The Idea.
There are some
moments from my childhood that can still conjure up a knot in my
stomach. Growing up trying to understand my sexuality was exhausting, most
certainly because I didn’t know what was going on until I was 13, then the 4
years after that were spent trying to suppress what I was feeling in one way or
another. It baffles me that most people only “come out” in their late
teens/early twenties. I remember having a crush on a girl in my school in early childhood.
I began to tell more and more people of my experience and I was amazed to
hear I wasn’t the only one. Almost everyone I spoke to identified some hint of
their sexuality as early as 4 or 5 years of age. I wrote this film to bring
this side of identifying one’s sexuality out of the dark. Not only for people
who have gone through it but also to show those who may have no experience with
this issue that struggles with sexuality can be from a very early age. The idea of 'being gay' should not be hidden from children, it is just another path in life only made more difficult by this cloak of secrecy.
The film is a short drama which is somewhat autobiographical. It depicts the confusion and uncertainty of the first time you develop a crush on someone of the same sex.
The Synopsis.
Elenore (10) meets Alex (11), playing a drum kit at the back of a toyshop. The girls hit it off immediately and so Alex invites her to a sleepover with her friends. As the night progresses at this sleepover, their feelings become more apparent and Elenore’s attraction to Alex deepens. When their displays of affection attract the attention of the other girls they must choose whether to conform to their peers expectations for them or explore who they really are. However, the pressure becomes too much for Alex, leaving Elenore to fight for herself.
Interest in this project.
The script for Little Doll was selected from thousands of international projects by the Berlinale Talent Campus as 1 of 10 projects developed at the Short Film Station 2014. During this event, screenwriters are invited to the Berlinale, where they work one-to-one with leading, professional screenwriters to develop their projects. There Writer/Director Kate Dolan developed the script to the advanced and ready-to-shoot stage it is currently at. Kate also pitched the script to those attending the Berlinale. Through this, Interfilm have guaranteed that they will distribute the film once it is finished.
The script has already come so far and has had a huge amount of work put into it. With your help, we can make this together!
More on Little Doll's involvement at the Berlinale here...http://www.berlinale-talents.de/campus/project/...
What We Need & What You Get.
- Even on the tightest budget, we will need funds to enable the logistics, transportation of equipment, rental of locations, and of course to feed our hard working and very hungry cast and crew!
- Once we have the film completed, we need money to help distribute the film and get our message out there. This involves entering film festivals and release.
- We don't expect anyone to part with their hard earned money for nothing in return, so we are offering some very fine perks for your generosity and support!
- You will be doing your part to spread the idea behind this film. We wish to normalise being gay. To us it is no exception, just another way to live your life. We hope to spread this message, through international festivals and distribution, and you can be a part of that by helping us fund our short.
A little about our team.
Kate Dolan - Writer / Director
Kate graduated from the Film & Television Production course at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology in 2012. There she mainly studied Direction and Editing in her final year, however she has a keen interest in Screenwriting too. Her graduate short, BREATHE IN (2012) was officially selected for several international festivals. Most recently, she attended the Berlinale Talents to develop LITTLE DOLL at the Short Film Script Station 2014.
Claire Nolan - Producer
Since producing 5 graduate films in 2012 and graduating with
a first class honors BA in Film and Television Production from the National Film School at
IADT, Dublin, Claire has been selected for international film development and
training programs Berlinale Talent Campus 2013, and Engage 2013. Since then she has worked with leading Irish film production
company Subotica as a development and production executive, working on films
such as Niall Heery’s GOLD (James Nesbitt, David Wilmot, Kerry Condon, Maisie
Williams), Jake Paltrow’s YOUNG ONES (Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle
Fanning, Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Liv Ullman’s MISS JULIE (Jessica
Chastain, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton).
Philip Blake - Director of Photography
Philip Blake is a young Irish Cinematographer. Since graduating from the National Film School where he majored in Camera and Lighting and experimental film, Philip has been shooting an array of projects both in Ireland and internationally. Some of his most recent work includes LOVE/HATE, DRAÍOCHT and a multitude of commercials and news broadcasts from various European Countries.
As well as this Philip, has shot and directed 2 of his own documentaries in Libya and India. Philip has also worked on a number of projects with Kate including her awarding winning short film BREATHE IN.
With a wide range of skills, experience and a passion for filmmaking Philip has quickly become involved in many projects and strives to be collaborative and creative in all of his work.
