Hold up, cinephiles! Get ready for a film that’s gonna hit you right in the feels. Olivia Grant, widely known for her acting chops in flicks like ‘Stardust’ and ‘Indian Summers’, is making her much-anticipated directorial debut with ‘The Two Week Wait’. This short film, starring Daniel Ings and Jessica Brown Findlay, isn’t just another flick; it’s a raw, honest look at the emotional rollercoaster of IVF and the mental toll it takes. As the article states, Ings, fresh off ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, and Brown Findlay, a well-known player from ‘Peaky Blinders’, are bringing their A-game to this project, portraying a couple grappling with the profound personal effects of infertility. This ‘directorial debut’ by Grant is already creating buzz, promising a story that feels ‘for real’ and deeply personal.
According to the report, Grant herself penned ‘The Two Week Wait’, pulling directly from her own intense struggles with IVF during the COVID-19 pandemic. She opened up to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ about how the lockdown created the perfect, albeit challenging, environment for her to shift focus and channel her experiences into writing. It wasn’t just a casual scribble; she kept a whopping 30,000-word diary documenting the ups and downs of grappling with infertility and even transcribed arguments with her husband. This period, she explained, was marked by specific, uniquely gendered challenges that ultimately fueled the script, offering a level of authenticity that, no cap, is truly compelling.
What started as a deeply personal journey soon revealed its universal truth. Grant recounted that as the world slowly reopened, reconnecting with other women and couples made it crystal clear that her ‘mental anguish’ was anything but isolated. The ‘shame’ she felt about not being able to conceive, her partner’s difficulty in providing specific comfort, and the intense ‘dissociation’ she experienced were, as she discovered, common threads in the IVF experience for many. It’s ‘legit’ that a lot of women go through this in silence, not even sharing with close friends or family. This film aims to shed some serious light on these profound interpersonal effects, highlighting the often-harrowing yet remarkably successful process of IVF that too often remains unspoken.
This powerful short film isn’t just a standalone project; it’s a ‘proof of concept’ for a feature-length narrative titled ‘Baby Mine’, slated for 2027. The good news is that both Daniel Ings and Jessica Brown Findlay are attached to reprise their roles in the feature, with Amy Hubbard on board as the casting director, ensuring top-tier talent. ‘The Two Week Wait’ is a co-production between Grant’s new production banner, Cavalry Films, and Symphony Films, spearheaded by actor-producers Rebecca Night and Harry Hadden-Paton. The article mentions the film is set to premiere on Tuesday at the Indy Shorts Film Festival, which is pretty sick if you ask me.
The creative team behind the project is highkey excited about Grant’s vision. Daniel Ings praised her as a ‘singular new voice in British filmmaking,’ noting her ability to speak to universal themes affecting many women. Working alongside Nanu Segal and Jessica Brown Findlay on this ‘beautiful film’ was, according to Ings, an ’embarrassment of creative riches,’ and he confidently asserted that we haven’t ‘heard the last of Olivia Grant.’ Rebecca Night also weighed in, describing the script as ‘so instantly unique, compelling and beautiful,’ adding that it delves into the choices we make, the relationships we foster, and the human search for love and connection through life’s struggles. She highlighted its blend of drama, wit, and heart-wrenching moments, ensuring it ‘hits different’ for anyone who watches.
If you enjoyed this article, share it with your friends or leave us a comment!
Livia Dorne covers film, television, music, and pop culture with a keen editorial perspective. She delivers engaging commentary, reviews, and behind-the-scenes insights that keep readers connected to the entertainment world. Her style blends critique with storytelling.
