Asparagus Short Film
Donation protected
Asaparagus. Because nothing says ‘I Love You’ like a high maintenance, invasive vegetable.
**Finalist 2025 Slick Films - First Time Film Makers Fund**
This isn't just a short film fundraiser. This is a *disability activism and social impact* short film fundraiser.
Highlights
Crowdfunders always have so much info. Here's a summary of what's below:
- The tragic events that inspired this story
- What the film is about
- How we are using the money we raise
CONTENT WARNING: Before you go further, there is some content that some people may find triggering, including baby loss, suicide and mental illness.
Thank you so much for your donation! Not only are you helping to create real change, you're also financially supporting exhausted filmmakers who are finding it hard to make a living in this climate.
Brought into existnece by the power of Gobby Girls (with script approval from Head Gobby Girl, Gina Lyons, who thinks I'm hilarious!)
MY STORY
Hi, I'm Sarah, Writer, Creator and Executive Producer of Asparagus; a semi-autobiographical romantic comedy that I wrote whilst navigating my experiences of grief, trauma, surviving suicide and being diagnosed with ADHD & Autism in my mid-30s.
I returned to the industry in 2020 after taking a career break to go through IVF and grieve baby loss. But on the 10th July 2022 I woke up in a psychiatric hospital, after attempting to take my own life.
Completely overwhelmed by trauma and grief, the world had become too loud, too fast and too bright. No longer able to regulate my senses or emotions, I could think of only one way to make it stop. Too not be here anymore.
Figures published by The National Autistic Society and Autistica show that “66% of autistic adults have thought about taking their own life, and an alarming 35% have attempted suicide”*
Caught in a cycle of de-regulation, meltdown and crisis, I was broken, and when a team of psychiatrists and mental health professionals diagnosed me with the winning combination of ADHD, Autism and PTSD, I couldn’t help thinking that if I were a cat, it would be kinder to put me down!!
“between 11-41% of those who die by suicide may be autistic or have autistic traits.”*
As I began rebuilding my life. I began looking for stories that reflected my own. But where were they? Where were the stories of women like me? The childless, the quirky and the late diagnosed. Where were the stories of women trying to relearn who they were, whilst grieving for the life that could have been? Where were the women with the non perfect noses, the cellulite and the wobbly bits – and where were the women over 40!? But more importantly, where were - where are?? - the real stories of neurodivergent people?
Writing Asparagus, has been both empowering and terrifying, but I wanted to be brave in offering a raw and uncensored story, that allows others to be feel validated and seen.
ABOUT ASPARAGUS
Because nothing says ‘I Love You’ like a high maintenance, invasive vegetable.
This deeply layered 10-minute short film dives into the complexities of falling in love when you don’t fit in.
Through darkly comic devices and desperately vulnerable exposure, Asparagus shows us how real connection can only happen when we are our true unique selves - unmasked and unbridled – even when everything you have experienced before is telling you to run...
Exploring themes of CPTSD and late diagnosed AuDHD, Asparagus draws on lived experience from writer, Sarah Lidstone, to offer a raw and honest representation of neurodiversity; whilst dismantling preconceived ideas of Autism and stereotypes of what a romantic lead should look, sound and behave like.
A fast-paced neurospicy love story like you’ve never seen before, Asparagus brings empowerment and validation, by allowing quirky women over 35 to see themselves represented in a romantic narrative… because yes, we have sex too!
Synopsis
Emma has never fitted in. Beat up, burnt out and just generally fed up with life, she finds herself living in her boss’ back bedroom. Not where she planned to be at nearly 40, but it does come with perks: a greenhouse!
We find Emma there, dissociating and talking to her plant babies after a hideous and rather traumatic date night which resulted in her hiding behind a wheelie bin…
Meanwhile, John, nervous and excited, sits in his car, receiving life advice from Chloe (a 12 year old sage and the reincarnation of a 65 year old woman named Beryl). Still broken from a messy divorce, John must go on his own journey of vulnerability and build up the courage to tell Emma how he really feels before it’s too late.
With a bit of casual trespassing, John steps into Emma’s world and offers her a packet of Asparagus seeds as a declaration of his love. But as Emma’s intense feelings overwhelm her, John doesn’t get the reaction he was expecting...
MEET OUR CAST
Sarah Lidstone - Emma
Oliver Broad - John
Isabelle Pratt- Chloe/Beryl
Anya Marco-Harris - Pam
HOW WE'RE USING THE MONEY
Fancy yourself as a Medici? You too can sponsor artists!
We're raising £5,000 because filmmaking is hard, life is hard and people deserve to be paid. This is how social enterprise and empowerment works!
Work done so far
- Asparagus is scheduled to shoot in September 2025, directed by award-winning theatre and film director, Lou-Lou Mason.
- The majority of artists and crew engaged are from underserved and underrepresented communities.
- The project is both female and femme led and the set will be trauma informed, and supported by an intimacy coordinator.
- The project is cast, with locations and some of the crew secured as support in kind. We are committed to paying artists and crew fairly and to that end are fundraising across a variety of sources.
- Asparagus in short form is a standalone ten-minute excerpt from a feature project (currently in script development).
- Once completed Asparagus will be submitted to film festivals before wider release, including use in charity and educational contexts.
And your generous donations will bring our little film to life and support our collaborators.
*Statistics citations:
National Autistic Society
Autistica
Organizer
Sarah Lidstone
Organizer
England