Welcome to Neðan Fjöru: Below Tides, a new dance project speaking out about depression, a disability that affects 1 in 10 American adults, and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. With our film, we want to emotionally engage and inspire viewers to speak out about depression. Too often, this disability goes untreated, for a lack of understanding or for fear of being stigmatized. The first step in getting better is also the hardest: say something.
“The most important thing to remember about depression is this: you do not get the time back. It is not tacked on at the end of your life to make up for the disaster years. Whatever time is eaten by a depression is gone forever. The minutes that are ticking by as you experience the illness are minutes you will not know again.”
― The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
THE FILM
Our mission is simple: get into festivals! This is the best way to spread our message and open up the discussion about depression and other mental illnesses. The more people that see the film, the bigger an impact we can have. This is why we need your help - the better our film is, the greater our chance of getting it screened. With appropriate funds, we can better implement our ideas with equipment rentals, basic cleaning and maintenance costs for the shooting space, and food and lodging for our hardworking cast and crew.
THE FACES BEHIND THE PROJECT
Together, U of A Media Arts BFA alum director Cylan Shaffer and director of photography Fiona Foster reunite for another dance collaboration, bringing in student crew members from the University of Arizona. Shaffer and Foster began their close friendship and creative collaboration in Fall 2010, and continue to actively use film to raise awareness about socially relevant issues.
Their previous dance film, "Ljósið - The Light" featuring Barton Cowperthwaite and Brandon Coleman with choreography by Dayna Ann DeFilippis, has currently screened at multiple film festivals. The film made its World Premiere at the 2013 Palm Springs International Shortsfest, the largest Short Film Festival in the US. This piece was one of over 330 films selected from 3,500+ submissions. Ljósið was also an official selection at the 2013 Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, an event dedicated toward recognizing women holding top crew positions in film, and was one of 20 selected films out of over 100 for the 2013 Oklahoma OK Dance Film Festival. The programmers from Inside Out Film Festival in Toronto, the largest LGBT Film Festival in Canada and third largest in the world, and the Pink Apple Film Festival, an LGBT Festival in Zurich, Germany, personally requested Ljósið for submission to their festivals.
In May, Ljósið will officially screen at the Petaluma Film Festival in San Francisco and at the DOTA Dance Festival in New York City.
With one of the top dance programs in the country, we're re-connecting with our Wildcat roots to incorporate U of A dancers in the film. Recent grad Barton Cowperthwaite returns after touring Europe playing "Romeo" in Rasta Thomas' "Romeo & Juliet" with The Bad Boys of Dance. A current student, Alexandra Yonkovich joins us as the female lead, a talented dancer who began at the age of three and boasts dance experience internationally. Gianni Howell, winner of a Silver Medal Scholarship at the YoungArts Foundation National Competition, focuses on Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Modern Dance at the University and joins as the male lead dancer.
THE FIGHT
Depression is not simple. It's not just sadness, it's not suicide, it's not the pre-packaged image of the troubled teen. So often, friends and family are surprised to discover that the "the happiest person" they know, among many others, suffers from depression.
In the words of writer Andrew Solomon, "the opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality and life." More accurately described, depression is a fundamental change in the brain's chemistry that affects your mood, sleeping habits, appetite, and concentration. It's a dulling of the senses that inhibits your ability to live life to the fullest.
It's often triggered by a traumatic life event. A major life transition. The death of a friend. A family member. The loss of a first love. Losing a job. Stress. Some people are born with a genetic predisposition. Either way, it's a disease that can potentially affect you lifelong. But it doesn't mean that you'll suffer forever, or that you're headed for suicidal, or that there's no hope. It means you have a disease, like other diseases, that needs to be treated.
The first step in getting better is also the hardest: say something. With our film, we want to encourage others to speak out, and take the first step towards changing their lives for the better.
THE FUNDS
This is the tricky part - we need your help! We've got the talent, we've got the plan, and now we need a way to fund it. Here's how our budget breaks down:
$1000 - Music licensing fees
$500 - Travel and lodging (includes gas reimbursement, possibly flights)
$500 - Craft service (Catering by Café 54, a local eatery dedicated to aiding those recovering from mental illness)
$400 - Media storage (better safe than sorry - multiple back-ups save the project!)
$500 - Production design (fog machines, fog juice, brooms, etc.)
$400 - Costuming
$700 - Possible basement restoration (Cleaning and repairs)
$1000 - Camera equipment (Video village, cinema lens rentals, Steadicam support, etc.)
$1,250 - Post production fees (DVDs, coloring, one sheets, promotional materials, festival submission fees)
With submission and acceptance into film festival as our goal, director Cylan Shaffer will personally match 10% of the total funds raised for this project to go directly towards festival submission fees.
Any funds remaining at the end of the project will be donated to the Thunderbird Banner Health Psychiatric Ward. For more information on this organization, please visit their website.
THE FUTURE
Our last film, Ljósið, has screened at several film festivals across the US and internationally, including the 2013 Palm Springs International Shorts Fest. With this film, we hope to take it even farther. Your contribution will, in part, go towards festival submission fees (generally $20-50 per entry) and DVD packaging and promotional material costs.
THE FIRST STEP
Be a creative enabler - make a donation today! Every dollar makes a positive impact. Every well-wisher lifts our spirits. Help us see this project through.
Can't make a donation, but still want to help us out? Follow our Facebook page for updates and behind the scenes footage.
RESOURCES
Want to know more? Here's a select list of resources that have taught us, helped us, and inspired us.
World Health Organization - Depression Fact Sheet
Andrew Solomon: Depression, the secret we share
OUR PAST WORK
The Shedding
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