Frank Baruch

Screenwriter | Freelance | San Diego

Saint in the Shadow of Bluebeard is a fictional retelling inspired by true events from early 1400s France — a dark tale of a real-life boogeyman.

The story follows a vicious child killer, feared as a ghostly specter, untouchable and seemingly invincible, dispensing untold wealth and power to fuel an unholy bloodlust.

Chasing him is the unlikeliest of heroes: George, a disillusioned, alcoholic, and sexually traumatized friar cast out by his order, wandering the streets of Nantes in obscurity. With the help of Bennitorio, an Italian priest of a fledgling chapel, and Margaux, a beautiful but mentally scarred sister from Machecoul, George seeks to reclaim his courage and self-worth while uncovering one of history’s most prolific and heinous serial killers.

This story explores not only the demon known as Bluebeard, but also the bittersweet demon residing in the bottle — alcoholism and substance abuse, still rampant today, and the social isolation faced by millions like George.

The script is deeply personal to me, drawing inspiration from my father’s struggles. My goal was to tackle adult themes such as self-loathing, sexual abuse, infanticide, alcoholism, and religious disillusionment with honesty, without gratuitous sensationalism. While serial killers often get glorified in media, here, George is the true focus — with Bluebeard as the catalyst.

Hi, I’m Frank Baruch, a freelance screenwriter based in San Diego. This award from the Beverly Hills Film Festival marks a tremendous honor for me — my first award and second official selection since first attending in 2016. BHFF remains the most prestigious and well-organized festival I have experienced.

I pride myself on versatility and hands-on storytelling. I’ve written eight scripts across genres including historical fiction, horror, murder mystery, romance, dark comedy, action/adventure, and sci-fi — often pushing beyond my comfort zone by exploring cultures and eras that fascinate me.

So far, my stories have ranged from a samurai clan in feudal Japan, labor camp prisoners in Soviet-era Russia, a serial killer in 15th-century France, to a struggling American writer in Vietnam. My characters vary from the charismatic to the malevolent, but they all share extraordinary journeys.

Beyond seeking representation, my deepest aspiration is to see my vision come alive on screen — to offer audiences a dose of reality and hope through stories about ordinary people, much like you and me, facing extraordinary circumstances.

I want my writing to speak to the helpless, the innocent, the misunderstood, and the forgotten — those who truly need to be heard.

— A note from Frank Baruch