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THE DIRECTORS
Chaya Kumar and Chris Rajan are the co-directors of Set Free, a project that has been in the making for 6 months now.
THE PURPOSE
The directors' goal is to to raise awareness about gender inequality and violence against women, and give victims a sense of empowerment to stand up- not only in India, but all over the world. Just one thought could provoke change.
THE ART
The team of Set Free has extensive backgrounds in music, dance, filmmaking and art, and thus have chosen to tell this story through the medium of dance; specifically, Bharatanatyam and semi-classical Indian dance.
Bharatanatyam is the art of storytelling, and has been for over 2,000 years in India. Each hand gesture, expression, taalaam or rhythm, and instrument has a deeper explanation as to how it substantiates the overall story or theme. The physical body becomes a vessel of communication in conveying a greater message and/or lesson.
THE TEAM
Each of the dancers have been classically trained for over 10 years in Bharatnatyam. Blue Flame Productions, an exceptional performing arts and entertainment company, based out of Dallas,TX, has taken the lead on dance direction and choreography for this film.
The film's main dancer, Prathiba Natesan, is a jack of all trades. Prathiba was born in Chennai. She began learning dance at the age of 11 and since then has been a three-time national champion of India in Bharatanatyam dance. When Prathiba was 21 years old, she moved to America to attend graduate school at Texas A&M. She then moved to Denton and went on to becoming an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Director of the Office of Research Consulting at UNT. But of course, she has not stopped dancing. Since her move to Dallas, Texas, Prathiba has choreographed and conceptualized productions to raise awareness about sexual harassment, environmental issues and race and class issues. She also trains students in classical dance so that they may use it as a way of communicating greater issues in the future. Growing up in India, Prathiba witnessed inequality firsthand, based on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, class, race and gender, and because of it has a great passion for her humanitarian work.
THE STORY
The story of Set Free follows a young woman’s journey to deliverance. The audience will embark on an emotional ride, with the main character, as she struggles through her self-reflection and societal pressures and views, but then is uplifted by her newfound strength and chooses to take a stance.
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW
Currently, the team is in pre-production for this film. The dancers are choreographing and training vigorously, with the direction of Blue Flame Productions. In the meantime, Chaya and Chris are working on the logistics in terms of budgeting, storyboarding, mood reels, set design, costume design, and shot lists. Filming will begin September 15th for a week, and post-production will follow immediately after. They intend to release this short film in October to the general public, and hope to enter it into film festivals in the early Spring.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
This is where you come in! The team has all of its resources, talent and training to execute this project successfully. All they need is the proper funding. Your contribution would help finance their costumes, camera equipment, lighting equipment, and set design.
We are offering film credits to all who contribute!
This project means so much to the team of Set Free. Please help them to affect change by giving others the knowledge and empowerment they need to do so.
The team sincerely appreciates your consideration in furthering their effort!
Chaya Kumar and Chris Rajan are the co-directors of Set Free, a project that has been in the making for 6 months now.
THE PURPOSE
The directors' goal is to to raise awareness about gender inequality and violence against women, and give victims a sense of empowerment to stand up- not only in India, but all over the world. Just one thought could provoke change.
THE ART
The team of Set Free has extensive backgrounds in music, dance, filmmaking and art, and thus have chosen to tell this story through the medium of dance; specifically, Bharatanatyam and semi-classical Indian dance.
Bharatanatyam is the art of storytelling, and has been for over 2,000 years in India. Each hand gesture, expression, taalaam or rhythm, and instrument has a deeper explanation as to how it substantiates the overall story or theme. The physical body becomes a vessel of communication in conveying a greater message and/or lesson.
THE TEAM
Each of the dancers have been classically trained for over 10 years in Bharatnatyam. Blue Flame Productions, an exceptional performing arts and entertainment company, based out of Dallas,TX, has taken the lead on dance direction and choreography for this film.
The film's main dancer, Prathiba Natesan, is a jack of all trades. Prathiba was born in Chennai. She began learning dance at the age of 11 and since then has been a three-time national champion of India in Bharatanatyam dance. When Prathiba was 21 years old, she moved to America to attend graduate school at Texas A&M. She then moved to Denton and went on to becoming an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Director of the Office of Research Consulting at UNT. But of course, she has not stopped dancing. Since her move to Dallas, Texas, Prathiba has choreographed and conceptualized productions to raise awareness about sexual harassment, environmental issues and race and class issues. She also trains students in classical dance so that they may use it as a way of communicating greater issues in the future. Growing up in India, Prathiba witnessed inequality firsthand, based on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, class, race and gender, and because of it has a great passion for her humanitarian work.
THE STORY
The story of Set Free follows a young woman’s journey to deliverance. The audience will embark on an emotional ride, with the main character, as she struggles through her self-reflection and societal pressures and views, but then is uplifted by her newfound strength and chooses to take a stance.
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW
Currently, the team is in pre-production for this film. The dancers are choreographing and training vigorously, with the direction of Blue Flame Productions. In the meantime, Chaya and Chris are working on the logistics in terms of budgeting, storyboarding, mood reels, set design, costume design, and shot lists. Filming will begin September 15th for a week, and post-production will follow immediately after. They intend to release this short film in October to the general public, and hope to enter it into film festivals in the early Spring.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
This is where you come in! The team has all of its resources, talent and training to execute this project successfully. All they need is the proper funding. Your contribution would help finance their costumes, camera equipment, lighting equipment, and set design.
We are offering film credits to all who contribute!
This project means so much to the team of Set Free. Please help them to affect change by giving others the knowledge and empowerment they need to do so.
The team sincerely appreciates your consideration in furthering their effort!