When a secretive man finds out that he has just one month left to live, he must face his darkest fear. Not just death itself, but the possible discovery of his biggest and what would be his most embarrassing secret, his wife, the love of his life, Tania. Embarrassment, because Tania isn't real; Tania is a mannequin, and no one else knows about her.
Director Statement
What’s the worst thing people could discover about you if you suddenly died?
That question led me to Tania. I wanted to explore loneliness, shame and the secret versions of ourselves that we never expect the world to see. The film lives in that uncomfortable space between tragedy and comedy, because grief and embarrassment are often ridiculous, even when the stakes are enormous.
This is a sad story, but I’m telling it in a darkly comic way. The humour doesn’t come from mocking Alan; it comes from the absurdity of his situation and the elaborate lengths he goes to in order to protect the truth about his relationship with Tania. My aim is for the audience to laugh at the strangeness of his world, while still feeling the crushing emotional weight he’s carrying. That balance is at the heart of the film.
Visually, the film feels cinematic and composed, with wide, static frames, carefully considered blocking and design, slightly heightened, but still grounded in a recognisable world. Tania should feel real in the space, even though we know she isn’t. The tone of the performances contrasts with the comedy: the more serious the situation, the more ridiculous the responses become.
Ultimately, Tania is about control, how we curate our lives, even in death. It’s about the secrets we cling to, the fantasy lives we build for ourselves, and the deeply human fear of being truly seen. If audiences can laugh, then sit with the sadness underneath, then I feel I’ve done the story justice.
About the Director
Adam Bouabda is a British Algerian producer, writer and director from the North East of England. After graduating from The Northern School of Art with a degree in Creative Film Production, he went on to produce a feature film, two BFI-funded shorts, comedy shorts for Channel 4 and Newsthump, and several factual pieces for the BBC. He created and co-wrote the workplace comedy series Re Inc. and wrote and directed The Five Stages of Grief, while also developing scripted projects and character work for BBC Comedy. Tania marks his debut as a writer-director and forms part of a growing slate of comedy and drama projects he is developing.
