Inspirational Northampton filmmaker felt ‘moved’ to bring her film home to the place that made her who she is

An inspirational filmmaker has shared how “moving” it was to bring one of her successful short films home, with a screening at the Northampton Film Festival opening gala.

Cat White, an actor and founder of the award-winning Kusini Productions, directed and starred in ‘Fifty-Four Days’ alongside Phoebe Torrance – which is currently on its film festival tour and will be released later this year.

The narrative centres on a spirited young woman struck by family tragedy, who turns to wild water swimming in search of answers.

Exploring the themes of grief, family, friendship and healing, Cat created and shared this short film based on her own experiences – which is why it was so important that she starred as the leading character.

Cat began her journey into filmmaking as an actor, which she still is first and foremost. She started producing during the pandemic and founded Kusini Productions to bring all her work together, including her social impact work on gender equality with the UN.

“I’m so proud of it,” said Cat, who launched the organisation in March 2020 and continues to use her platform to champion underrepresented narratives and voices – namely of black women and girls.

Cat holds talks and events, has produced a number of successful films and was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, and her aim is to “continue to make sure the work reaches the communities she is championing”.

Fifty-Four Days shares the story of a young woman who starts swimming after losing her father to suicide. She aims to swim for 54 days in the body of water where he took his own life, to honour his 54 years of life.

It explores the themes of grief and healing, with her brother expressing his grief in a way that she does not understand.

“It shows there is no right or wrong way to grieve,” said Cat, who also shared that the main character strikes an unlikely friendship with an older woman who swims in the same body of water.

Cat sadly lost her uncle in January 2020 in complicated circumstances, and lost a friend to suicide a year later.

“I turned to swimming as a way of coping,” she said. “It’s the thing that kept me alive. I’ve never been as low as I was at that time, trying to process something I didn’t have the words for. Swimming healed me.”

Cat wanted to share that there is “hope and healing”, particularly as people who lose someone to suicide are more likely to take their own lives.

Cat, originally from Kingsthorpe, said: “At first I thought there was no way I would be able to play the part. But the thought of auditioning others for the role felt like a disservice to my uncle and friend. I had to do it.”

She described how she felt “terrified” of the shoot and said: “It was important because everything you see on screen is so real. It was healing to live those emotions again and I cried in a way I couldn’t at the time.”

Fifty-Four Days has touched many people with relatable experiences, in making them “feel seen and less alone”.

Cat has connected with a mother who lost her son to suicide and they plan to go swimming together. It is connections like these that mean most to Cat.

She went on to praise the Northampton Film Festival opening gala for proving the “power of women getting together and telling stories”.

As Cat’s sisters and school friends came along to the screening, the filmmaker and actor felt she “brought the film home” to the place that formed her and what she has gone on to achieve.

For more information on Cat White’s work, visit her website and the Kusini Productions website here.