Table of Contents
A woman decides that cutting micro bangs could be the answer to her problems. When she seeks approval from her boyfriend, his lukewarm response sends her into a manic spiral. Shot on tape camcorder, Iris Breward's Micro Bangs is a five-minute comedy about relationships, hair theory, and the need for validation β and it arrives at HollyShorts as Breward's first screening at a US festival.
Breward writes and directs with a clear, unsentimental conviction, committing fully to a lo-fi aesthetic and a heroine who refuses to let anything go. The result is a comedy that flirts with dread, keeps its character's voice at the center of every choice, and dares you not to see yourself in the spiral.
Key Takeaways
- Micro Bangs is a pure, instinct-led vision that changed little from conception to delivery β proof of the power of committing to the bit.
- Breward embraced "technically bad" 90s camcorder visuals and distorted, maximalist sound to strip away polish and any place to hide.
- Working with close collaborators and inside real financial constraints made the film sharper, funnier, and more alive.
Below, Breward talks hair theory, The Fear, and going to Hollywood.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
I felt like I needed to raise awareness about the importance of bangs, and how people don't UNDERSTAND or APPRECIATE hair theory. Someone had to tell this story, and given my lived experience I thought it should be me.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically?
This film was quite a pure vision and it honestly didn't change that much from conception to final delivery. There were some line tweaks from rehearsals and a bit of work to find the right landing for the final beat, but I felt like more so than with other films I could really see the end of the tunnel from the start.
That said, the edit took a bit of time because I find that The Fear really sets in during post and I become filled with dread and self doubt, which prevents me from always staying true to my intentions. So shout out my amazing editor Max Cavalli for continuously telling me when stuff was funny, when stuff wasn't, and pushing me to go bolder and bigger whenever I felt the evil compulsion to shrink and sanitise the film.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
Honestly all of it is embarrassingly me-coded, but I guess the bit where she can't drop it. The impulse to continue the spiral even though it's clearly veering into dangerous territory is very funny to me and also something I haven't yet been therapised out of. I love that she kind of wins the argument, but she's not satisfied, and then decides to go to the cupboard and get the scissors out in this final bid for attention. Also that she loves the bangs, because once you've doubled down I think the best reaction is to simply own it. There's a euphoric freedom in that.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
Probably just committing to the lo-fi aesthetic and rocking the 90s camcorder vibe. It's hard to make something a bit intentionally ugly and jarring. And I actually like how it looks, but the decision to lean into technically 'bad' visuals and sound is always scary. You're kind of removing a defensive shield as a filmmaker, because high production value can feel like a shortcut to your work being perceived as professional and legit, and stripping that away leaves you with less to hide behind if your idea doesn't work. I had to repeatedly remind myself to make it more brash, more silly, more messy rather than going for something that felt polished.
What tool, technique, or mindset shift helped most during production?
I think the sound mix was maybe the most revelatory process. That and the edit. There was a point where I thought the film was finished, and we had this quite clean, almost polite sound design. And something did just feel a bit off about the whole film, like the sound mix threw it off balance. I started to think about scoring it, and there was a whole lot of barking up trees and coming back down, which our sound designer Tom Brewins was extremely patient and proactive with. But the solution turned out to be going bigger and weirder and uglier with the sound. We threw in loads of stupid stuff, and distorted a lot of things β basically matching the weirdness of the edit, and the DV cam, and leaning into the maximalism. And it worked soooo much better! It was a mindset of committing to the bit with every element of the film, keeping the spirit and the character of it at the forefront rather than letting convention dilute its tone.
How does your film fit within, or push the boundaries of, its genre or form?
I guess comedies can be quite glossy and accessible in terms of how they look and feel, and formally Micro Bangs is the opposite of that. I wanted to add a bit of a sense of dread and horror to the proceedings and destabilise everything rather than having it be easy to digest. I like the proximity between laughter and danger and I tried to lean into that with the form.
What does it mean to have your film selected for HollyShorts?
It's the first time my work has screened at a US festival, so I'm delighted and thrilled! It feels very surreal and funny that this film is going to Hollywood. I feel all starry eyed and filled with delusions of grandeur. Currently workshopping a new personality for it, so hope everyone's ready.
Main Cast & Crew
- Iris Breward β Writer/Director (irisbreward.co.uk,)
- ChloΓ© Huybens β Producer (Stoemp Productions, stoemp.productions)
- Kieran Dee β Actor
- Annie Cordoni β Actress
- Conrad Magan β Director of Photography (conradmagan.com,)
- Max Cavalli β Editor (maxcavalliediting.com,)
- Tom Brewins β Sound Design (tombrewins.com,)
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