Samara O’Gorman

Samara O’Gorman knows the nature of narrative.

“Life is all about creating and sharing stories,” writes the 20-something creative via email from her hometown of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

“I knew I was an artist from a very young age. People know me as an actress and poet, but at heart, I love all forms of art. I sing, I paint, I dance, I write, I direct, I make films…I do it to learn and to create with fellow creatives. I do it for the love of art.”

That passion plays out in O’Gorman’s latest artistic effort, a short film titled When The Crops Turned Black, which debuts this month at the ACTRA Montreal 2026 Short Film Festival.

Interestingly, she didn’t start her creative career with cinema in mind.

“I suppose I have always been a filmmaker – I just didn’t know I was. I was an avid vlogger in the early days of YouTube, always bringing my camera around to capture different stories with my friends in high school. Fast forward a couple of years later, when I graduated from theatre school, I started auditioning for films, and once I was on my first big production, I fell in love with the magic that is made on set. I decided I wanted to create my own films.”

With two short films already to her credit (What A View! and Passepartout), O’ Gorman looked to her Irish heritage for the new movie.

“I’ve been wanting to write and shoot a film about the Great Irish Famine for quite some time now, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

“The cinematographer, Krystian Sosa and I have been collaborating creatively for over 5 years. He filmed the accompanying visuals for my debut poetry collection, What If The Sun Died. Since then, we have shot several Bell Let’s Talk commercials, a Scream recreation scene, and tons of photoshoots. This past winter, we bonded over the movie Sinners, and he wanted to make a movie inspired by it. Originally, we dabbled with the idea of making a prequel to the movie – set in Ireland – but instead decided to write an entirely new story. So, the tone and visual style of the movie are inspired by Ryan Coogler’s 2025 horror flick.”

Set in 1846 as the Great Famine devastates the Irish countryside, When The Crops Turned Black tells the tale of a desperate girl – fleeing from her troubles – who finds refuge in a cabin with two starving young men. Though they offer to share the last of their food, she refuses to eat. The girl’s resistance leaves the men wondering if she is running from trauma, or if a supernatural force is at play.

Written and directed by O’Gorman (who also plays the movie’s protagonist), with Sosa acting as Director of Photography, the film also features Montreal actors Bryan Libero, Myles Stuart, and Justin Côté.

“I have come to realize that it’s impossible to create a perfect film. The vision you initially have may not be fully realized in the final product. However, everything happens for a reason, and the outcome could end up being even better than you imagined. Embrace the feedback from others and approach the project as a collaborative team effort. A good film is made by those who have a story to tell and the confidence to share it. Good projects won’t ever come to fruition unless you have the guts to execute them. It’s scary at first, but the more you release your art, the easier it gets. It’s all about growing and learning!”

She also finds inspiration from her milieu.

“There’s a lot of talent in the West Island and there is always a show to see or a vernissage to attend. Especially younger people, who spent their early 20s cooped up in their rooms during the pandemic; a lot of us used the time to get better at our craft and excel in our passions. All that time spent trapped inside actually propelled us into who we are today, and it shows on most community or cultural calendars in any West Island borough.”

After the film’s premiere, O’Gorman plans to go into “full hermit mode”.
“I am completing a children’s book which I am both writing and illustrating. I have also been working on a book about my hometown of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue – a collection of history and folk stories. Hermit mode won’t last long, however, as I am also on tour again for the fourth year in a row with Inspirations Montreal as a featured speaker on their Jackie Fisher Empathy Tour.”

samaraogorman.com
@samara.ogorman