THE STORY
Eight characters from Rome and surroundings are preparing for an undelayable appointment: a skywatching that will see them gathered together to watch the sky and salute our cosmic siblings. An event that will change their earthly lives for ever.
OVERVIEW
Some projects are driven only by madness and passion. They call it "indie films": meaning there's hardly a budget. Our "alien film-documentary" ALBE is one of these. So far it's been mainly financed on our pockets, yet we managed to involve few productions who are helping us collecting the estimated budget (100K). NOW WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Help us reach 30K to wrap up production and shot the grand final scene: the characters' skywatching to salute our cosmic siblings! —The Authors
THE CONCEPT
The documentary film A Life Beyond Earth (ALBE) comes from the passion for the outer space and the irreducible tension towards it summarized by the question: "Are we alone in the Universe?" Space as a boundless, mysterious, obscure place – perhaps inhabited by other forms of intelligent life – where very "terrestrial themes" can be re-launched on a cosmic scale.
Arthur Clarke, the British science fiction writer, and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, once said: "Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case, the idea is quite staggering."
ALBE starts from this observation and shows the particular interpretation of it by eight characters – direct and indirect protagonists of exceptional events that have changed their lives.
The stories of "aliens", "sightings", "contacts" and "abductions" offer the opportunity to face essential human issues related to the construction of identity and our relationship with the world and the Otherness.
That extraterrestrials exist or not it is irrelevant to the story. What really matters is the possibility that these "Other" offer us: a radical change of perspective on the world in which – for now – we live.
THE CHARACTERS
ANTONIO: a witty 44-year-old big man who lives in the Northern part of Rome and works as a cinema "background actor". He's experienced a few abductions and contacts since childhood.
CARLO: a 46-year-old man with a younger look. He is a 360 performer, artist and singer. He says was "activated" in 2013 and his life has radically changed ever since.
DANIELA: an independent woman on her fifties. Former go-go dancer, now state-worker. True or imagined, in her childhood she witnessed a luminescent ladder appearing inside the closet. She feels no doubt there is a cosmic afterlife.
FRANCESCA: a talented radio speaker and TV host on her forties. She hosts a popular show called "Controcorrente" (Upstream) dealing with all kind of "alternative" subjects related to science, esoterism, ufology, and politics.
GIAMPAOLO: a 50year-old natural born PR with a big heart. He's the "leader" of the crew. Full time party animal when young, now he works with a digital firm. Ufology, occultism, and esoterism passionate.
GIULIA: a high school student and performer, living around Ciampino Airport. Fond of Marilyn Monroe, tango and burlesque. She's always had only one certainty: she is not of this world.
JOSEFA: a sensitive strong-minded woman on her fifties. She works as a school caretaker in Ostia, the ancient port of Rome. She often witnesses flying saucers in the sky and strange figures passing on her way.
PATRIZIA: a sensitive woman on her fifties, former molecular biologist now nutritionist. Thanks to her sister-medium, she's able to transcribe alien messages to Earth.
STEFANIA: A sweet hairdresser on her fifties from Latina: a solemn city of fascist foundation close to the seaside. She's willing to get rid of voices who wants her to be a hybrid human-alien species mare.
NOTE: each protagonist is narrated like a "superhero", whose own raw "reality" alternates with the "astral" one in which they are the best version of themselves. All stories are intertwined by the music score of Gianni – "Ologram" in art – a local song-writer whose pop songs tell of alien conspiracies, abductions, the age of Aquarius, and the dangers for planet Earth.
THE FINAL SCENE (the one you'll help us to realise)
When the sun begins to lower, each protagonist reaches the meeting place: a large field with no lights just outside Rome. With their back to the city and a ruinous Roman aqueduct, the eight characters with families, children, friends, admire the sky, each one ready to record a sighting and possibly salute those beings as unfathomable as familiar: the extraterrestrials.
STATE OF ART (How you can help)
ALBE is the fruit of a long period of research which was essential to find the story, the characters, and the overall approach. So far we've been able to shot aprox. 10-15% of the film. The moment the total budget is closed, we've estimated about 3 weeks of shooting.
In this process, the crowdfunded sum is absolutely crucial: it would ignite production and represent a convincing leverage for new incoming investors.
Support us!
THE AUTHORS
ELISA FUKSAS: author-director. Since 2007 she has written and directed music videos, documentaries, commercials and short films. Nina (2012) is her first feature film. In 2013 she has been chosen by Variety in the annual selection “Variety’s ten euro directors to watch”. She is currently preparing her second feature based on her novel "La figlia di" (Rizzoli) with Fandango.
TOMMASO FAGIOLI: author. Ph.D in philosophy. Parallel to academic activities, he is been working since 2000 in media and communication contributing to several projects related to journalism, filmmaking, art, music, and young cultures. In 2013 he created www.goodshortfilms.it, the first Italian web platform entirely dedicated to short films.
DOP
Emanuele Zarlenga
MUSIC
Riccardo Amorese
EDITOR
Marco Signoretti
INTERESTED PRODUCERS
RING FILM Matrioska Film K48 Foundry Films
OTHER WAY TO HELP
Some of you just can't contribute, but you can still do a lot.
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Thanks a lot!
The Authors & the ALBE Team