Despondent Divorcee

This short film takes its title from Russell Corgi's famous 1942 Buffalo Courier Express photograph of the exterior of the Genesee Hotel. Directed by Jonathan Ogilvie, the film is a series of close-ups of the photo coolly unfurling to reveal the full image. The snippets are overdubbed with a beguiling film noir-styled narration that imagines the context behind the extraordinary shot. Divorcee screened at many film festivals including in competition at Cannes in 1995. Corgi's photo was also referenced in the 'Passengers' issue of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics.

Despondent Divorcee (1996) and This Film is a Dog (1997) are both driven by aloof and cool male characters that resist the movements of fate with seemingly sincere actions to improve their lots, only to have their motives weighted by a blind selfishness that steers them to conclusions filled with more pain than they began with. In short, they are attracted to fates worse than death.

– Hussain Currimbhoy, in a February 2007 interview with Jonathan Ogilvie, Senses of Cinema

Key Cast & Crew

Jonathan Ogilvie

Director, Writer, Producer, Editor

Roger Norris

As: Man

Amanda Pearson

As: Woman

Janet Merewether

Cinematographer

Chris Abrahams

Composer