Unfiltered - a new short film
In the quiet of her room, a young woman records fragments of letters to her body. What begins as a series of self-criticisms unravels into a tender exploration of how beauty standards, filters, and comparison shape identity. With her mirror as witness, she confronts the pressure to conform and the exhaustion of always trying to measure up. Until what remains is something raw, unedited, and deeply human.
Written & Directed by Remco Merbis
Featuring Romy Clarkson
Cinematography: Nick Wilding & Remco Merbis
Hair and Makeup: Amy Vivian
Art Direction: Rachel Raftery
Location: Good Spaces
With thanks to Katy Carmichael and Lucas Martin
Edit, colour grade, music and delivery: Remco Merbis
Why this film?
Unfiltered grew out of what I’ve witnessed both personally and professionally. As a father of two teenage daughters, I’ve seen firsthand the silent battles they and their friends face around body image, self-worth, and the relentless influence of social media. I’ve watched how quickly the smallest comment, a single photo, or an endless scroll can leave its mark. Not just on how they see themselves, but on how they carry themselves in the world.
At the same time, much of my professional life has been spent working with models and actors in photography and film. The fashion and beauty industries, for all their artistry, remain a place where perfection is engineered, retouched, and endlessly recycled. I’ve seen how the same pressures that weigh on young women online are magnified in front of the camera, where comparison and conformity often overshadow individuality.
Unfiltered is my attempt to hold a mirror to that reality. To create a space where one young woman can speak to herself with honesty, without filters, and confront the voices, external and internal, that shape her identity. It’s a quiet film, but I hope it resonates as a reminder that beneath the performance and perfection, there is a human being who deserves to be seen as she truly is.
Unwritten Futures Trilogy
This is the second film in the Unwritten Futures Trilogy. The Unwritten Futures Trilogy is a collection of three short films exploring the inner lives of a generation coming of age in uncertain times. Each film offers a distinct lens: Days Like These captures the fragile nostalgia of student life on the cusp of adulthood, What Light Remains (scheduled for February 2026) examines masculinity and the quiet weight of unspoken emotion, and Unfiltered confronts the pressures of self-image in a world shaped by mirrors and screens. Together, they form a tender portrait of youth; navigating vulnerability, identity, and the search for connection in a future still being written.
