Actress Jamie Bernadette Announces The Desecrated Ones
Actress Jamie Bernadette has starred in many films, but she’s never gotten the chance to make one of her own. That will change soon when she sits in the director’s chair to pursue a personal project she’s wanted to create for some time: The Desecrated Ones.
What’s The Desecrated Ones? It’s a horror movie based on a real-life horror: the cycle of inherited abuse. “[This film] explores abuse, the forms it comes in, the dangerous effects it can have on its victims, and the extraordinary lengths some must take in order to cope. The last film I co-wrote and produced, The 6th Friend, is a horror film about obsession with fame and attention in today’s social media-crazed world. So I like using film to address deep issues in society. I hope to scare people with this film – it’s horror! But I also hope to move them emotionally and bring light to this important issue. It’s definitely not going to be easy to watch, I can tell you that.”
Jamie also wrote the film and Amna Vegha, whom she met on the set of Homestead, will serve as co-director (as well as play a role onscreen). “I instantaneously fell in love with her as an artist,” Amna tells. “We had almost identical artistic impulses and I was impressed by Jamie’s ability to bring the film to life as both an actor and executive producer. It truly wouldn’t have been the same film without her!”
“I admire films like Hereditary, Midsommar, It Follows, and Get Out, because they use horror as a vehicle to explore difficult and relatable situations and involve or allude to the occult. When Jamie sent me her script, I was blown away. It’s a film that is both deeply disturbing and bizarrely touching. Unlike many of today’s films, The Desecrated Ones doesn’t forcefully overlay the issue of abuse on the story. Conversely, Jamie takes it on naturally through the plot and fully fleshed-out characters; it’s a topical horror film that never feels forced. Jamie’s ability to invent unconventional characters that feel real and to go between sophisticated, rhythmic prose and crass dialogue makes the film unlike any other.”
The Desecrated Ones is scheduled to go into production in February.