The Flow of 'The River'
'The River' is about human nature and the fight to break through the ashes, the refusal to give into darkness and the instinct to hold onto a glimmer of hope, which remains elusive and perhaps even deceptive. It is based on the short story 'To Potami' by Greek wartime author Antonis Samarakis from the collection of short stories 'Zitite Elpis’
Web:
http://georgiabloos.com/in-development.html
(Above: A Test shoot for the dream sequence)Anthony is a young
soldier whose company has been stuck in the woods for 3 weeks during a
cease-fire. It is the beginning of Spring and as the increasing heat
tortures them, the sound of the nearby river is taunting them like an
irresistible siren, to whom many have given in and lost their lives. On
the other side, in a similar condition 'the others' are lurking. After a
fever-induced dream of home, Anthony seeks catharsis into the
waters of the singing river.
(Below: Storyboard Art - Blending Location Photography with storyboards)
The film starts with
Anthony taking a nap in the heat of early spring. He dreams that
his grandparents and warm homemade food are waiting for him just on the opposite
side of the river and in his dream, he is still a child longing for
comfort and his lost youth. War has roughened him up and worn him down and
he wants to wash himself clean of it.
So he goes on a
lone walk to a quieter part of the river. On the way, his memories of another life float in and out of the scene. He enjoys being alone and being lost in
this illusive bubble of peace.
When he reaches the river, he strips down as if shedding
his war skin and he dives in, in an act of catharsis but also of defiance. He chooses to ignore the fact that on the other side of the river, is also the other side of War...
LOCATIONS
The locations and nature itself are another protagonist as they are key to the development of our story, especially in the way that Anthony interacts with his surrounding natural environment.
We have carefully chosen where to shoot, in the lovely river Medway near Tonbridge in the Garden of England and also a part of Hampstead Heath for the woodland. They are gorgeous locations and assets to our project.
Why this story?
We wish to bring to the screen a powerful narrative, which will leave a mark in the viewer's mind . Told with strong images and powerful performances, this will be a charming tale of defiance, a small rebellion against despair, albeit a tragically foolish one.
I
chose to adapt Mr. Samaraki's story, because it has captured my
imagination since the moment I read it as a youngster in school and has
been revolving in my head ever since.
He writes with tenderness for his
poor heroes, indulging their quest for hope in spite of his knowledge
that it is all futile. He celebrates the human and his optimism and
observes powerlessly as the universe tares them apart. It might sound
dark, but to me, it is anything but. And that contradiction is the
beauty of it.
I believe, it is one of
those things that have shaped my mind and influenced my own voice and
love for storytelling. It is in a sense an homage to the cultural works
that have shaped and inspired me and in this sense it is the perfect
place to start this narrative short film and it a story I wish to share with you.
The story's ironic and poignant mood and what I
refer to as 'optimistic pessimism', make Samaraki's work so powerful and
impressionable and even traumatic in the best sense. This is what we aim to evoke through the film.
Who Are We?
The Director/Producer:
Georgia Bloo Nicolaou - Film studies graduate,
originally from the Isle of Cyprus, studied in the British Isles. A visual artist.
My student short film 'Dent De Lion' was
screened at various international film festivals and was awarded 'Best
Cinematography in a Greek Film' at the 7th International Cyprus Film
Festival.
You can see samples of my work and more on who I am by clicking on the link below! :)
Georgia Bloo Nicolaou - Websitewww.georgiabloos.com
The Composer:
Constantinos Lemesios
A talented musician from Larnaca, Cyprus, Constantinos has composed fascinating original scores for various short and feature films. You can see a sample of his work at the SoundCloud link below.
www.lemesios.comhttps://soundcloud.com/constantinos-lemesiosThe Rest of the Team:
We are an international team of young filmmakers and we are all very passionate about what we do. Most of us have a background in the visual arts as well as film and we therefore pay a lot of attention to the visual aesthetic as well as the writing and essence of a story.
Coming up on our team, is an Art Department Assistant who has worked with renowned operas, an Assistant Director with an impressive resume, a professional Sound guy and a crafty Editor.
THE CAST:We are very fortunate to have a great team of talented young actors on this project:
ANTHONY: Joshua Collins
IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4254610/
EDMUND: Ilkka Hämäläinen
IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3786916/
SERGEANT BLOOM: Tom Machell
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5037326/
Twitter: @tommach
PRIV. GALLAGHER: River Hawkins
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2200481/
ELENA: Ellie Roberts
Why we need you on board
We have already invested our savings for the creation of this short, but as you may know, making a movie is an expensive venture and that is why we also need your help. Your contribution in our budget will allow us to acquire some essential items for shooting the film in June and will also allow us to take the film forward after its completion:
EQUIPMENT: We want to hire the best equipment for optimum visual dynamic as it will be a very visual and experiential film.
COSTUMES & PROPS: Because it is a period film, we can't wear jeans and t-shirts. We need to carefully select and hire items faithful to the historical period, to dress the characters and the set and make it as realistic and visually appealing as possible. We have some great ideas and we need your help to bring them to life.
PRODUCTION COSTS: We will be shooting outdoors for 3 days and we will therefore need to feed the cast and crew, to buy essential things for their safety and comfort, to hire a life guard for the swimming scenes, and to cover travel expenses as we will have to hire vehicles (and a kayak!) to get us to the location.
So far you've seen the
essential things that your funding will get which are necessary for the preparation and filming.
The following, are also necessities further down the line. If we are lucky enough to hit our mark due to your generosity and support, and even if we can go beyond the mark, the rest of the budget will go to:
Paying essential
CAST AND CREW: We wish to repay our cast and crew for their valuable time and their participation as they are skillful professionals whose work is integral for the production of 'The River'.
FESTIVALS: We wish to submit the film to various international film festivals. Distribution requires funds and it is KEY to the film's creation as it becomes exhibited for the world to see. For festivals, we will also need a PRESS KIT, which comprises of Posters, DVDs and other materials that will act as advertisements for our submission.
And of course, to be able to produce these wonderful perks we have for you!
This is what you get back...
WHAT YOU GET (Oooo, Prezzies!)
The Dandelion £5
A digital wallpaper of the film for your computer!
The Poppy £10
A link to see the film online + the wallpaper!
The Bluebell £25
The Digital Package:
You will be a part of the team, as we will send you digital postcards in your email, especially addressed to you with some silly pictures we took on the set every day of filming. it is as if you will be there!
You also get to see the film online + get the digital wallpapers!
The Box/ Bronze Leaf £50
You get a nice little box which will contain the DVD of the completed film, physical posters, actual postcards and photographs from filming and a piece of the location for decoration (Pressed leaves, flowers, mud, bugs... ) Ok, maybe not bugs...
You also get the digital package
.
The Silver leaf £100
You get a nice canvas print of the Storyboard Art for your wall.
You get to choose which print you would like and you get a signed thank you note at the back!
And all previous perks.
The Gold Leaf £100
You get a nice little canvas print of Stills from the film for your wall.
You get to choose which image you would like and you get a signed thank you note at the back!
And all previous perks.
The Oars £250
You are the oars that move our boat forward!
You will receive a very special , very unique and Limited Edition DVD. It comes in a wooden case, hand-crafted and drawn with love and hard work by us, with a copy of the film and some behind the scenes footage as well!
You also get all previous perks.
The Boat £500
Co-Producer. You will actually be ON the film ('s credits)!
You will also get the Premium bundle which includes All perks, including the special edition DVD, an invitation to the screening/premier and a personal hand-written and signed note.
River GOLD £1000
Hello there, Mr/Ms. Executive Producer.
You are basically the boss! The most awesome of them all.
You will also get the Premium bundle which includes All perks,
including the special edition DVD, an invitation to the
screening/premier and a personal hand-written and signed note. You will also get video-updates, everyday of the shoot.
Risks & Challenges
We'll describe them in 2 words:
UK Weather
Yes, we will be filming outdoor scenes on the lovely grounds of the United Kingdom.
As pretty as the landscape may be, we all know that UK weather occasionally likes to happily rain on your parade.
But worry not, we are taking all measures in our humanly power to schedule the shoot on the best possible days. We are reading the long-term weather report everyday to prepare ourselves and because the weather can still be unpredictable, we will make sure our shooting schedule comes with a contingency plan and we will also ensure that our cast and crew will be kept warm and dry.
River Swimming
We have selected a safe, well-known river swimming area and for extra safety, we will be hiring a life guard to be with us on the day.
Other Ways You Can Help
Any donations big or small, will be much appreciated!
However, you can also help our campaign in a different way!
You can help us spread the word by sharing our campaign and talking about it to your friends, family, boss, cat etc.
Make them excited and lead them back here.
You can just click some buttons and instantly share it with the Indiegogo sharing tools.
MAKE 'THE RIVER' FLOW! :)
We Thank thee!
BONUS DRINKING GAME:
Just take a sip/shot every time I say 'film' and 'river' in the crowdfunding video. You are Welcome!