Islands - What is it?
Islands is a screenplay written and directed by Tajinder Singh Hayer. The film is part of the FilmRaro challenge in the Cook Islands, bringing six of the finest scripts from around the world to a tropical paradise location. The film will be shot and edited in 7 days before receiving it's world premier at the Film Raro festival screening, Rarotonga on 25th May 2013. It is expected that over 2000 people will be in attendance including the prime minister of the Cook Islands.
Film Synopsis
It takes place in a world without words: Rima’s world. She lives on a tropical island. A place that would be paradise if it was not for Han. His shadow falls over everything she does – she cooks, cleans and shares a home with him. Her life is just a flinch away from his anger.
Her only joys – escaping into the forest, and Sil. He lives on the neighbouring island. And they share a gentle, wordless romance across the gulf between them. A romance that is threatened once Han finds out.
It’s up to Rima to make her escape; to rescue herself. She turns Han’s violence against him, and strikes out to Sil’s islands and to independence.
The film is being done as apart of the FilmRaro Initiative and Film Challenge in the Cook Islands.
Here are a few press clippings so far. We will do follow up pieces with these papers, a blog with a local entertainment magazine and perhaps even a short TV spot on our regional news show.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/steel-city-film-crew-head-to-south-seas-1-5350655
http://www.cookislandsnews.com/2013/January/Wed30/features.htm
http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/listings/cinema/movie-project-will-be-taste-of-paradise-1-5371381
What is Film Raro?
Developing nations such as the South Pacific's Cook Islands need to learn more about telling their own digital stories to aid social and economic development.
To be able to see themselves on screen, hear their own language, preserve heritage, culture and identity, to have a voice in today's audio visual digital world.
FILM RARO is a world first concept in the way that it will link passionate filmmakers to indigenous peoples to collaborate in the production of international short films.
The films produced, the knowledge and experience shared will raise the capacity of Cook Island storytellers to then tell their own digital stories to their people and the world.
(From FilmRaro Website)
For more information: http://www.filmraro.com
The Director
Tajinder Singh Hayer was born in Bradford and now lives in St Albans. He studied on Sheffield Hallam’s Film and Media Production MA from 2009 to 2011, which is where he met the rest of the British-based Islands crew. His films as a writer-director, Seeds (2005) and Due (2012), have been selected for the Leeds International Film Festival, Screentest, Tongues on Fire Film Festival, and the London Short Film Festival.
As a playwright, he has been writer on attachment at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, and nominated as one of the Royal Court’s fifty promising playwrights in 2006-7. He subsequently translated a piece for the West Yorkshire Playhouse (Antelopes in 2006) and wrote two original plays for the company (Players in 2005 and Mela in 2008). He has also written for Menagerie Theatre Company (In this house; 2006) and been associate writer at Peshkar Productions. His most recent stage work was a collaborative piece of interactive theatre (You: The Player with Look Left, Look Right and the West Yorkshire Playhouse, 2012) and a play for the Old Red Lion Theatre’s Redfest 2012.
In radio, he won the BBC’s Spin new writing award in 2003, and has written for BBC Radio Four, Radio Three and the Asian Network.
At the moment, he’s busy being a dad and undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing at Anglia Ruskin University. He is also currently under commission for the CBeebies children’s television channel.
The Assistant Director/Editor
Mark Bull is a Sheffield based award winning film maker. He studied on Sheffield Hallam’s Film and Media Production MA from 2009 to 2011, which is where he met the rest of the British-based Islands crew. He was the recipient of the inaugural Sean Ferrin Prize for Best Student Project at the Sheffield Hallam University graduation in 2011 for his production work on the short documentary Hula Girl. The film then went on to screen at film festivals worldwide including the London Short Film Festival, The Film Festival of Colorado, Phenom Film Festival and the Student Film Festival London. Along the way Hula Girl won two Best Documentary Awards, an Audience Choice Award and Best Soundtrack. Mark also received the award for Best Sound Recording for his production Sound work on the short film De Architectura at the Fantastic Film Festival, Athens.
Mark’s passion lies in collaborating creatively alongside musicians and artists. He cut his teeth touring with the Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys, directing their debut music video “Fake Tales of San Francisco, which has over 7 million youtube views. More recently he has been honing his skills working on two feature length documentaries. The first about the Stone Roses with WARP Films and directed by Shane Meadows. The second about Sheffield band Pulp, directed by Florian Habicht and produced by Alex Boden.
Mark is also an exhibited video artist. Working collaboratively with Kid Acne, he has produced pieces for exhibitions in Sheffield, Los Angeles, Beijing and Vienna.
The Director of Photography
Scott was born in Liverpool and lives in Leeds. After completing a degree in graphic design and a career in popular music, he returned to University to study an MA in Film & Media Production at Sheffield Hallam. It was here that he met the rest of the 'Islands' crew. He is now a freelance Camera Op/Editor working on a number of Film, TV and Corporate projects. Of these, the films 'Due' and 'Hula Girl' have appeared in a number of international film festivals, the latter winning 4 awards.
The Sound Designer
Darryl Peat was born in Beverley, East Yorkshire and now lives in Sheffield. His interest in sound began whilst studying Contemporary Popular Music and learning the art of recording with an accomplished location Sound Recordist. He then moved to Sheffield and became more involved with film and sound for digital media.
Darryl then embarked on an MA in Sound for Film and Media Production at Sheffield Hallam University and began working with filmmakers, artists, animators, musicians as well as forging a strong relationship with the rest of the Islands crew. Whilst on the MA, Darryl won the Sean Ferrin Prize for his Sound duties on Hula Girl, an award-winning documentary also created with the rest of the Islands team.
Darryl has produced work for a wide range of clients including Screen Yorkshire, Sensoria, Lovebytes, Radio Sheffield, Prism Contemporary Art and Sort Of…. Films as well as a number of acclaimed directors.
He is currently working as a freelance Sound Designer and Sound Recordist and is Associate Lecturer in Sound for film and media production at Sheffield Hallam University.
You can view our resumes here: http://www.filmraro.com/index.pl?page=show_finalist_detail&ID=72&m=229
Why do we need your support?
We have been very lucky to be given the opportunity by FilmRaro to mentor the locals in film making and the chance to make Islands in a tropical paradise. However, film making is a costly business and whilst Rarotonga is indeed paradise, it does not have easy access to film equipment. Cameras, lights, sound recorders, mics, tripods and an editing system, all need to be transported out there, which adds up to a lot of shipping fees.
Our indiegogo campaign has been set up to help us with these costs and allow us to make a much stronger film.
I can't donate are there other ways I can support you?
YES! Whilst we are extremely grateful for any denomination of donation received to help us. We are equally grateful for your precious time through spreading the word about our film and also the campaign itself. Perhaps you know a benevolant neighbour that loves to invest in films. Perhaps you know someone that would love the opportunity to have one of our perks. Please share this campaign via social networks, in emails, down the pub with your mates or even as a message in a bottle.
Every single contribution will go towards enriching the project and allow the creative and aesthetic to flourish.
Please use your social networks and the share option on the Indiegogo page to spread the word about the Islands campaign.
Thank you.
Social Media Links:
https://twitter.com/Islandsmovie
http://www.facebook.com/islandsmovie
Email for more information : islandsmovie@gmail.com
