Support an MFA thesis short film "sole SOUL"

Introduction

Hi everyone, my name is Lely. I’m a 3rd year MFA film student from Nairobi, Kenya, studying at Syracuse University. I’m currently taking part in an artist residency at The Institut Fur Alles Mogliche in Berlin. My source of funding unfortunately fell through at the last minute and I'm in need of your assistance in funding my MFA thesis film project.

Logline

When an Afrocentric woman relocates to a new country, she must confront loneliness manifesting as ghostly human-like beings in her reality.

Story

sole SOUL is a psychological thriller about Amani who has just moved to a big city. As she settles into this new home with optimism she finds herself quickly locked into a routine that triggers hallucinations appearing as ghostly beings. To rectify the situation, Amani indulges and searches for explanations often in the wrong places before finally finding her answers.

The film opens with Amani moving into her new home and unpacking her belongings into her new life. As she settles into this new life, she is confronted by a mundane repetitive routine that sends her into madness. She begins to see the people in her surroundings with absent features. No noses, no eyes, no mouth, featureless beings.

To fix the situation, she begins her journey by finding different ways to ground herself in reality. Reconnection with old friends, wellness practices, debauchery and therapy. Each of these experiences sheds light on her inner world. In the end, she is met with a realisation that puts her at peace, the weight on her shoulders is lifted, and she surrenders completely.

This film focuses on a woman’s absence of power, particularly reflecting on isolation and loneliness, and how she regains her power. It is set within a thriving metropolitan city as the backdrop incorporating elements of surrealism, creating a sense of urgency in distinguishing illusion from reality.

Themes

By primarily focusing on a sole character, the film emphasizes the necessity of connection whilst not only showcasing but also humanizing the inner world and experiences of isolation without shame.

Director Statement

There’s a sensation that happens just when you spend a moment too long on your own, perhaps you haven’t seen anyone in days maybe weeks, you haven’t uttered a single word, not even to yourself. In a moment of stillness, even passivity, the mind roars and begs for attention, a world takes form and these invisible places and experiences demand to be acknowledged and felt. sole SOUL explores this.

Budget

€5000 ($5452), 4-5 day shoot,

Your generosity will help cover

Equipment rentals

Production design costs

Crew meals

Locations and permits

Post-production

Festival fees

Shoot

Dates between November 18-24 in Berlin, Germany

Conclusion

Each donation grants behind-the-scenes footage.

Every €100 donation will be recognized in the credits as special thanks.

Every €500 donation will be credited as an associate producer credit.

Every small donation will be appreciated. Thank you for your support.

About me

I am a Kenyan director/writer/actress and my narrative work focuses on the relationship women have with power. I explore this theme through dramas and psychological thrillers, often incorporating elements of surrealism. My stories often have a meditative element in their telling, this inclusion adds a sense of realism to the surreal which further strengthens the perspective on my subjects.

For my first short film, I wrote and directed PILLOW PRINCESS(ES), a psychological thriller. The film explores homoerotic friendships and grief. The film includes dream-like sequences that serve to question reality and provide a gateway to the unconscious. The visual motif emphasises the thesis of the story, can something so light and delicate have the capacity to become something horrific?

This year I produced, From My Father's Eyes, an experimental documentary/diary film primarily using archival footage. The film pays homage to my upbringing, my family and particularly my father, whose passion for filming our family in childhood influenced my choice to become a filmmaker. The film came to be through spontaneity when I decided to digitise my family’s archives, I got the opportunity to experience past versions of my family and myself; in doing so a story took form before my eyes.