Director's Statement
I first wrote the screenplay for “Giselle the Bully” as a dedication to one of my best friends who struggles with severe depression. In caring for her throughout our 14-year-long friendship, I came to understand her depression (whether medically correct or not), as her inability to look past the realities of our sometimes tragic world. In some ways, her depression seemed like seeing the world the way it is, without any glossy filter. When truly traumatic events occurred, I couldn’t deny the harshness of daily life, because she was right, these events warranted immense sadness. But as a kid, without mental health resources or the aid of sympathetic adults, all I could do was to stand by her side and encourage her to look past the immediate stressors, and instead put faith in a brighter future. I understood that asking her to put faith in something as nebulous as a “better tomorrow” was like asking her to believe in an imaginary world of fairies and magic. Yet, what other choice did we have except to believe in something better than reality?
I hope this film serves as an ode to all childhood friends—the ones who we played pretend with, thickened our skin, and took care of us.
Where Your Money is Going!
Movie-making is an expensive process: despite a grant from Northwestern to make our film, we will need your support to help see our project through! We anticipate needing money for...
- Location
- Food: Our entire crew of student filmmakers are working for free, and it is the least we can do to make sure they get hearty meals to produce excellent work.
- Transportation: We need to transport people and equipment to and from set!
- Production Design: We are transforming a simple basement into a whimsical land of mountains and forests through pillow forts and blankets.
- Post-Production: The film won't be complete until we add a soundscape and color the picture.
Meet the Team!
Briana Lim (she/her) (Director)
Hello! My name is Briana, and I'm a senior at Northwestern University studying film, oboe performance, and creative writing. I have loved storytelling ever since the days I imagined worlds of mermaids and fairies with my childhood friends. I am passionate about depicting people of color and mental health narratives on screen—stories I wish I had while growing up :) Thank you for helping this film become a reality!
Jhil Patel (she/her) (Producer)
Hi! I'm a Senior at Northwestern studying Theatre, Economics, and Data Science. I'm a first time producer, but hugely excited to embark upon this project and exploring the nuances of childhood and the ways in which magic and make-believe have the ability to transform even the most disheartening of situations. Thanks for supporting our page!