PAULINE BAERT
Screenwriter
PROFESSIONAL WORK
SHADOW PLAY
A naive young woman's affair triggers the generational curse of Utburdur. Based on a Scandinavian legend.
INDEPENDENT WORK
LEAVE NO TRACE
Three YouTubers explore a 17th-century mansion, once an interrogation center during witch trials.
PERSONAL WORK
PENUMBRA
After the death of their mother, two sisters discover they can share dreams... and nightmares.
Professional work
After graduating from the Royal Institute of Cinema, Theatre and Sound (RITCS Brussels) in 2022, I joined Harald House Belgium BV as an in-house screenwriter. There, I gained extensive experience in screenwriting, script consulting, submissions, and working on set as a script supervisor and production assistant.Below are my most noteable projects within the company as a writer.SHADOW PLAY (100', psychological horror)
by Kristian Van der Heyden & Pauline Baert
"Following an affair that leads to an unplanned pregnancy, 19-year-old Freyja finds herself tormented by the vengeful raven-spirit Utburdur. In her desperate attempts to break the curse, she mistakenly takes her own baby's life, fulfilling an ancient folklore prophecy."
- Selected for Midpoint Feature Launch 2023.
- Pitched at Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2023.HARBOUR COWBOYS (90', action/drama)
by Andreas Vakalios & Pauline Baert
"In a world where harbor traditions are fading, a young dockworker embarks on a journey through the underground brotherhood of the Harbour Cowboys, seeking to prove himself to his distant father and uncover the true meaning of camaraderie and self-worth amidst a backdrop of change and rebellion."
- Inspired by true events.
- Belgian/Greek co-production.OMA (15', experimental short)
by Kristian Van der Heyden & Pauline Baert
"A young boy's daily visits to his seemingly sweet but obsessively controlling grandmother unravel into a haunting exploration of trauma and distorted love, blurring the lines between protection and peril."
- Based on a true story.For more info: [email protected].
Independent work
While studying in Brussels and after graduating, I had the privilege of forming friendships with many talented creatives in the industry who share my passion for new ideas.Below are the most noteable projects that resulted from these friendships.LEAVE NO TRACE (90', handheld horror)
by Pauline Baert & Michaël Vermaercke
"After a controversial prank shatters their reputation, a YouTuber couple of urban explorers, along with their most vocal critic, venture into a haunted mansion tied to witch hunts for a redemption video. But as eerie events unfold, they realize they may not escape the deadly legacy that has lain dormant for centuries."
- Parallells between religious mass hysteria and modern cancel culture.
- Found footage.SIXT (10x20, musical youth series)
by Siebe Gebruers, Pauline Baert, Dimana Markovska & Micha Merckx
"When six high school students discover they share a musical telepathic connection, they form a band and uncover the true meaning of friendship."
- Pilot premiered at UGC Turnhout.
- Sixt Instagram pageSECRET GARDEN (90', drama)
by Ruben Francq, Pauline Baert & Tobias Deruwe
"Six months after her boyfriend Dieter's suicide, Yasmine must clear out their apartment. Each item she touches thrusts her into memories she must relive correctly before she can move on, offering new insights into their relationship and her role in his death."
- Filmed a teaser.
- Magic realism.DUMPED (8x30, comedy/thriller)
by Viktor Eeckhout, Pauline Baert & Sebastiaan Dejaegere
"When Seppe, a boy with little self-confidence, kidnaps his romantic rival Gust in a misguided attempt to win back his ex Emma, he embarks on a series of misadventures. Along the way, he learns that true self-worth comes from within, not from the approval of others."
- References: The End of The F**king World, Burn After Reading.
- Dutch title: 'Gedumpt'.For more info: paulinebaert[at]hotmail.com.
Personal work
Born in Mechelen, I'm one of nine siblings in a wonderfully mixed family. I'm inspired by folklore and urban legends, binge on Chinese and Korean series, host dinner clubs for my international friends and family, and drink endless cups of tea.
Like any writer, I have many ideas which haven't yet come to fruition and which are in different stages of creative development.Below are my babies.TILL DEATH DO US PART(S) (short, horror/comedy)
"Steven, a disgruntled and perpetually unlucky fast food worker, is cursed to haunt the Earth as a ghost during the zombie apocalypse, trapped until he can rid himself of his zombified alter ego."
- Honorable Mention at the Frights! Camera! Action! Horror Screenplay Contest.
- Themes: self-love, life and death, friendship.PENUMBRA (90', psychological horror)
"Jade, estranged from her family, uses nightly drinking and partying to escape her haunting dreams. When she inadvertently dreamshares with her sister Britt, who falls into a coma after being kidnapped by a nightmarish entity, Jade must brave their shared dreams to rescue her before they both succumb to the darkness."
- An ode to my little sister.
- Inspired by my ability to lucid dream every night.THE WITNESS (90', thriller/crime)
"A socially anxious man suffering from severe face blindness must find a way to identify his wife’s murderer to prove his own innocence."
- Prosopagnosia (face blindness) is a neurological condition characterized by the inability to recognize faces.
- What started as an idea for a short became a feature.
- Massive twist.THE DEMON AND THE PRIEST (series, horror/romance)
"After repeatedly failing to banish a powerful demoness, a vengeful priest finds their adversarial relationship evolving into an unexpected romance, blurring the lines between the human and demon realms as their entangled destinies unfold."
- Similar vibes to Van Helsing, Lucifer, Underworld, and Constantine.NOT MY SON (90', horror/drama)
"Maud, a grieving mother, accidentally summons a troubled ghost, Beau, instead of her deceased son during a séance. Together, they navigate unresolved pasts and seek closure in a world where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur."
- A redemption story.
- An ode to mothers.A'S AND F'S (series, romance)
"A seasoned cheater masquerading as the school's top student and a laid-back genius who questions the value of education forge an unexpected partnership after being seated together in a class as part of a school initiative to pair high achievers with underperformers, sparking hilarious and heartfelt lessons in love and academic growth."
- Dutch title: 'Een Bank Naar Voor'.For more info: paulinebaert[at]hotmail.com.