Arlene - A BFA Thesis Film by Courtney LaRochelle

Synopsis:

When Cora’s Great Nana, Arlene, is on her way to her new nursing home, a familial turmoil between other family members opens the door for a new connection between Cora and Nana. Through voicemails, we learn about the young life of Cora while visually experiencing the solace of Great Nana’s. The film begins with a packed car of Great Nana’s knick knacks and other family members on their way to drop Nana and her things off at her new home. The film concludes with Cora listening back to her hoarded voicemails after Great Nana’s passing. Throughout the film, we understand the loneliness of old age while audibly experiencing a bustling young woman’s navigation of high school.

Director’s Statement:

This story is based on a true relationship yet not fully true. I was grateful to know my Great Grandmother and I got to really know and understand her after she passed. I was able to read her diaries of her many life experiences which brought me closer to knowing what kind of woman she was. This film aims to understand the connections between family members with a large generational gap but still trying to deepen their perception of one another. I am grateful to share my connection to my Nana in this story and honor her in such a unique way.

Budget Use:

Our crew is composed of students from Emerson College, each dedicated to putting all their energy and hard work into this film. However, in order to craft the most exceptional work possible, we need help raising money for our project.

With the resources from this campaign, our goal is to create an accessible, safe, and creative space for our cast and crew to work in. This includes:

We take pride in our ambitions but would like some assistance in ensuring our production runs smoothly. We need our crews well-fed and well-hydrated to keep wellness regulated and morale high. We also need methods of transportation to accommodate cast, crew, and equipment travel to our locations. Finally, we believe in authenticity, therefore funding will go toward production design costs to truly encapsulate the world of the story being told.

Why Your Donation Matters:

Your generous donations to the story of Arlene allow us to bring together our talented cast and crew. We aim to guarantee a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding experience to all those involved. The goal of this film is to build community and familial connection which is able to happen because of your donation.

Producer Bios:

Writer/Director - Courtney (Coco) LaRochelle

Courtney LaRochelle is a Senior BFA Visual Media Arts Major minoring in Business Studies. She is known by her friends as Coco but professionally will continue to go by Courtney LaRochelle. LaRochelle is known for her production design and costuming work throughout many Emerson College associated productions. Her love for design and creating has allowed her to form meaningful relationships through art and how design influences the eye of the viewer. She has also found a passion for analog filmmaking and photography and has made several experimental music videos and projects allowing her to expand and explore her love for non-traditional storytelling. LaRochelle is an award winning analog photographer and continues to submit her photographs to festivals and analog showcases. Through her thesis film, Arlene, she hopes to form community and connections through familial storytelling and hopes her story can inspire others.

Producer - Keila Bara

Keila Bara is currently a senior and honors student at Emerson College, majoring in Media Arts Production with a Producing concentration. Arlene is the fifth project she has produced, and she has also worked on various student films as an assistant director and script supervisor. When she isn’t working on film sets, she dedicates most of her time to Emerson Independent Video (a student-run production company at Emerson), in which she is the General Manager. Keila hopes to continue working in the film world post-graduation, working on the logistics side to ensure creatives are given the resources needed to tell important and impactful stories.

Producer and Assistant Director - Haley Gabelsberg

Haley Gabelsberg is an Honors student at Emerson College, majoring in Media Arts Production and minoring in Business and Psychology. Gabelsberg is a dedicated writer and director committed to telling the complex and nuanced stories of women. When not working on her own films, she supports her fellow student filmmakers as an Evvy-nominated producer and AD, while not shying away from doing whatever it takes to ensure a project is completed. Gabelsberg is also on the board of Frames Per Second (another student-run production company at Emerson College) as the Narrative Coordinator, overseeing the selection and production of FPS’s films. She is proud to be working on Arlene with such talented and hardworking women.

Associate Producer/Co-Production Designer - Bianca Todini

Bianca Todini is a current Junior at Emerson College, majoring in Media Arts Production with a concentration in Producing and a minor in Business Studies. Bianca is originally from Rome, Italy but has spent her childhood living abroad. She has spent most of her life in Southeast Asia; specifically East Timor, Cambodia, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. Bianca’s dedication to producing films is informed by her unique perspective as a “third culture kid” and her desire to uplift under-heard and non-traditional voices. So far at Emerson College, she has produced five student projects and worked on 20+ student film sets, many of which have been Emerson Independent Video Productions. Bianca works closely with EIV, Massachuest’s largest student-run production company. She is the current Business Manager, which has allowed her to facilitate a close working relationship between Emerson College and fellow filmmaking students. Bianca’s work has been accepted to film festivals such as The New York International Film Awards, indieX Film Fest, Independent Shorts Awards, Indie Short Fest, The Silicon Beach Film Festival, LA Feedback Film Festival, Student Los Angeles Film Awards, LA Core Independent Film Festival, and Purple Sky International Film Festival. As a producer, Bianca loves exploring the relationship between cultural norms and expressions of identity, as Queer woman, Bianca takes pride in uplifting marginalized voices.

Associate Producer/Script Supervisor - Rachel Blackman

Rachel Blackman is a sophomore at Emerson College, majoring in Media Arts Production. With a background primarily in screenwriting, Rachel strives to bring forward stories that represent the Queer community, with the goal in mind of showing and celebrating all facets of Queer life. Rachel has written for magazines and the EVVY awards, currently Executive Producing a miniseries that she co-wrote and will be co-directing. She has also produced a music video, and is pursuing her interest in producing. When she’s not writing or producing, Rachel is typically on BA and BFA sets as Grip or Script Supervisor. She is also currently working to create a production company, and hopes to continue the work with Lanky Orangutan Media for the rest of her college career and beyond. Rachel is honored to be working on Arlene, getting the chance to learn and collaborate with such kind and dedicated women.

Other Ways To Help:

If you can’t donate, that’s okay! You can help the Arlene team by sharing this fundraiser and spreading the word. Thank you for your support and contribution!