Welcome back to the Following Films Podcast. I’m your host, Chris Maynard, and today I’m joined by writer-director Ali Cook to talk about his Oscar-shortlisted new short film, The Pearl Comb.

Starring Beatie Edney (Highlander) and Ali Cook (Kajaki), The Pearl Comb follows the wife of a fisherman whose miraculous healing powers draw the scrutiny of the medical establishment. When she becomes the first person known to cure tuberculosis, a skeptical doctor is sent to investigate. Set in a time when women were barred from practicing medicine, the film explores power, belief, and the limits society places on women—what begins as an attempt to expose her becomes a journey that challenges long-held scientific and gender-based assumptions.

Inspired by the true story of the Edinburgh Seven, the first women to study medicine in the UK, The Pearl Comb blends historical drama with mysticism. It has already been nominated for five British Short Film Awards, winning two, and will also screen at the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival later this year.

Beyond filmmaking, Ali has had a remarkable career as both a magician and stand-up comedian, and in today’s conversation we dig into how those experiences shaped his storytelling voice, his sense of misdirection and wonder, and how performing live informed his work behind the camera.

I’m thrilled to have him on the show.

For more information, go to https://www.alicook.co.uk/