“Leatherbound” was conceived in the summer of 2020, following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of a significant romantic relationship.  My feelings of isolation and loneliness, which I had already been feeling in spades due to a variety of other factors, reached a high point while under lockdown.  In self-reflection, I started to ask myself: how desperate am I for human connection and where could this desperation take me if something nefarious was involved?  After drawing some more concept art and having discussions with my best friend and eventual writing partner, the story of Dearan, Lilith, Ruth and the rest began to take shape, and the first draft of what was then called “Dearan And His Book” was finished by winter.

 

There were three goals I set for myself when I decided to make this film.  The first was to express feelings of loneliness and desperation for love (as explained above.)  The second goal was to pour everything I wanted from a horror movie into this one.  I figured, since I might not ever get a chance to make a movie again, I’ll combine all my favourite ingredients into this: silent cinema, autumn atmosphere, practical effects, electronic musical score, camp, and even stop-motion animation.  And lastly, I wanted to use this film for charitable purposes, not only to bring awareness to the deaf/hard-of-hearing community, but also donate a percentage of the proceeds to services helping that community.

 

The ultimate irony is that, despite being conceived of during a time of intense loneliness, “Leatherbound” has brought me closer to old friends and introduced me to new ones, as well as the larger filmmaking community of London, Ontario.  To all of them who helped make this vision a reality, thank you!

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