The Performance

A four-minute short on authenticity. Written, directed, produced, edited and performed by Calypso Cragg.

Cinematography by Scott Griffiths.

Director’s Note:

Like many others, I have suffered from being inauthentic. I can confidently say that I am an avid people-pleaser, to the point where I will put myself in very uncomfortable positions just to make someone else feel happy. People pleasers like myself tend to feel absolutely exhausted after socialising because we have been playing a character. We have been giving a performance. One so real that you might not even suspect us. We are frauds, walking around in the open daylight, conning you all into thinking we actually think you are funny, at our own mental expense.

The Performance is a film on self-reflection and self-discovery. A reminder to those pretending: you can only play a character for so long until you begin to lose yourself.