of color (the Indian nurse) for carrying out the policy of white people of the British Empire is short sighted and unsatisfying because the problem will not change. This perverted sense of justice where women and people of color are held to account for their actions but not the purveyors of the violence and policy is truly horrific, incomplete, and sends the message that wrongdoing does pay. In short, in horror parlance, the villain's did not pay for their crimes. But the somewhat innocent paid for the crimes of others.

[@JiggyIcarus]

Potentially you have some merit to your argument. True, the violence perpetrated between people of colour can sometimes serve to reify white colonial behaviour and can also miss the direct targetting of those who should be held responsible. But I think you're missing a broader picture of the film intentionally being open. You're constrixting your view of the film by interpreting the narrative and character arcs as being led by retribution, self discovery and correction. You could interpret it in many ways, and i don't think the film pidgeonholes itself in the way you're suggesting. You could look at the violence between people of colour as a representation of the divide and conquer tactics, or even simply as a struggle to survive, its not about making an overt judgement as to who is morally "right".

[@JiggyIcarus]

Because equally in the way you've suggested that wrongdoing does pay, you could make the inverse argument that the wrongdoing of the nurse does in fact pay too. It testifies to the film being so critically open to interpretation that the same theme can be interpreted in multiple ways.

[@bensweiss]

@@JiggyIcarus While I think the intent of the film was clearly laid out and our sympathies were railroaded from beginning to end, we can certainly disagree. Which nurse are you refering to? The Head nurse, the main character, or the nurse who was assaulted twice in the film?

[@thomasmcdonald5690]

Thank you for taking the time to watch our film, and to write out such a detailed analysis. It's great to see people take the time out to engage with our film, and give their opinions. I'd say our intention with the film wasn't really to right historical wrongs, but rather to shine a light on the realities of the past. In this way, we didn't see the film as punishing Ajaala, but rather as Jiggy said to explore the nature of "divide and conquer" and how the empire used it to pit oppressed people against each other. I always felt sympathy for Ajaala, especially when she is shot, but I also entirely understand why Deandria would shoot her in that moment. It's a morally complex situation, but Deandria's personal suffering and desire to save the baby trumps her sympathy for Ajaala, and so she shoots her. It's a tragic moment for sure. We also leave it open ended as to whether Ajaala dies. She is shot in the leg, and left for dead in a burning building, but I always imagined her escaping personally. While the head nurse Victoria for me is definitely dead, and burning along with the bath tub. But I think you raise an interesting question, of whether films like this should shine a light on how the past was, or look to right the wrongs of the past.

[@MrsTessWren]

Hmm.. I have to disagree solely on the fact that her calling and true duty was to care for those babies, not the other nurses. The head nurse pushed an agenda that it was their duty to serve the white man. A baby nurse’s only real duty is to protect babies at all cost, even potentially sacrificing yourself to do so. I see where you’re coming from but I still think the true message rings loud and clear.

[@jimmyhawkins391]

To dark to watch couldn't make out what was going on, tried adding more light to picture but was a fail.