Synopsis:
Family Matters is a
short, experimental and reflexive documentary that has grown from the discovery
of the director’s great grandfather’s diaries that he kept from when World War
II broke out, forcing this Jewish family to escape Poland and make their way to
Cape Town, until he died many years later in South Africa. These diaries tell
stories of a journey, of parenthood, of personal anxieties, and of a highly
complex love story between the diaries’ writer and his wife. After an extensive
reading of these diaries, we began to focus on the relationship between the
director's great grandparents, which was filled with mysteries and secrets. From
this complex relationship we delve into questions surrounding the uncertainties
of love, family and truth, often blurring the line between past and present as
we try to understand the way that our family history can a play a complicated
role in our own futures. Through one man’s experience of loneliness, Family Matter’s delves into
themes of love, family truths and family fictions: with all of their questions
and uncertainties.
Why We Need You:
Family Matters is a project
that we have all grown deeply attached to, making us determined to create
something that reflects the passion, energy and time that we are putting into
it. We would greatly appreciate support in any shape or form, whether that
comes as a hug, a share of our page or a cheque! Although this is a simple
and low-budget film, we do require some financial help in order for our project
to materialise.
Why We Need Money:
We are shooting part of our film on a 1969 Super 8 film
camera. However, in South Africa, we have been unable to find a place that
processes Super 8 film, and we thus have to spend a substantial amount of money
on buying film and sending it to be processed in the USA. We also need
funding for some basic gear, (lenses and lights), production design costs,
catering on set, transportation, and festival entry fees. Your donations will reap benefits for you too, so make sure to check out the perks on the right side of the page that come with different donations! We would greatly
appreciate any donations from you, big or small, to help us create a
professional end product.