Fund Maja Giguere's Inspiring Film on Trauma

Who am I?

Hi my name is Maja Giguere and I am a Rhode Island native and a third year MFA Graduate student at Emerson College, located in Boston, MA. I will be using this film as my thesis to fulfill all the requirements for graduation. Woo! I have wanted to tell this story for so long and I am so excited it is finally happening.

What is my film about?

Since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to tell a story about my dad. I never knew what, when or how, but I just could feel it in my gut. As the years went on the feeling never went away. Now, at the age of 30, the time has come to not just tell his story, but tell my story...our story.

This hybrid documentary explores how trauma from a person's childhood carries lasting effects into their adulthood. I do this by using my dad and I as a case-study. I have spent so much of my life running from my conflicted feelings about my dad, and I decided I didn't want to run anymore. I want to face them head on, and hopefully help other people to do the same and find hope even in the darkest of situations.

In this documentary I explore various ways of healing. One of the more prominent avenues is writing and directing short recreations of some of my more traumatic experiences with my dad. In the film you will be able to see the recreations but also watch as I hire the actors and direct them to bring these memories to life. It's kind of crazy concept, but 100% powerful!

It is a deeply personal film that I know will resonate with a lot of people, and I want every single one of those people to know that they are not alone. Your feelings are valid, and there is hope in the broken pieces and parts of our lives.

Where the money will go:

In order to make this film a success, there are many moving parts. Most of these parts cost money. This is why I am here fundraising and why I am hoping you will donate a little something to make this film come together in the best way possible. I am looking to raise somewhere between $12,000 - $15,000 to make sure that I am able to cover everything, even if something ends up costing more than expected.

1. Production design - we bring the film to life by keeping it as true to the story as possible. For the recreations we are designing sets that take place in 90's and early 2000's.

2. Costumes - with this being a period piece (it feels crazy saying that about the 90's), I need to make sure all my cast members are dressed decade appropriate.

3. Feeding the cast and crew - many things happen to keep the cast and crew happy, one of the biggest things is making sure they are well fed and stay hydrated. It is so important to me that I have fun snacks alongside healthy and nutritious ones and very filling meals. My crew will also be coming from Boston, and after a long day, I want to make sure they have the fuel to make its home safely.

4. Travel - Some of my cast is traveling from other states, and most of my crew will be coming in from Boston. I want to make sure I can cover travel expenses for the team that is working so hard on this special project.

5. Cast and Crew - It goes without saying that I truly believe my cast and crew all deserve something monetary for all of their hard work. In order for me to be able to do that I need to raise the funds to thank them in a way that they are more than deserving of: money! The more money I raise, the better my ability to do this.

6. Post-Production - The pieces of the puzzle come together to become one beautiful film. This includes, the edit, color grade, sound mix, music licensing and more.

These are a few of the ways that a monetary donation will be used in the making of A Daughter Unfolding. If you want a further breakdown or have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and ask away!

Locations & expected shooting dates:

We will be shooting this film in Rhode Island and Boston.

Recreation 1: June 27, 28 & 29th all in Rhode Island - locations locked.

Recreation 2: August 22, 23 & 24th we are still locking in locations.

Throughout the summer and fall will be shooting various interviews, conversations with my dad and other parts of the documentary.

Expected time to be entering post-production is end of September.

I am so excited to share my story with the world and hopefully be able to make a positive impact. Trauma is everywhere and the majority of people are deeply affected by it.

Thank you so much for your help and your support <3

Please feel free to send me a message with any further questions!

Thank you!