Smoking Kills

The film was written at 3AM after Harry Pages, the writer and director, couldn't sleep from nicotine withdrawal brought on by his attempts to quit smoking. Restless, he imagined a Croenenbergesque body horror film that reflected the common tribulations of those attempting to quit smoking. He was inspired by his own sense of guilt for the harm he was doing to himself by smoking - imagining the horrifying implications for what would happen if the damage was reversed and he actually killed others through his habit. Artistic inspirations include the works of Junji Ito, Julia Ducournau, and David Lynch.

The first draft of the screenplay was written within an hour during that early morning and shot later that month on a low budget of £500 over three days with a dedicated cast and crew made up of Portsmouth residents.