Bafta Breakthrough filmmaker Otto Baxter on ‘The Puppet Asylum’ and starting a revolution in the film industry
In his debut short film, The Puppet Asylum, Otto Baxter uses the horror genre as an allegory for how the outside world mistreats people with Down syndrome. The film begins with the birth of a baby whose mother deems him to be a “monster” and gives him away to the owner of a freakshow known as The Master (Paul Kaye). The baby is rescued by a kind woman named Lucy, but The Master returns to make his life a living hell.
The Puppet Asylum would be an ambitious project for any director, let alone a first-time director, but Baxter’s lavish debut is bursting at the seams with creativity and clarity of vision. Set in Victorian London, it features expletive-laden musical numbers, gory murders, a creepy ventriloquist’s dummy, and a winning central performance by Baxter himself. Released in tandem with a documentary about the making of the project, Otto Baxter: Not a F***ing Horror Story, The Puppet Asylum achieved the recognition of Bafta, which named Baxter one of this year’s Breakthrough creators.
In an interview, Baxter and the real-life Lucy discussed his influences for the film, what it was like directing such a complex production, and how he hopes it might reframe the way the industry views artists with Down syndrome and other learning disabilities.
One of the things that makes The Puppet Asylum such a refreshingly original film is its melding of genres. With all the trappings of a bloody horror film, it is also full of comedy, music, and playful irreverence. Baxter explained that he was inspired by a wide range of creators and movies when writing the film, including Jack Black, Stephen King, Disney, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Most importantly, however, he reinterpreted these influences through the structure of his own biography – from being given up for adoption at birth to difficulty in school to being discriminated against as an actor.
Baxter hopes that the film will help start a “revolution” in the film industry so that neurodiverse creators are given greater opportunities to share their work. As Lucy Baxter put it, the best way for the industry to be more inclusive is to simply include more people.
“I think some people have a learning disability when it comes to learning disability and neurodivergence,” she told Far Out. “Who’s the one with the learning disability? That’s a question. And actually,” she added, turning to Baxter, “It’s not you.”
Still, Baxter discussed feeling some imposter syndrome during the production and joked that he was expecting someone to turn around and say, “He’s no good, let’s have Tommy Jessop instead,” referencing the British actor who became the first performer with down syndrome to star in a Primetime BBC drama.
By the end of the production, however, he says he grew confident in his role as a director and felt particularly at home when mixing with the other actors, performing stunts, and working with the 60-member crew. Looking back on the finished product, he says, “I’m very broad of my film,” adding, “I loved working.”
As a Bafta Breakthrough artist, Baxter is one of 43 creators who will be part of a year-long initiative involving career guidance and professional development alongside full voting membership of Bafta itself.
“It’s a great honour,” Baxter says regarding his place in the cohort of other up-and-coming artists. “I’m feeling quite excited.”
Bafta Breakthrough is supported by Netflix.
