Emma Smith

Emma is an up-and-coming director who bases her work on observations of the world around her. She is inspired by contemporary social issues and is drawn to stories centred on emotional conflict and power imbalance. Her work focuses on characters who undergo powerful emotional and psychological journeys. This focus is central to her final film, ‘Wits End’.

‘Wits End’ began as a play on the name itself– a physical place in which a character experiences extreme stress and mental pressure. Over time, this evolved into an intense narrative featuring a young female office worker who is exploited by a corrupt corporation offering accommodation in exchange for intellectual labour. Emma depicts this abuse of power with chilling realism, drawing parallels with real-world corporations within a fictional setting.

‘Wits End’ reflects the housing crisis, the disregard of low-level employees in huge conglomerates, and the reign of impersonal, profit-chasing, faceless companies.